Ink Master: Geronimo Tattoos

The tattooist is one of the purist artists out there. It isn’t a hobby, it is a way of life. You measure twice, and tattoo once. There are plenty of sketch artists, cartoonist and even a few classically trained painters, but only a precious few have the cojones to tattoo – one of the oldest traditions in existence.

The tribal tattoo phase may have come and gone, but some things never go out of style, according to our man Yves, owner of Geronimo Tattoos.

“The most popular tattoos are commemorative, or mean something,” Yves says. “Writing quotes from the bible, for example, things that are personal never go out of style.”

And Yves knows tattoos – as he likes to say, he has more tattoos on his body than blank spots left to put them.

Yves, along with artists Brian, Brendan and Desiree, combine decades of experience in body art and they’re really friendly and helpful.

For those of us who are a blank canvas, you can drop by for a free consultation. There are albums at the front desk, and the walls are covered with the work from the artists. You can get a feel for the individual style and flair. When you are feeling good, and feeling confident, it is a nominal deposit of $50 for the artist to begin drawing, as it can be a time consuming process, and it may take a revision or two to ultimately arrive at what you have in mind. When you are ready for the commitment, your $50 deposit goes towards the price of the tattoo.

If you drop in on the website, there is one thing to keep in mind – you won’t find images of their work. In this day and age, it is very easy for someone to pull an image off a website, and have it duplicated and tattooed. It happens all the time. At Geronimo Tattoos, they know that each piece of work is unique, and that uniqueness is what makes your tattoo special. They don’t post their work on the internet as a commitment to their clients. Your tattoo is yours, it is a unique piece of work, and Geronimo Tattoos will not compromise on that.

Be warned, however, that Yves runs a tight ship. You need to be 16 years of age to get a piercing, and 18 years old to get a tattoo. Valid ID is required, and those under the age limit are required to have a parent present with them, no letters or phone calls are acceptable, and there are no exceptions.

Body art is personal, so F.I.L.E.S. recommends that you drop by the shop, in person, at 4641 Kingsway, across the street from Metrotown. The shop is open Monday to Saturday from noon until 9:00pm, and from noon until 7:00pm on Sunday.

If you’re already inked, and perhaps regretting the choice of your youthful mistakes, Geronimo Tattoo is running and Ugly Tattoo Contest, where the winner receives three (3) hours of free work to repair or touch it up. Simply drop by and mention the contest, they’ll take a quick shot and enter it, for their professional staff to judge. Contest is underway now, and runs until January 31, 2012, with the winner announced on the 2^nd of February, only a week or two away. Be sure to join their Facebook group to keep an eye out for a future fundraiser to benefit the BC Children’s Hospital.

If you’d like to check out the website, visit www.geronimotttoos.com for further details, touch base via email at geronimotattoos.com, or call (778) 371-7149.