Maine Tattoo And Body Piercing
News And Articles...

Orono, Maine
03/01/07

Tattoo contest brings out the ink.

Old Town tattoo parlor Crazed Ink pioneered a tattoo contest with a concept entirely new to the state of Maine yesterday. With five tattoo categories, including male and female black and white, best male and female tattoos and best tribal, alongside three piercing categories, the contest focused solely on the works of art on the contestants' bodies, relinquishing the actual artists from the limelight.

"No contests in the state - and I go to all the contests and shows - have piercings as a category," said Shane Lessard, owner of Crazed Ink. The piercing categories included most unique, best surface piercing and most piercings. Lessard hopes to continue the competition in the future, leading Maine's front for piercing showcases.

Lessard's goal, in addition to spreading the word about Crazed Ink, was to create a contest that shifted the traditional focus from the artists to the actual art. "It is a contest for the people," Lessard said. The judges were chosen from members of the audience.

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Courtesy of: mainecampus.com

Tattoo artist charged with sexual assault of client.

Police arrested Adam Mazza, of Dixfield, last week on a charge of unlawful sexual contact. They said Mazza, 36, sexually assaulted the client as he gave her a tattoo at Paradise Day Spa.

Mazza, who also operates a tattoo parlor in Conway, N.H., posted $10,000 worth of property after his arrest.

Detective Paul Casey said that police suspect that other women may have been assaulted by Mazza, and they encourage anyone with information to contact them at 364-3449.

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Courtesy of: mainetoday.com

Hallowell, Maine
01/06/07

Popularity propelling obsessions and careers.

Kathy Healey, with her friendly demeanor, doesn't look like your typical tattoo artist, the ones you see on television clad in black leather with piercings and body tattoos.

She has a more wholesome look, the perfect picture of a mom in blue jeans and a pink sweater. Healey, 36, and her husband, John, who has his own home improvement business, live in Jefferson and have four children between them, ranging in age from 11 to 22.

She learned the trade then launched her own business in April, Sinful Addictions Tattoo & Body Piercing studio at 301 Water St. in Hallowell. About 90 percent of her business is custom work.

That's the same for Spencer Wright, 41, of The Wright Tattoo in Augusta. He graduated from Cony High School and spent more than four years of college in fine-arts classes. He has been in business on Eight Road since 1992 and all his work is custom designed.

His general rate, he said is $100 an hour. Multiple sittings could cost thousands of dollars, he said. He was featured in Tattoo Savage magazine in 2003.

Angel Hunt, owner of Electric Skin Designs & Body Piercing at 162 Water St. in Augusta, has been in business for three years.

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Courtesy of: mainetoday.com

Brunswick, Maine
11/10/06

Be safe with tattoos, piercings.

The current popularity of body art has raised some public health concerns over the danger of contracting Hepatitis B or C or HIV from infected piercing and tattooing needles. People with tattoos, for instance, are nine times more likely to be infected with Hepatitis C, a virus which can survive outside the body for months on an improperly cleaned countertop, chair, or piece of equipment.

Very few of the many thousands of piercing and tattooing studios nationwide are licensed and regulated by health departments. In Maine, all piercing and tattoo artists are licensed, and their studios inspected, by the Health Engineering Division of the State Bureau of Health.

Even licensed studios and artists carry potential risks, and need to be chosen carefully. Make sure they are in fact licensed, and that they appear clean and well-maintained. Take a look at their autoclave ("sterilizer"). It should be FDA-approved and spore-tested monthly. Ask to see their log books. Make sure the artists wear latex gloves during procedures, and use single-service materials and equipment, especially sterile, disposable needles. They should be comfortable answering all of your questions and considerate of your concerns.

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Courtesy of: orient.bowdoin.edu

Portland, Maine
11/06/06

Tattoos in the workplace.

As TV shows like Miami Ink and Inked carve a broader appeal of tattoos into today's younger generations, the popularity of body art has left employers on pins and needles about whether to set policies forbidding visible tattoos in the workplace.

A startling 48 percent of 20-somethings and 30 percent of all adults have a tattoo or body piercing, according to a recent study published by the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology. The same study reported 23 percent of those with body art hold at least a bachelor's degree.

Phuc Tran, a tattoo artist and owner of Tsunami Tattoo, said many of his clients - including bankers and lawyers - opt to maintain a sense of professionalism on the job by keeping their tattoos to themselves.

He has established his own company policy at Tsunami: no tattoos on students - his own students anyway. The tattoo artist holds a master's degree in Latin and doubles as a high school teacher at an area private school. His students and many of his fellow educators would never know it, but about 60 percent of Tran's body is covered in tattoos.

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Courtesy of: mainetoday.com

Current And Pending Maine Laws...

Tattoo And Body Piercing Conventions...

Celebrating tattoo art.

With an art degree already under his belt, Paul Massaro was studying for a master's degree in psychology when he got hooked on tattooing. His friends came to him for tattoo designs. They'd take his designs to local tattoo parlors to get the work done. After doing a number of tattoo designs for his friends, Massaro, now considered an icon in the tattoo industry, realized he wanted to pursue tattoo art. In 1983, at the age of 23, he opened his first tattoo parlor.

Massaro, who is based in Buffalo, N.Y., will be just one of the many tattoo artists from around the world attending this weekend's 20th annual Mad Hatter's Tea Party at the Merry Manor Inn in South Portland.

The Mad Hatter's Tea Party, while a tattoo convention, does in fact, have an English tea party (on Saturday). There's also a tattoo beauty parade and a hat contest (both on Sunday). The hat contest requires participants to bring in and wear hats they've decorated and/or created. Those hats will be judged. There also will be face painting for kids, educational seminars, musical entertainment, arts and crafts and an art exhibit.

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Courtesy of: mainetoday.com

Tattoo Artist And Body Piercing
Employment Opportunities...

Tattoo Artist Wanted.

Do you have a passion for Art? Ever think of being a Tattoo artist?

Interships/ apprentiships !!!!!!!

Welcome we can teach you to put your art on Skin!!!

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Courtesy of: barefootstudent.com