I’m making available to all, free of charge, a 20-page booklet I wrote explaining the principles of how to evaluate art for artistic growth, as well as how to foster a positive critique environment with your peers and colleagues.  This text will almost certainly see further development sometime in the future, into something even more comprehensive. But in the anti-copyright, anarchist spirit of community and sharing, the current version is free to all who are willing to read and learn.  Thanks to Teresa Sharpe for invaluable help in writing it, and to my other friends who gave feedback and suggestions.  Download it here.

Post from: TattooSnob.com Evaluating art for artistic growth

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Quantities are limited. Interested parties can send payment via Paypal to stayhopeless@gmail.com.

Artwork by Kyle Crowell

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Making my own prints over the years, and seeing the quality going down and the expense going up I decided to offer my printing skills to other artists and do everything in house.  So there is no big business or huge copy centers making a dime off of this.  The artists involved get top quality printing, and services with knowing they are supporting a fellow artist.  All of our prints are printed using Museum quality archival inks that are also known as the highest ranked giclee prints.  They are printed on 100 percent cotton fine art Hahnemuhle papers.  This all means that the print you get will far out live you, and you will never see fading in your lifetime. We are offering printing services to anyone that is interested in cutting out the big printing companies and want to deal with a real person that is going to be personally handling your entire order.

All prints come with a signed and numbered certificate of authenticity from the artist–and it looks like most of the pieces are limited to 50 print run. Right now they’re offering exclusive prints from Horsebites (!!!) and Russ Abbott in addition to work from Robert Ryan and Jason June… someone cut up my credit card before I get myself into trouble!

“The Kingdom of Heaven is within you” print by Robert Ryan

Post from: TattooSnob.com Loving everything from Rebel Reprints

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This sign below is one of the many featured at the San Francisco convention this past year.

Post from: TattooSnob.com 100 years behind the times

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Post from: TattooSnob.com Gypsy girl and skullerflies

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If so, this limited edition Sanrio-inspired flash sheet by Grant Cobb ($75) might be right up their alley. Send him an email for details on purchase.

Post from: TattooSnob.com Limited edition Sanrio flash from Grant Cobb

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Art by: Dennis M. Del Prete at Providence Tattoo in Providence, RI

Post from: TattooSnob.com You need a sense of humor

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Now Scapegoat Tattoo has put together the “Gulf Ghost” Disaster benefit with a limited edition series of prints (signed and numbered!) for $40. All money made will go toward aiding in animal rescue and clean up efforts. Email scapegoattattoo@gmail.com with the subject: GULF GHOST to score your print. If  you have some money burning a hole in your pocket, the original is also available at Optic Nerve Arts for $600.

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We bumped into Jime at Hell City Columbus, and asked if he’d be willing to sign both sets we were sent by his publisher. Imagine my surprise that he took the time not only to sign each book, but to do a quick sketch on the inside cover of each one.

You can purchase the set for yourself by on  PrestoArt… OR you could just comment on this entry (using a valid email, please) with your name and why you’re stoked on the books. We’ll randomly select one commenter to receive the full set on Friday, June 4th! Good luck Snobs!

Post from: TattooSnob.com Win a set of Jime Litwalk sketchbooks!

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I was turned on to the auctions by Skin Deep Magazine via their Twitter account. From there, I found an article in the recent edition of Total Tattoo Magazine, and contacted Lisa Bolton to ask a few more questions about the project.

Tattoo Snob: Can you tell us what exactly the Sugar Skull project is?

Lisa Bolton: Essentially, The Sugar Project is an annual tattoo-art auction raising money for charity. 70 leading tattoo artists from around the world have been hand painting and crafting skulls to sell at auction to raise money for The Woking Hospice. 10 were given away in the raffle at The Brighton Tattoo Convention, the remaining 60 are currently being auctioned on eBay. All the proceeds from the sale of the skulls will be donated to The Woking Hospice which urgently needs funds to prevent it’s closure; a charity close to my heart as I lost my father there last year… but inadvertently, The Sugar Project is very much more than that. It is a celebration of tattooing as an art-form, recognising the extensive skills of these artists. It is a completely unique chance for people to own an exclusive piece of art by some incredible artists. It is also an opportunity to show the non-tattooed folk what a generous and caring bunch we really are.

TS: Where in did you find all of these skulls?

