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Stacy K. McCleaf |
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| Hobbies
& Interests: When I'm not tattooing I like to download music,
listen to music, paint, addicted to The Sims, addicted to my IPod,
travel, the outdoors and family |
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Name: Stacy K. McCleaf
Email: tat2dgrl@earthlink.net
Age: 37 soon to be 38
Location: 147 York St. Gettysburg, PA 17325
Your Website & Url:
http://www.tattoosbystacy.com
How many years in the biz: 15
Your shop website & Url: http://www.chromegardens.com
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BAW: What made you want to become a Tattoo Artist?
Artist: I was in advertising at the time and was sick of doing adds
for products and companies that didn't do what they say. I had had
enough of corporate America and wanted to do art at the same time. I
wanted my art to have meaning and I wanted it to be something that
people couldn't sell or destroy needlessly. I got into tattooing when
a friend of mine who had just started his apprenticeship said that I
would make a great tattoo artist and that I should look into it. I had
gotten tattooed year ago and thought of how much I was turned on my
the entire industry. The culture, the history and the people had
always been fascinating to me but back in the early 90's there weren't
a lot of female tattoo artists and if there were they weren't very
good. So, I started a very brief apprenticeship learning the mechanics
of the machines, learning to make needles, mopping the floor and
what's called paying my dues. Since I had a strong art background and
fine artists skills that classical training played a big part in how
fast I was able to catch on. Having an education under my belt
certainly paid off when it came time to get down to the knitty gritty.
BAW: Who are your influences?
Artist: Fillip Lui, Hori Yoshi lll, Sabado, Don Ed Hardy and Luke
Atkinson
BAW: What is your favorite style of work?
Artist: Japanese or Eastern themed ideas
BAW: Tell us about your first Tattoo experience?
Artist: I re-colored some roses on a forearm, it was intense to say
the least. Giving a tattoo became just as addictive as getting them.
BAW: What is your favorite piece you own?
Artist: Of the work I have on me? mmmmm I would have to say the large
bound Geisha on my upper right thigh. The outline and black and gray
shading took a total of 8 hours in two sessions, it still needs color.
BAW: What is your most memorable Tattoo given and why?
Artist: There are so many, I think each tattoo as corny as it sounds
is memorable in it's own right. I have certain clients that stand out
in my mind due to their story or personality. 90% of my clientele are
repeat clients that I see on a bi-weekly or monthly basis, they are
memorable because they give me creative freedom and they trust me
un-challenging when it comes to their skin.
BAW: Is there a part of the body you won't Tattoo and why?
Artist: I don't do male genitals, maybe it has to do with the type of
men that approach me to have it done or I just don't feel comfortable
enough. It's an old school thought process I think men should do men
and women should do women it keeps things clear and respectful for me
at least. I don't have a problem with genital tattoos it's just not
for me.
BAW: Do you support supply co. that sells to the public?
Artist: No
BAW: Do you feel there now should be mandatory schooling for soon to
be tattoo artists?
Artist: Yes and No, I believe that an apprenticeship is the way to go,
the few tattoo schools that are out there are jokes, and their in it
for the money. The traditions of this craft are ancient and should be
treated and respected in that way. The importance and the kind of
attention you get from a mentor and student is non-replaceable by a
class room of 10 people all with different motifs and different skill
levels in art.
BAW: Do you feel Tattooing has changed over the years, and if so why?
Artist: Yes, techniques have changed, the caliber of artists is extra ordinary,
pigments are brighter and people are starting to see the difference
between art and crap, not all mind you there are still people out
there that feel they'll won't pay a good artist and would rather
have their buddy do it for free but that unfortunately is human
nature.
BAW: Do you think it is important to do as many conventions and shows
as possible?
Artist: I wish conventions were cleaner and some of them are getting
better and stricter with their artists requirements but others are a
circus and I don't think it allows tattooing to get the rep it needs
to keep professional. I have mixed feelings on conventions, I think
for young artists who want the exposure and the chance to work with
many different artists they're great. But, I think at some point an
artist needs to stay focused and settled in one area for awhile, it
helps build a clientele of people looking for an artists they can rely
on, an artists that's their for them. I've had people tell me
that they won't get big work by the other artists that work
in my studio because they don't want to get something started by them
and then a year or two later that artist has moved on. Which I can
understand, a lot of clients look to their tattoo artists as their bar
tender or their therapists and they want to be able to grow with their
artist.
BAW: What advise can you give to someone who is starting or
looking to get into the tattoo business?
