Let the Phoenix rise...

Golden Tiki, in the form of Ryan "Busta" Boltoon
will be on the road shortly...
His "Bat Outta Hell" tour, is for a great cause,
but more of that later...

It has been three years since Busta did my previous tattoo.
It does take me a while to decide on a design,
and where to place it.

Getting ready to face the ink.
Preparation and hygiene is VERY important.


This was the design that I finally chose.
I wanted a Phoenix as it represented what I do often,
re-invent myself ...
(or more specifically my career path)

Let the work begin!
Transfer done, no turning back.
In Greek mythology, the Phoenix is a long lived bird that is cyclically reborn.
It arises from the ashes of its predecessor, after dying in a show of flames.
Sometimes some of my endevours have done exactly that...
crashed and burned, but I am always able to bounce back.

Often tattoo studios seem to have two things in common,
a passion for LARGE snakes and coffins!
This particular studio has several coffins
and two VERY large pythons.

That moment...
"Are you ready"...

Off we go...

All concentration...
although Busta and I were having a conversation

Line work done.
But still only half way towards completion

It went from this...

to this...

But Busta wanted to add his own "signature" to the piece

A bright orange outline...
To represent the fire from which this mythical creature rises

The finished piece!
I have been told that once the redness vanishes,
the orange will become more prominent...
If you are considering having work done,
give Busta a try.
Contact details:
Mobile: 082 953 4025
busta@thegoldentiki.co.za
spookytattoonz@gmail.com

BREAKING NEWS!

 The Bat Outta Hell Tour.
In the first quarter of 2016, professional tattoo artist, Busta Boltoon,
will be undertaking a road trip to raise awareness for South African Bat conservation.
The tour will start in Johannesburg and end in Cape Town
and will encompass 13 tattoo studios along the way.
The public can play a part by getting a special "Battoo"
done by Busta.
A portion of the money raised from each "Battoo" will be donated to
various Bat conservation organizations in the provinces visited. 

The tourism aspect of our country will not be ignored
as there will be a professional photographer along to document the trip.
   

Back again...

 
Over the past two years he has done several pieces for me...
Mainly adding to existing tattoos that had been done by other artists.
This particular tribal piece was started in New Zealand in 2007


And this piece was started 19 years ago!
 
This wrist tattoo( gratitude in Sanskrit) was the most painful to date...


This is my only colour tattoo and the biggest...to date!

The preparation for my new tattoo...paperwork is very important...

 
This client forgot to sign the form!

The new design gets put into place...
Originally designed as my blog logo, it is an old fashioned microphone with the nib of a fountain pen.The reason...I broadcast and I write...

And the work begins...

I was very lucky to have well-known South African cartoonist,
Dov Fedler, design this for me

Half way...and almost painless to boot...

Almost done...

A quick wipe down...

and the piece is complete!
Busta works really quickly and this took about an hour.

Covered  up to protect it for the first few hours.
I made Busta put the design on the outside so people could "see"what was underneath
After the tattoo was complete I stopped off at my local garage to get something to eat.
There was a young child and her mom in front of me in the queue.She saw the "bandage"and remarked to her mom:
"That is a very big sore"...
I told her mom that it was a tattoo.
Her response:
"At your age"?

Time to finish my first colour tattoo

This is how my first colour tattoo has looked for the past several weeks.

But the time had come to head back to The Golden Tiki Tattoo parlour so that Ryan could finish it

And so it begins...again...

Ryan works his magic using new tattoo machines.

Slowly the Koi starts to take on colour

some green...

a little orange

and white to make the whole design "pop"...

there was more white than I expected

The finished product...3 hours of constant work...

In total the tattoo has taken close to 6 hours.

The scale detail up close

Many thanks to Ryan for a stunning piece...

The end result...

Let the buyer beware...how to choose a tattoo artist

"Caveat emptor."

"Let the buyer beware"...all well and good if you are buying goods or services, 

but tattoos are permanent and short of major laser surgery,

 they cannot be removed by an order of court or a refund!

Remember that parts of YOUR body are going to be changed forever.

So how do you choose a tattoo artist?

Do your homework. It seems that kits can be bought on social network sites...

would you trust someone like that?

The adage "Cleanliness is next to godliness" should be emblazoned 

on the wall of every (reputable) tattoo parlour.

Work areas do not need to be sterile, but you as the client need to be satisfied 

that all the equipment is clean and 

that all needles are still in the packaging before the work begins

Ink needs to be freshly prepared...not reused!

Proper branded products should be a requirement.

Not products that have been prepared in a back room.

Gloves are a must! If your tattoo artist wants to start work without them,

LEAVE.

Note that even the cleaning fluid bottle is covered in plastic

Stencils should only be used once and then disposed of...

Make sure that the position of your tattoo is exactly where YOU want it.

It is not up to the tattoo artist, but you have to live with the final work.

Any good tattoo artist will take the time and trouble to talk to you about your tattoo and why you want it before they put ink on your skin! Make sure that the artist(and they are) you are using is properly qualified and recommended.

If they have no previous work to show you...LEAVE!

Before you have any ink done be certain of the following:

1] You are happy with your design

2] The position of the tattoo has been chosen correctly.

Some areas hurt more than others

3] Make sure that you and the artist have discussed the length of time 

the piece will take and the cost.

4] You have seen examples of their work

5] You are happy with the surroundings and the ambiance

6] You REALLY want the tattoo and for all the right reasons.

7] Remember, if in doubt, walk away!

If all is in order, then sit back and wait for the famous words 

that every tattoo artist says before they start

 "Are you ready"?