Please note that the shop will be closed all day this coming Monday (23rd January 2012).

Thanks.

Be sure to catch Nick Skunx on BBC3′s Skin Deep The Business of Beauty on Monday 5th December at 8:30pm. In this program, Jessica-Jane Clement meets some of the many UK people who’ve fallen foul of high-street salons and ill-advised home treatments. It will be interesting to see what Nick has to add with regards to tattoos.

As someone who love’s his gadgets, Nick will also be appearing in an episode of Sky1′s new series, Gadget Geeks. The episode featuring Nick is to be aired at the beginning of Janaury 2012.

If you’re a regular at the shop, you would have met Jane by now, but for those who haven’t visited for awhile, we’d like to introduce you to Jane.

Hailing from Essex, this recent photography graduate not only has a passion for tattoos, but also music, films, live music events, 50′s rock ‘n roll and everything else associated with those interests.

You can see some of Jane’s photography work on her website, www.specificallyjane.co.uk.

Be sure sure to say hello to Jane next time you come into the shop.

Nick Skunx will be doing a guest spot at Oslo’s Lucky 7 Tattoos. Nick will be at the shop from Wednesday (19 October 2011) ’til Saturday (23 October 2011). For bookings, please contact Lucky 7 Tattoos on +47 22 417 300. You can find out more about Lucky 7 Tattoos online via myspace, facebook and their website.

Nick Reid, Steve Richardson and Kerry Irvine will be tattooing at this year’s Oslo Rock City Jamboree which takes place on the 28th and 29th of October. Please contact the shop or each tattooist directly to book your spot.

For more information about Oslo Rock City Jamboree, you can view their website here or the events facebook page here. (You might need to brush up on your Norwegian before visiting those links).

Shannon, a brilliant customer all the way from Australia recently went on a tour of Europe and took her Skunx Tattoo t-shirt along with her.
She’s kindly sent us these photographs of her in Paris, Rome, Germany, England and Ireland. Also check out the photo’s of her in her homeland of Australia.

Don’t forget you can buy your Skunx Tattoo t-shirts online here and be sure to send us photos of you wearing your new Skunx Tattoo t-shirt, or add them to our facebook page.

Starting from Wednesday August 3rd, Nick Skunx will be tattooing at one of Norways top custom studios, Primitive Abstract in Oslo. He will be there until August 10th. Nick is then back in London at Skunx from August 14th until September 4th. From September 7th he will be doing another stint at Primitive Abstract, until September 22nd. This arrangement will then continue for the rest of 2011, with 3 week periods in London and Oslo.

To check Nick´s availability in either location, please email him directly. Alternatively, to book an appointment at Skunx Tattoo call the shop on +44 (0)2072786960. Or if you want to catch Nick in Oslo, call Primitive Abstract on +47 48181619.

Nick specialises in realistic portraits, animals and comic book style; but as an artist with over 2 decades of tattooing experience, he can turn his hand to anything and will be happy to discuss any ideas you may have. You can view examples of his work below:

At the recent Comic Con event held in San Diego, WWE champion wrestler, CM Punk, made a surprise appearance while wearing a Skunx Tattoo shirt.

You can see more photos of CM Punk here.

From Thursday 4th August through to Sunday 7th August, we will have a guest artist in the shop, Baron from A True Love Tattoos.
Baron, who has been tattooing for over ten years now, will be covering for Kerry and Darren while they’re away at Tattoo Jam this year. With his experience, Baron can confidently do all styles of tattoo work. He enjoys full colour pieces as well as black and grey. If you would like to book an appointment, please call the shop on 0207 278 6960 or get in touch via email.

Below you can view some of Baron’s work:

The television channel TLC is about to start showing a programme called Tattoo School, following a group of people with aspirations to become tattooists as they go through a two week course. For $4800, and 80 hours of ‘lessons’, these people are then sent away with a brand new tattoo machine to continue their lives as tattooists.

Here at Skunx we think this is not just irresponsible but also an insult to all of the artists who learnt their trade by apprenticing with a licensed expert. The artist who has set up the schools is not someone we’ve ever heard of.

Becoming a tattooist is not something that can be taught in two weeks. It’s not simply about knowing the mechanics of how to tattoo, it’s about creating the best possible tattoo and experience for the person involved. Knowing how to prevent infection, cross contamination and other potential risks is one of the most important things that a tattooist needs to learn.

Aside from these health concerns, we also think the show raises questions about the ethics of sending people out to potentially scar others after mere weeks of training. This programme is giving the impression that learning to tattoo is a short process which can be undertaken by anyone. It isn’t.

Skunx Tattoo are regulated and licensed by the local authority, who we pay to regularly inspect the premises and our equipment to ensure the highest possible standards. Working in this profession is not something that should be undertaken lightly. The thought of people thinking that they are fully qualified to tattoo after two weeks horrifies all of us here.

The industry is fighting back and we would implore you to sign this petition calling for the show to
be pulled from the air: Tattoo School Petition

Nick, Steve, Kerry, Darren and Hannah