Gruene Hall coozie from Stephalou
For one of my first weekends of 2012 I made a short trip to Austin. I loaded the car with some works to be returned to Austin tattoo artist Jason Brooks. I worked with Jason this fall on an event/exhibition– which rocked and rolled. I wish we could do a tattoo catwalk event every weekend. The drive to Austin was easy and uneventful on Hwy 35 – which as we all know isn’t always the case. It’s kind of a crapshoot – smooth sailing or a parking lot. Luckily, the traffic gods were on my side.
Since I was heading down there, I decided to call up some amaaaazing ladies that are friends (and family) of mine – Stephanie Majewski and Chrissy Lawrence.
We met at Gruene Hall – the oldest dance hall in Texas. It’s always so nice to be down in the hill country. The pace is different, people are friendly, the air smells fresh and the landscape is pretty…that is, prettier than most places in Texas (not hatin’). We listened to some music and watched old hippies with really bad dance moves. Pure entertainment. And Stephanie bought me this super fab Gruene Hall koozie.
Gruene Hall
We then headed to the grocery store for wine and the essentials for a home-cooked meal prepared at Chrissy’s new little house in Wimberley (super cute cabin with a river in the backyard). With Jackson Browne playing in the background, Stephanie and I chopped veggies and Chrissy made the magic happen in the pots. We cracked open the wine and sat down for a great meal together. I miss those ole goats (as they lovingly call each other).
Stephanie and our dinner
With a nice wine buzz, we fell asleep to the sound of the wind chimes of Wimberley. We woke up and all headed to our respective jobs of the day. Mine brought me to Great Wave Tattoo on East 5th Street in Austin. I returned the work to Jason safe and sound. I then sat down with him and fellow tattooer Ben Siebert. I picked their brain about the project I am working on – a book focusing on tattooing in Texas. We had a great conversation about the history of Texas tattooing and the artists that are pushing the envelope. Thanks to Ben and Jason for taking the time to talk with me. It’s a fascinating topic and I’m obsessed. Perhaps it’s because I’m practically a tattoo virgin – with only a small tramp stamp that I got when I was 21 and recently broken up with a boyfriend (a common story for many young women, unfortunately. ha.).
But maybe, just maybe, I’ll change this in 2012 – my virginity status, that is. Stay tuned.
After more serious talk, I brought it down a few notches and asked Jason some questions. See below.
Great Wave Tattoo, Austin
Jason in his studio
What words would you use to describe the aesthetic of tattooing in Texas?
Bold. Straight-forward. And on the weird side. The weirder the better.
Have you tattooed anyone of note or celebrity?
Johnny Knoxville
What is your go-to brand for shoes?
Vans (although he had on a pretty hot pair of Nikes)
What magazine do you look at for tattoo culture?
I haven’t looked at a tattoo magazine in a long time.
Ok, other magazines that interest you?
Conde Naste Travel, Caribbean Travel, People
Do you have any travel plans coming up?
Colorado Springs
Favorite Austin restaurants?
Me So Hungry for a food trailer, Vivo for Mexican food, Café Josie for the best beef tenderloin in Austin and it’s BYOB
Any new year’s resolutions to share?
Play more basketball
What was the first professional tattoo you ever did?
(Jason showed me the tattoos on his own ankles. It was tribal-esque design. I asked if I could take a picture and he immediately pulled up his socks. No, was the answer to that question.)
Great Wave Tattoo, Austin
Zuzu Bluebottom 