Evergreen Tattoo Invitational 2024

The Evergreen Tattoo Convention is a locally run convention in Eugene, Oregon. It runs for a 3-day weekend every year in Mid-March.

I was a little bit nervous, as this was the third tattoo convention that I’d ever attended, and only the second since I’d become a licensed artist. My first convention as an artist was not a good experience for me, and I was determined to make this one a better experience. And it was! It was everything I could have dreamed of and more.

I found out I was going last minute, and had to prepare by drawing flash for about a week straight. I had 10 sheets by the time I was done.

(I also had T-Shirts and Stickers made. I’m still selling the rest of my T-Shirts at the shop for $20, so feel free to grab one next time you come in!)

Friday started a little slow in the morning, which was perfect because I was dying to attend some of the free seminars for artists. I went to the “Marketing for Tattoo Shops” seminar with my manager and it was extremely informative. It picked up around 3, and I ended up doing four tattoos that first day.

Saturday was busy, which makes sense since most people are off work and enjoying their weekend. I attended another seminar in the morning, and then tattooed the rest of the day. Mostly my flash, but a couple walk-ups came with their own designs. I had such a great time talking to everyone.

On Sunday I went to my third and final seminar, a marketing workshop taught by Ryan Roi. It was very informative, and I ended up signing up for his marketing course. It’s proven to be very helpful so far! I tattooed again for most of the day, before taking the evening to stroll around all the booths and chat with other artists. It was really cool to start making connections with non-local artists I’d met previously at other conventions.

I ended up doing about a dozen tattoos that weekend, most of them my flash, which felt awesome. You can check out the photos of the convention on my instagram! It’s @hurricane.violet.

I hope next time Evergreen comes to Eugene, I'll see you there!

Into the Tattooniverse

It’s kind of surreal to think that in 2 months, I’ll have been tattooing for 2 years. Some days it feels like this has always been my life. Other times, it feels like I just started my apprenticeship yesterday. Sometimes I feel like I need somewhere to write this all down, somewhere to document my journey. I guess that’s what having a website is for, though.

I’m starting this blog to talk about tattoos, yes, but also to talk about my journey as a tattoo artist, and the things I’ve learned about myself along the way. One day, I’d like to look back and be able to chart my progress as an artist and a professional throughout the years.

The part of me that went to school for anthropology hopes that I can also document a small part of this fascinating subculture: the Eugene/Springfield Tattoo Scene in the 2020s.

Eugene’s historically had a reputation as a place where burnt out hippies come to die. Whether or not this is true, it has led to a robust art scene as young and old alike flock to the city to work, attend the University of Oregon, or retire to paint birds in their backyard.

We have an abundance of art stores, galleries and artisan craft shops. And at the heart of this artistic paradise, lies the tattoo shop. We have one on pretty much every corner. The rainy Willamette Valley has become something of a tattoo Mecca. Whether you're a fan of neotraditional, fine-line, black and gray realism or even ignorant-style tattooing, there are artists here for every type of client. We also have multiple tattoo schools between Springfield and Eugene, which is notable when you consider that the next closest one is at least 20 miles away.

And it’s not just young folk who come in to get tattooed- in the last two years I’ve done many first-time tattoos for people, but the majority of these first time clients haven’t been fresh-faced 18 year olds, but women in their 50s and 60s. It’s been really cool to listen to their stories, and watch as their worlds open up to a new and exciting form of self-expression.

So to everyone out there who love tattoos, are looking to get tattooed or considering their first one, I hope you’ll find this resource to be helpful. I plan on talking about the etiquette, frequently asked questions, and local history of tattooing.

Stay tuned!