I hosted a closing reception for Jamie Santos’ art show. The exhibition had taken place in the Chittenango Middle School library (Chittenango, New York) during May and June 2018. Since they administered the algebra regents exam in the library today, we held the party in my art classroom.
About twenty students attended this end of the year celebration. Cookies were served.
Jamie Santos is a tattoo artist. She works at Tymeless Tattoo in Baldwinsville, New York. Jamie is a 2003 graduate of Fayetteville-Manlius High school. She says drawing is an important part of her life. She gets up by 9:00 am and starts the day by sketching ideas for tattoos or paintings – she brought several notebooks full of these wonderfully executed drawings to share with the students.
Her focus lately has been on birds.
Students had a lot of questions about the tattooing process – does it hurt? How long does it take to finish a tattoo? Do people bring snacks? ( Lol, love that one <3 )
Jamie was very honest about the process, the time commitment, the pain. She explained how the needle works, how it vibrates when you hold it, how the artist gets better with every job.
She used to work every day and now she books clients only four days a week, devoting the rest of her time to creating art in her studio. Designing her own unique look, her own motifs are crucial to her success and she takes pride in the fact that her work ethic has truly improved her skill.
I asked how many of these eleven to fourteen-year-old students think that they want to get tattoos when they are older and the majority of hands flew up! Should I be surprised by that? I guess not.
The students absolutely loved her! She is amazing. Thank you, Jamie Santos, for being such an inspirational voice for your profession.
A thousand thank-yous, as well, goes to my fabulous colleague, Katy Conden, for working with me to make these art talks happen. They are no fun without you!
If you would like to see more of her work, Jamie will be exhibiting in a show of tattoo artists at the Everson Museum of Art.
Embracing the Underground explores the rich and diverse culture of modern day tattooing. This exhibition is the second presented through the Everson’s Community Exhibition Program, which provides opportunities for Central New York organizations to present the work of area artists.
