We are so excited to have Mike Riveley officially working with us here at the shop! Mike is a a great guy and a talented artist. Take a look at his work and shoot us an email to set something up! You can always email us at bigrivertattoonj@gmail.com and if you would like to get in touch with Mike directly, you can email him at TattoosByMikeRiveley@gmail.com
Click to check out Mike’s work!
The Nepal Tattoo Convention was a success. Thanks to Mohan Gurung and Bijay Shrestha for putting on a great show.
Bryan and I stayed busy the whole time. Nicole worked the floor and set up appointments for us throughout the day. She was a huge help. We got to tattoo some of the locals, as well as tourists from all over. I did mostly small tattoos the whole weekend. It’s very difficult to tattoo here. It’s like tattooing in a kitchen as the power goes on and off. But we managed to pump out some cool stuff.
My favorite from the weekend was on the last day. I hand drew a nice mehndi style hand piece on Kelly from Australia. You had to freehand of hand trace stencils for everything because there was no thermo fax machine like at most conventions. It’s a challenge, but it usually makes a tattoo better when you draw it right on the skin.
Our tattoo gear is all packed up and we are ready to see the sights.
Namaste
Three days into my trip here in Kathmandu, Nepal. It’s a very interesting place and very different from what I am used to. It’s dusty and there’s lots of pollution, but past that, it’s a bustling city with a rich culture and beautiful people. Sacred cows sunbathe in the street, while cars and motor bikes play a chaotic symphony of honking and beeping.
Walking around, everyone wants to sell you something. And there’s lots of “stuff” to buy. American money is strong here so you can really get carried away. A fun part is the bargaining game. They give you a high price with room for you to make a deal. Very much like American Pickers and Pawn Stars in the US. Apparently that’s how they get to know you, and it’s expected for you to play the game. It’s actually really fun!!
Tattooing here is challenging. The power goes out from time to time and it’s kind of warm on the convention floor. Once we got going, it felt like a typical convention. Tattoos are cheap here. A small one goes from 10$ to $50. For me, it’s really more about the adventure than making money. I’m just happy to be here. The tattoo scene here reminds me of what it was like in America in the 80s. It’s raw and still has a heartbeat. Not like the huge ego-fest, non-tattooer shit shows in the States now. I’m looking forward to the rest of the show.
I’m getting into doing these micro tattoos. Let me know if you would like to have one done. They are really fun!
Having fun with stuff like this. I am booking for the new year now so send in your request!
Stoked to start a dragon sleeve on Juan. Drawn on with makers. I’m going to add the scales and background next session.
