Icelandic Tattoo Expo : "Burn & Pillage Tour" 2013

Finally Iceland. 

A small convention combining some of Iceland's and International elite in tattooing. Svannur from "Tattoo & Skart" is the Old Man of Icelandic tattooing... but alway humble, willing to travel and learn. You can feel the respect not only from the artists who he has been able to attract but also the other Icelandic artists who are willing to get involved. 

No egos :-) 

Svannur organizes the event with Andreas, a veteran from the Copenhagen Ink Fest. Artists were handpicked and specializing in specific styles so the public has a selection of the best artists while the artists all worked... non stop :-)

Fjølnir from "Icelandic Tattoo Corp." worked on press and promotions while Jon Tor from "Kingdom Within" hosted the welcome party.
One Happy Family :-)

A little pre-convention publicity. Spokesman Fjølnir from the Icelandic Tattoo Corp. talks to "See & Hear Magazine" in Reykjavik about how family oriented the convention is... using Loki, Nanna and I as an example :-)

First project... a full rib piece

Midgaards Serpent around an Vegeviser (Icelandic Compass). Unfortunately didn't get as far with the lining as I had hoped (short day and long start)... but it is all marked out to continue in the New Year :-)

A little Crowd Surfing in the Mosh Pit :-)

Helping Andreas with the text for the "Tattoo Ambassador Award"

Which was presented to Alex from Rites of Passage in Copenhagen.

Alex is one of the first Internationally known artists to start frequently doing guest spots in Iceland. He inspired and freely shared his knowledge with the other artists as well as helping them get invited to conventions in Europe. In just 10 years Iceland has caught up to the rest of the tattoo scene due in a great part to Alex :-) Well deserved!

I tattooed Gudrun last year with a Midgaards Serpent which won "Best of Show". This year we tattooed the Fenris Wolf (another of Loki's children) on her other forearm. We finished in time that she could place it in the Ornamental competition on Sunday

I was up against a few rib pieces done by my friend Lars Martinen... now working at Skin&Bone

http://www.larmatattoo.dk/

And the other side.

 Kai was actually tattooing Lars' client at the time and had to take a break for the competition anyway. During the break Kai decided to also show off his Accupuncture tattoos which we did on him last year to treat his lower back pain... a common affliction of tattooists 

This is the second of the Accupunture experiments Kai has asked me to help with. Medical tattooing is one of the oldest forms of tattooing known to man. The Iceman, Ötzi had tattoos on his body corresponding with spots where he suffered artheritis and they were tattooed 5300 years ago. Kai's tattoos were marked out by an accupunturist to treat his ailments and then tattooed by me using an ancient pattern of concentric circles. 

Kai entered his tattoos not to win the competition but rather to show people the possibilities and long history of hand tattooing :-)

Happily Gudrun won the competition :-) The judges commended the tattoo for outlines that were as sharp and clean as machine.

and the tattoo beside the award

Here is a collage of the entire tattoo. 

Gudrun also entered in the "Best of Show" competition and after being called up twice to the stage and the judges dilliberating for 15 minutes she placed a VERY close second. A hard call for the judges trying to pick between  us and Johanna from Bluebird tattoo with a piece that had won "Best of Saturday" as well. Especially when the styles are so different

It means alot to me knowing that hand tattooing can compete on the same level as machine.

And finally... a new mandala on Kolbrun who I tattooed in the Faroe Islands last year and is now studying in Iceland. Most tattooists would have dotshaded the entire design... however I always enjoy good contrast, both in and around a design. Less is More!

We can always add... but it is harder to take away :-)

And if the Scandinavian Women weren't enticing enough... here's another reason to go to Iceland

See you next year!