Artist: Get tattooed, Get tattooed, find an artist you respect, and
come to the table with something to offer that artist you're asking to
teach you everything they know. So many people have their hand out
thinking they are owed something and that's just not true. An
apprentice is being trained a craft that can take them anywhere in the
world and they can make a living. Be patient and take your time, not
everyone is great their first couple years, even Paul Booth and Chris
Garver have tattoos in their past that would make them cringe now. Be
respectful of your clients you owe them your livelihood, without your
clients you have NOTHING!
BAW: What could you say to someone who has had a bad first experience?
Artist: I think I'd ask them what made it a bad experience, was it
because they picked the wrong studio? or the wrong artist? was it bad
because they don't like their tattoo now, why not? why did you pick
that tattoo? what does it mean to you? did you get tattooed because
your friends are tattooed? I think there are so many different factors
that could cause someone to have a bad first time. Just like with
anything, everyone is different and every situation is different and a
professional knows how to deal with each situation accordingly.
BAW: Since you have started what changes have you seen in the
industry?
Artist: I think this knew idea of things being out of style...what the
hell does that mean? I had a young artist say to me, finger waves are
so 90's and I was just godsmacked. I've also heard artists critique
other artists and say, "oh that affect is so 90's you should have
done something different" I think that's the biggest crack of
horse shit I've ever heard. If that's true then half the artists out
there making a living off of traditional 1940's tattoo designs are
being out of date. Tattooing and the style of tattooing is not a trend
and I think a lot of young artists need to remember that. Tattooist do
just as much tribal now as they did in the '80's and we do just as
many roses as we did in the 70's. The word trend and tattooing don't
go together, just as many moms and grandmothers get tattooed now as
they did in the '30's, so there is no trend all their is are people
doing what people do, marking their bodies to remember a special time,
a dear friend, who they are spiritually or express an inner
voice. It's no different than the Pharos or the cavemen.
BAW: How do you feel about apprenticeships?
Artist: They are priceless, everyone at some point regardless of their
traditional art skills seeks out another for the things they don't
know. I ask, "how can you teach yourself something that you don
not know?" You can only go so far and then you have to ask for
help, so make it easier on yourself and the people who are trusting
you with their skin, go get an apprenticeship. A real one, not some BS
6 month wham bam thank you man seminar or clean my floor and wipe my
boots and maybe you'll learn what I know. An apprenticeship is an
intense exchange between teacher and pupil and must be handled with
respect, patience, sincerity and loyalty. I really dig how the old
school Japanese masters did it, living in the home of their teacher,
being their shadow who watches and mimics, taking on the
name of their master and all that jazz, that's an honor that you don't
see in the West.
BAW: Where do you think the Tattoo Industry is going today? Do you
think it is getting better or worse?
Artist: I think mechanically it's getting better, machines are lighter
and better, the ergonomics of tattooing has increased with the
addition of silicone grip covers, artists being serious about clean
fields, blood borne pathogen classes, etc. I'm sick of companies
selling kits, I don't buy from companies that sell kits and more
artists should do that. I'm here to support myself and others like me
not the kid down the street. I don't buy magazines that advertise kits
or promote companies that sell kits.
I think professional artists need to take a
stand against companies that sell kits, I think professional artists
should come together and boycott the manufacture of kits.
BAW: If there was something you could change in this industry what
would it be and why?
Artist: I'm not a big fan of APT or APP and that might turn some
heads but they have gotten out of whack, they collect their dues and
do their lil' seminars and zap your APT or APP and now
you're a professional. There are no follow ups, it's a tag people
use to call themselves professionals, while their emptying their
biohazards in the local garbage bin. It allows exclusionists a place
to feel part of the team and that just helps them put their noses
even higher in the air. I know more APP piercers who couldn't do a
straight septum piercing then fish have scales, but they only use
externally threaded jewelry so they have to be better than anyone
else, and I think that's BS. Just like the artist who swears by one
pigment or another, if you are good and know what you're doing you
can use crushed berry juice and make it stay, it has
nothing to do with what you're using it has to do with how you're
using it. I don't think theirs a way to get rid of
organizations like that, some people need a band wagon to jump on.
BAW: Please share any other comments or views or questions to the
public you might have.
Artist: I pretty much keep to myself, I don't hang with the big
boys and I don't need my name in every publication across the
planet. What gives me piece of mind and what puts a smile on my face
everyday as I walk in the front door is the idea that I'm going to
make someone happy, ecstatic, giddy, and proud of what they wear. As
corny as it sounds it's what keeps me coming back for more. Too
many artists are caught up in the game of he said she said, who did
what when crap and that can only back fire in your face and burn you
out. I think if you step back and look at what makes you happy
about being a tattoo artists it's the art and the clients and what a
perfect combination. That's what it is for me and as soon as it
isn't I'll put my machines away.
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