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With everything that’s been happening lately, I’m getting a little behind in my blog posting, so please just bear with me while I try to catch up!

Just over two weeks ago, Dan and I drove down to Asbury Park, NJ to attend the 2nd Annual Visionary Tattoo Arts Festival. We’ve been to several tattoo conventions before, but this was our first time working at one, so we were a bit excited and nervous, and weren’t really sure what to expect.

The convention floor

The convention started on Friday, July 29th. We got there late in the day, but used the time to set up our booth, get acquainted with our neighbors, have a look around, and check into our hotel room. Dan was even able to get a tattoo done in the short time between set up and closing.

Our booth at the convention

Saturday was a bit less rushed, but much more exciting. As soon as we got to the convention hall, Dan set to work on his appointment for the day, and I helped run the booth, greeting people as they stopped by, showing off Dan’s portfolio, and trying to book some appointments for him. When I wasn’t needed at the booth, I walked around and took in some of the entertainment. They had skate demonstrations, parkour performances, and burlesque shows, but my favorite act was the Show Devils. Similar to the old fashioned sideshow acts, the Show Devils hammered nails into their heads, lit cigarettes with sparks, and cut apples with chainsaws – while blindfolded! Their act alone was worth the price of admission to the convention.

The Enigma

After the entertainment acts, the tattoo contests began. Dan entered a few tattoos in the various categories (and won for Best Small/Medium Color!), but what we were really excited about was the Best Tattoo of the Day competition. This particular contest compares all of the tattoos done in a single day at the convention. It’s held at the end of each day at every tattoo convention, and is one of the most sought-after awards among tattoo artists. By winning a Best Tattoo of the Day competition, a tattoo artist gains a new level of respect among his peers.

Eddie entering Dan's tattoo in the Best Tattoo of the Day contest

So naturally, after working for 8 hours straight on our friend Eddie’s chest piece, Dan submitted it to the Best Tattoo of the Day contest. It was up against 22 other amazing pieces, so we waited with bated breath while the judges deliberated. After several long, drawn-out minutes, they finally announced Dan as the winner!

Eddie and Dan with their Best Tattoo of the Day trophies

I was so excited for him, and so proud that he had won two awards at his first (working) tattoo convention!

We stayed up late celebrating on Saturday, so of course we slept in Sunday morning and missed our check-out time. Fortunately, the lady at the front desk was incredibly nice and didn’t charge us for the extra hour we spent in our room. (Thank you, Berkeley Oceanfront Hotel!)

Sunday was much more laid back, as everyone was just hanging around and the other tattoo artists were slowly packing up and leaving throughout the day. We stayed just long enough for Dan to do one more tattoo, and then we packed up our stuff and got ready to make the long drive back up to New York. Of course, we were stuck in traffic most of the evening along with the thousands of other people leaving the Jersey shore, and we didn’t make it back home until after 11:00 at night, but it was all worth it. Dan now has two trophies to put on his shelf, and a new title to add to his resume – award winner!

Bonus shot of the beach. You're welcome.

Have you ever been to a tattoo convention? If so, which one(s)? If not, would you attend one? Ever been to the Jersey shore? Tell me all about it in the comments.