Well I am really loving being on the road, meeting new people and catching up with old ones! I am getting inspired everywhere I look from the amazing tattooists I am getting to work with to the great things I am seeing everywhere I look: the really great graffiti in Berlin, the cool views from the plane, my eyes cant take it all in. The only downside is living from a suitcase (girls I'm sure you know how I feel) and missing my friends, its also hard not having somewhere that's familiar and comfortable and easy, but the upsides definitely outweigh the downs. So the tour continues…..
Guest spot at All Style tattoo in Berlin. 26th March- 6th April 08.
www. Allstyle-tattoo.de
It was actually miss Nico inviting me to work a guest spot in her shop that started me thinking of the tour, at the London convention last year and here I am just 5 months later! I was very flattered to be asked, I am a huge fan of her work and was really looking forward to seeing what I can learn.
So when I arrived I was made to feel totally at home, Nadine the receptionist found me a great apartment to stay in each time I am here as his is going to be a regular spot for me during my tour. The studio is really booked up so I was inundated with really cool big pieces to do, unfortunately I didn't get many pieces finished so you will have to keep an eye open for that as the tour progresses.
Berlin is a really great city, its very unique in Germany, the area I am staying is really cosmopolitan, full of quirky artists and I am really looking forward to seeing it all in the summer. There are lots of really cool buildings with great graffiti and really cool architecture, I have fallen in love with this place.
Modern Body Art, Birmingham. 6- 11th April 08.
www. Modernbodyart.co.uk
It was weird being back home at first, it was really cool catching up with friends, family and clients again and after not too long at all I slotted back in but it was a flying visit, just one week. I was actually back for the Birmingham tattoo convention but that was cancelled so I planned on going to the Belfort convention that weekend instead so there was a lot to sort out.
A lot has changed since I have been away, not in the shop but in me, being away from everyone and everything familiar makes you think differently about things you take for granted and gives you perspective to see things that should be obvious but are sometimes hard to see when you are in the middle of something. It's a good change and I like what travelling is doing to me!
So we had a new addition to the Modern Body Art team while I was away, Gemma. We interviewed her and gave her the job before I went away but I missed her starting, I have to say it was a pleasure working with her all week, I think she will fit in perfectly and I am really looking forward to working with her more.
I just continued working on clients who had work started so in many ways it was easier, in Berlin it was so busy I was doing the drawing for the tattoo or tattoos the night before and I never seemed to get time to get ahead with the homework but next time I'm back it should be easier because a lot of it will be continuing or finishing.
It was a really busy week as I had a huge overflow of customers and a lot to sort out while I was back so I worked day and night with no time, except for my sisters 30th birthday party on the Friday night then I travelled down to London in the middle of the night to get the flight to France.
Belfort tattoo convention. 12- 13th April 08.
www.belforttattoofamily.com
Oh I was so excited to work this show, I got invited to work it when I worked with the Belfort family in Milan but I had already planned Birmingham so I couldn't do it this year, I had planned it for next year but maybe they sabotaged Birmingham to get me there! Haha!
Working with the Belfort tattoo family was so much fun, they really were so great to be around in Milan I could barely contain myself to be working with them again!
So I got a ride to London in the early hours of the Saturday morning to catch a plane to Basel where I got picked up and we went straight to the convention to set up. It was more rushed than normal, usually I would have flown in on the day before but it wasn't possible this time.
I didn't have any appointments booked as it was all really last minute but I did do some tattoos thankfully but I did lots of other things that I never normally make the time for so it was great fun. I did an interview with jean marc, the organiser of the convention for the convention DVD, oh I was so nervous, I get really nervous with things like that, its silly really because its only talking to my friend!
I also did some art fusion which was great fun, I did some a few years ago with Jason butcher and really enjoyed it, I just never get the chance to do it normally! I was one of the judges of the competitions too which was really cool, I got lots of free beer and as I don't normally drink beer I was pretty tipsy after!! Judging was hard actually, harder than I thought it would be, but it was fun never the less. It was hard to choose a winner often and I just wanted everyone to get a prize!!
From there I worked at Belfort Family tattoo studio the following week so I helped out a bit clearing up after the convention and saw a lot more of what it takes to put a convention on and I have he upmost respect for anyone who attempts it, Jean Marc and Nora didn't stop running around all weekend!
Guest spot at the Belfort Family tattoo studio, France. 14- 20th April 08.
Oh what a cool week, I stayed with Jean Mark and Nora in their home and we cooked, drank wine, did drawing, drank wine, played with Jean Marc's daughter and went out for dinner with his family, ate pizza, drank wine and in between we worked a lot! It was so cool I really felt at home there and I have another trip planned there for later in the year, it was a very sad goodbye but not for long.
I tattooed myself for the first time in years and I really enjoyed it, I have another little tattoo planned soon if I can get someone to do it as I cant do this one myself, fingers crossed, and that's a hint!
So from there I flew to Berlin and stayed there only for a few days before we set off for the Frankfurt convention.
Frankfurt tattoo convention. 25- 27th April 08.
We set off really early on the train from Berlin to Frankfurt on the Friday morning- the morning of the convention. It was a pretty good journey, I did some drawing ready for the convention and did a bit of sleeping and we were there in no time! I was VERY excited as I was going to be working with Jason Butcher, for those of you that don't know, Jason and I normally work conventions together but he didn't do the tour with me so I hadn't seen him and his lovely girlie Leanne since Brighton convention in January! So excited!!
I was really looking forward to this show too as I was tattooing a lady I had worked on before and she was having a squirrel, I have never tattooed one before and was really looking forward to it. I also had a koi booked in so I was looking forward to that too.
The convention was great as usual, it was fun working with Jason and catching up with some old friends and making some new ones, I got to watch Jack Mosher work which was really inspirational and I will be getting tattooed by him at some point hopefully.
And onto me getting tattooed, I got the tattoo I have been waiting for…..
And yes it was extremely painful but totally worth it, I cant stop looking at them! They swole up like big fat sausage fingers and it was tricky carrying my suitcase around and working over the next few days but it was to be expected.
I am also booked in for another so keep your eyes peeled
After the show Nico and I booked in for a leisurely day in a hotel close for a spa and wellness day with saunas, massages and girlie pampering, mmmmmmm, we deserved it!
For a full list of tour dates please visit my tour website www.joharrison.co.uk
Modern body art website www.modernbodyart.co.uk
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http://myspace.com/jo_harrison
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