CSUN University News Clippings

Liberal studies alum J.J. Ortiz has a tattoo shop in Santa Barbara

(September 29, 2008)

Sept. 29, 2008

When some business owners celebrate the opening of a new venture, they commemorate the event with a bottle of champagne or frame the first dollar earned. One of the owners of 805 Ink marked the occasion recently by giving his partner a tattoo.

Some might say the image chosen denotes the sweet smell of success.

“It was a rose on the foot,” said tattoo artist J.J. Ortiz, describing the image etched by co-owner Kenny Knox when they opened their business three months ago, marking a permanent record of their partnership. Located on State Street near the Granada Theatre, 805 Ink’s owners said they are differentiating themselves by being the only tattoo/piercing shop in the area owned and operated by Santa Barbara natives and reflects the attitude and culture of the community, which includes a large college-age population, and where a tattoo or piercing seems to be a fashionable rite of passage for many 20- and 30-somethings.

Look beyond the colorful tattooed arms and legs of both owners, and you’ll find artists’ souls and serious business minds.

“It is very much a generational thing,” admitted Mr. Ortiz about the coolness factor that brings in many young adults.

A Harris Poll in 2003 estimated that 36 percent of those aged 25 or over had one or more tattoos. A 2006 study done by the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology found that nearly one-quarter of Americans ages 18 to 29 have at least one tattoo. Another national survey found that one-third of Americans with them feel more sexy and attractive.

Surveys aside, both businessmen said tattoos have gained acceptance from a much wider audience, and they have all age groups as customers. In addition, several reality TV shows have given the profession a higher profile and, undoubtedly, more customers. “It’s hip to use your body as a canvas to express yourself,” said Mr. Ortiz, 27.

Mr. Knox, also 27, said that securing the lease for their shop on State Street places them apart from the rest of the pack of a half-dozen tattoo and piercing shops, which are grouped near downtown’s bar district. “We don’t get too many tourists up here or partyers looking for a (booze-fueled) spur-of-the-moment tattoo,” said Mr. Knox, a graduate of the Art Institute of Pittsburgh. “Locals are the mainstay clientele.”

The business potential is sufficient to keep all the studios busy, said Mr. Knox, adding that each tattoo artist in town has his or her own signature look, personality and following. “There’s more than enough business to go around,” he said, adding that he averages about three tattoos a day.

For the local tattoo artist fraternity, each other’s work has an unmistakable mark. Mr. Ortiz said he recognized his partner’s handiwork recently when he was at a video rental store and the tattoo on the clerk looked familiar. “It’s the best kind of marketing,” chimed in Mr. Knox, who said referral is a key part of attracting customers. Connoisseurs will come back several sessions for something quite complex in its artistry and execution, paying in excess of a thousand dollars. First timers are also welcome, as long as they are 18.

“It’s a piece of art you display on yourself,” said Mr. Ortiz, who graduated from Cal State Northridge as a liberal studies major. As such, “it should reflect who you are and be meaningful.” While always of an artistic bent, both Mr. Ortiz and Mr. Knox never imagined careers in the field.

“Tattooing chased me,” laughed Mr. Ortiz, who added that he developed skill and technique on friends while serving his apprenticeship.

When visiting 805 Ink, patrons are greeted by a spare space: stark white walls and two black leather couches in the reception area. The work stations are separated by large, framed mirrors. “We’re both a little OCD,” said Mr.

Ortiz, about the never-ending struggle to keep the walls unmarked, “and we’re both germaphobes.”

Referring to the penetration of skin and the blood-borne pathogen certification required by health authorities for tattoos and piercings, the latter of which comprises 20 percent of 805 Ink’s business, Mr. Ortiz said, “It’s almost like a medical procedure. The main objective is to be super clean.”

Another goal is to help clients have realistic expectations. “Some ideas may not be tattooable,” said Mr. Knox, adding that small lettering and very detailed images can take away from a tattoo’s impact. Both artists have had “to cover up and tweak” a few that haven’t stood the test of time.

On the subject of permanence, Cottage Hospital’s tattoo removal program is busier than ever. Facility volunteers assisted 218 clients for the year ending June 30, reports Lyda Martin, clinic coordinator. The program is funded by the St. Francis Foundation, and survives on the goodwill of physicians, nurses and technicians who donate their time with the program, which involves tattoo removal by laser. The aim is to remove tattoos that are considered “anti-social” or gang related, said a hospital spokeswoman.

Normally, a person would spend thousands of dollars to remove a tattoo, but clients accepted into the Cottage program pay nothing; however, they must complete 10 hours of community service for every treatment they receive.

There is a small amount of physical discomfort involved, even after a numbing agent is applied.

“People shouldn’t be pushing the limits of what their skin can take,” said Mr. Knox, who describes the procedure in great detail to potential customers and offers to let them witness a tattooing session.

Both men worked for other tattoo/piercing studios before launching their own enterprise, which has the backing of a third partner, Mr. Ortiz’s brother-in-law Chris Martinez, who owns an investment firm in San Francisco.

In addition, friends donated plumbing, electrical, drywall and flooring expertise to get the space ready, about 90 percent of the remodeling effort.

In exchange, they are being compensated with tattoos. The lease space runs about $3,000 per month.

Because the price of a tattoo will vary between artists, seeing their portfolios and styles of work may help in the decision process. 805 Ink said really small tattoos will cost at least shop minimum, which is usually about $80. This figure was also cited as the minimum by the owner of Energy Tattoo at 428 State St. However, many customers spend much more, said Nic Ferrante, who has been in business in the area for 10 years after relocating from New Jersey with her husband, P.J. Ferrante.

According to Mrs. Ferrante, one client spent $5,000 for a tattoo that encompassed two “full sleeves” (both arms). It was an Oni mask, a Japanese symbol “to ward off evil,” said Mrs. Ferrante. Her studio’s artwork has also gained the attention of a major tobacco and lighter manufacturer, a collaboration that has helped the bottom line. The Ferrantes receive a royalty for the products that are sold worldwide, which she said is a tidy sum, but declined to reveal a dollar figure.

Other factors that determine price include the placement, size and design of the tattoo. The more colors the design entails, the more the tattoo will cost, said Mrs. Ferrante.

At 805 Ink, Mr. Ortiz has designs on another project: a surfing camp that he runs each year for at-risk youth. ESPN recently ran a segment on him and Manny Raya, turf rivals from the streets of Santa Barbara, who turned their lives around with surfing. Mr. Ortiz said about a dozen young men between the ages of 14 and 18 head for the shore each summer to learn how to “hang ten.”

“After a while, the walls start coming down and they start getting the hang of the sport,” said Mr. Ortiz, who said the force of nature is a great leveler — and lesson — for kids dealing with anger and hostility, and perhaps considering a gang. “They get knocked down a lot, but they get back on the board.” The two-week program called “Turf 2 Surf,” is donation-dependent.

As a result of the ESPN airing, he and Mr. Raya, who is studying philosophy at San Francisco State, have already received a call from someone wanting to make a movie about their lives and their camp.

Publication: Hispanic Business