Story by Skylar Owens, Photos by Skylar Owens and Ethan Fredsti
Local, regional, and national tattoo artists and enthusiasts converged on Reno for the annual Lady Luck Tattoo Arts and History Expo to showcase their work, as well as collaborate.
Timothy Azinger and Johnny Fry, an artist with Unique Ink in Greensburg, Pennsylvania, hosted this convention as well as a similar tattoo conventions around the world. Well-known local Reno tattoo shops were in attendance including Marked Studios Inc., South Town Tattoo Collective, Absolute Tattoo, and many, many more.
I personally had the pleasure of being tattooed by Nikki Ventura from Silver Screen Tattoo & Piercings in Oroville, California. Ventura drove 2-1/2 hours to attend the expo. A friend and fellow photographer covering the event with me got tattooed by Joe Elliott from Pierced Hearts Tattoo in Seattle. Both artists are very experienced.
National magazine “INKED,” was on hand. It’s very well known in the tattooed world for their models and art, and for featuring talented tattoo artists from around the world.
Artists and collectors come to this event not just from the U.S., but also from other countries. Vitor Lacerda and Rodrigo Maia of Maia Ink came all the way from Rio De Janeiro, Brazil. They showed off their beautiful artwork which is often characterized by its close resemblance to that of watercolor, as well bold calligraphy.
This expo was a real privilege to attend to not only see many unique design styles, but also witness first-hand the process of tattooing and the skill and technique that is involved from start to finish. The artistic skills of shading, coloration, and perspective had to be applied all while managing technical details such as the needle type, ink level in the tattoo gun, placement on a customer’s body, and maintenance of a sterile environment. It is a true testament to how skilled tattoo artists truly are.
Despite having access to all the talented artists that were there from around the U.S. and the world, I would still like to encourage you to check out one of the wonderful local artists here in Reno. Thank you Lady Luck Tattoo Arts and History Expo for inviting ThisisReno.com to attend.
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