aebc4eb47017ed50d93e8de5975c01f8.jpg

JAMESBURG: Tattoo shop marks artful anniversary

By Nicole Cosentino, Special Writer
   JAMESBURG — While most people save money for vacations, new pieces of technology, or special items of clothing, there are a growing number that save for tattoos.
   Simply Ink Tattoo, at 16A Willow Street in Jamesburg, hopes that more people will treat themselves in a different way this summer.
   ”(Tattoos) make people feel good,” tattoo apprentice Rhonda Corkdale of West Windsor said. “Sometimes when you’re down and out, you need a pick me up. It doesn’t have to be a huge piece. They just make you feel good about yourself.”
   The shop, which is owned by Gabriele Myklebust, 42, of Brick, has been open since last August and has done well in its first year despite a sluggish economy.
   ”(Business) has been pretty good,” Ms. Myklebust said during a slow period at the shop Tuesday afternoon. “It is usually slower this time of year.”
   A friend gave her the opportunity to take over the shop after the previous business, Heritage Tattoos closed.
   ”I know the guy who owns the motorcycle shop (next door),” Ms. Myklebust said. “There was a tattoo shop here before. My friend Wally asked me if I wanted to open up shop, so we did.”
   The tattoo shop will be hosting a special promotion starting today and ending on July 26. All tattoos smaller than or equal to two square inches will cost $31.
   Each of the artists at the shop have a specialty but are also capable of producing other types of art, Ms. Myklebust said.
   Joey Craparotta prefers to do traditional style tattoos, Chris Mirro specializes in portraits and realism, and Ms. Myklebust prefers new-school and feminine tattoos with lots of color.
   The tattoo studio also employs one person to do piercings, Chris Scorsese, who only works on the weekends. Ms. Myklebust hopes to hire another professional piercer in the near future.
   For Ms. Myklebust, owning a tattoo shop is a dream come true.
   ”I am a state licensed aesthetician. I was working in plastic surgeon’s office using lasers for skin resurfacing, and doing medical tattooing,” Ms. Myklebust said. Medical tattoos include permanent eyebrows, eyeliner, lip coloring, and areolas on reconstructed breasts.
   ”(My background) really gave me a good idea of skin, how it functions, what to do and what not to do with it, and how deep to go with the tattoos,” she said. “I know about hygiene. I’m proud that my shop is super clean and sterile.”
   Ms. Myklebust said she still performs cosmetic and medical tattoos at the shop in Jamesburg.
   Through the years, Ms. Myklebust has seen the business and stigma regarding tattoos change. A long time ago, Ms. Myklebust said, only “bikers and bad boys” got tattoos. Times are changing, however.
   ”People from 18 up to 70 years old come in to my shop (now). For the permanent makeup, my oldest client was 95. I (tattoo people) from all walks of life – corporate people, blue collar, white collar, you name it.”
   Tattooing is becoming a more widely accepted art form. Nowadays, people get tattoos for a handful of different reasons.
   ”Sometimes it’s because of the hormones being released. It’s like plastic surgery – after you have that, you want more and more,” Ms. Myklebust said. “You get attention with your artwork. You’re making new friends. You really fall in love (with your tattoos) and you want more of that.”
   Ms. Myklebust gestured to her right arm, which is covered in a full sleeve of tribal and traditional tattoos.
   ”Some people have stories, others have memorials, and some are just for fun, like (mine),” she said.
   Being a tattoo artist is certainly a unique job.
   ”There’s a big difference between being a tattoo artist and just being an artist,” Ms. Corkdale said. “You’re dealing with people; you’re dealing with flesh. It’s much harder than just working on a flat surface.”
   Ms. Corkdale has worked for Windsor Farms for 10 years doing sets and artwork, sold patterns to fabric companies and dish companies, and painted wall murals. She has two children, ages 21 and 23.
   Before being allowed to tattoo on human skin, Mss. Corkdale must complete 2,000 hours of training. According to Mss. Myklebust, she tattoos on slabs of pigskin to practice.
   The tattoo shop is painted a shade of green and has a waiting room with a couch. There are three tattooing stations, which, according to Ms. Myklebust, can be made private through the use of curtains.
   ”(Tattooing) takes more than just the ability to draw,” tattoo artist Mr. Mirro said. “It is a technique and a craft that has to be honed. You have to have customer service and you have to be a businessman. You need a culmination of all of those to be a good tattoo artist, and I think everyone here has that.”