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Tattoo artists, fans become ink masters at convention

 
Noah Hollis, owner of Noah’s Art Studio in Lake Panasoffkee, tattoos a giraffe onto Ann Ruby’s thigh Sunday during the Tampa Tattoo Arts Convention at the Tampa Convention Center. Hollis has been tattooing for more than 10 years.
Noah Hollis, owner of Noah’s Art Studio in Lake Panasoffkee, tattoos a giraffe onto Ann Ruby’s thigh Sunday during the Tampa Tattoo Arts Convention at the Tampa Convention Center. Hollis has been tattooing for more than 10 years.
Published Sept. 15, 2014

Stephanie Paeplow lay face-down on a board at the Tampa Convention Center as a portrait of Elvis Presley was being etched into the back of her leg.

Paeplow, 30, of St. Petersburg decided to get the artwork done while visiting the Tampa Tattoo Arts Convention in hopes of winning a tattoo of the day award.

This was her first time attending such a convention, she said, but she had no other plans for the day. "This is going to be an all-day thing," she said.

Sunday marked the final day of the Tampa Tattoo Arts Convention, a weekend event for body art enthusiasts to get, give, grade and gab about tattoos. Local tattoo artists displayed their work or gave on-the-floor tattoos, alongside booths advertising everything from the medical marijuana amendment to the clothing-optional Caliente Resorts.

A stage showed off endurance-testing sideshows, including a man who stuck a nail and drill bit into his nose and a "live human suspension" in which participants hung in the air from hooks attached to their bodies. Attendees could pay $10 at a table nearby to enter tattoo contests with categories such best chest piece and best cover-up.

And while Lee Majors and other stars appeared at the nearby Hilton Downtown Tampa for Fanboy Expo Tampa, the tattoo convention had its own celebrity guests — including cast members from reality shows such as Spike's Ink Master.

Among those attending was Aaron "Is" Michalowski, a tattoo artist at Bloodline Tattoo in Ybor City and a cast member from Ink Master's fifth season, which started this month. In addition to appearing and tattooing at the convention, he said he had helped promote the event and even participated in the human suspension, hanging from his knees.

"It's fun, but it's exhausting as well," Michalowski said.

Many tattoo artists were visiting from other states. Sam Dunn, 28, came from Minneapolis, which will host its own convention in January.

He said he attends about six tattoo conventions annually, competing in contests or trading tattoos with fellow artists. In Tampa, he won the most unusual award for a design of a unicorn bunny.

"All we do is color each other, color other clients, have fun, pretty much," Dunn said.

While many vendors were from out of state, some had a distinctively Florida feel. Artists from Purple Pirate Tattoo of Edgewater wore feathered, Gasparilla-esque pirate hats, with a festooned treasure chest featuring purple skulls nearby.

And there were plenty of bay area tattoo artists like A.J. Cullen, who works at Fredo Ink & Co. in St. Petersburg.

Cullen, 30, said they like to do the convention circuit. But one advantage to doing a show in the area is that attendees may visit the tattoo studio later, he said. "They might like your style, but they're not going to drive four hours to get tattooed by you."

Contact Jimmy Geurts at jgeurts@tampabay.com or (813) 226 3402. Follow @jimmygeurts.