LB: When I first cracked this idea open, it was a week after Halloween… ever tried to buy a skull a week after Halloween?! I had initially planned to buy 20 to distribute amongst tattooist friends, but after much ringing around I learned that those who stock skulls do so with the intentions of selling out by 31st October… even the stockists of the stockists were drawing a blank and in the end I had no choice but to go direct to the factory in China. It was a bit nerve wracking… I don’t run a business, I’m a stay-at-home mum selling art by day and waitressing at night! I also had to really increase the size of my order which meant suddenly The Sugar Project was a lot bigger than I had expected.

TS: I know a number of auctions have already ended, are they raising a lot of money?

LB: So far, 17 auctions have ended and have raised £2,600… but including the bids for the remaining auctions that are still active, The Sugar Project has raised £4,200 and that figure is still rising!

I am truly amazed and touched by peoples generosity… not only by those who have bid for the skulls but by the artists who have donated their artwork. Many of these artists would ordinarily sell their original paintings for 100′s of pounds. They have participated in the project knowing that it is a small community charity and the art will be auctioned, so there is no control over the figure they raise but it will all go to help The Woking Hospice.

TS: How exactly did you choose which artists got to participate?

LS: I opened the idea up to artists on the Skin Deep forum to begin with. I post there as a moderator and have made many friends through the forum and conventions. I use the forum to organise a lot of tattoo-art competitions and knew that there was plenty of talent there. I also knew that my friends would want to help a charity so important to me, the tattoo community is the most supportive I have ever been involved with. When the project got a lot bigger though, I made a list of 100 of my favourite artists and started contacting them directly asking for their help, I was amazed by how many said yes. Guy Aitchison replied to my email within 24 hours, I knew then that The Project was going to be big. Over time, sadly a number of artists that I originally billed dropped out, but in the end the turn out was far better than I expected. With more publicity on Facebook and Myspace and through recommendation by the artists, people started contacting me and I ran out of skulls very quickly. A week before the auctions started, Guy Aitchison emailed to ask if he could have an extra one for his friend who also wanted to take part and due to having none left, I had to say no to Juan Salgado! I admit to being quite picky though, not just because I wanted to raise as much money for the charity as possible, but also because I strongly believe in pushing forward the artistic element of tattooing and I wanted The Project to be taken seriously.

TS: Are all these artists involved in the tattoo community?

Not all of the artists are tattooists, but all are involved in the community… a few of us, including myself, produce artwork heavily influenced by tattooing and we have all been involved in exhibiting our artwork at conventions, but we don’t tattoo. I think non-tattooing artists are an important part of the community. It’s good to show that you don’t have to pick up a shit kit from eBay and start scratching on your mates to be involved in tattoo art… and not everybody who can draw has to tattoo!

TS: Do you have a personal favorite Sugar Skull?

LB: Lots of people have asked me that… it’s so hard to choose. I love Amanda Ruby’s “Gladys”, which so far has sold for the highest amount. It’s one of the few that retains the conventional Sugar Skull inspiration for the project. I also love the pirate ship done by Dai Cann, it made me cry when I first opened the box because I knew my dad would have loved it! There’s so much detail in it that you couldn’t possibly see in the photographs, tiny little frogs and star fish and skulls hiding amongst the moss, whoever wins that one will be thrilled by how much more there is to the piece when it arrives. Scarlet Hell’s “Doe of the Dead” is the only one I haven’t packed away yet because I’m not finished admiring it! I live in a deer park and it just feels like it belongs here. Thankfully though, my house is very small and has looked like a very colourful graveyard for too long, which makes parting with these beauties just a little bit easier.

TS: Any last minute plugs?

LB: Aside from GET BIDDING?!

Brim is currently very busy opening Nu Rose Tattoo in Cardiff, but he has been kind enough to sponsor The Sugar Project Skeleton. “Juxtapose” is a full-size skeleton that has been ripped apart limb by limb and sent to all ends of the UK to be painted by different tattoo artists. This has not been an easy part of the project to organise and sadly not all of the artists I chose were committed so Juxtapose did not make it back together in time for this years auctions. Thankfully Gerry Carnelly, Phil Kyle, Tommy Higgins, Paul Naylor and myself have all been working hard to get “Juxtapose” suitably attired in tattoo inspired art and he will be making a number of guest appearances at studios across the UK advertising next years Sugar Project before being made available for sale.

A big thank you to Woody at the Brighton Tattoo convention who has promised exhibition space for The Sugar Project each year and also to Total Tattoo Magazine who made a donation to help me fund the project.

Post from: TattooSnob.com A cause worth supporting: The Sugar Project

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