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sekretcity:

Hello All,

So, the time has come for some big announcements: major events have shaken my life up like a martini, and I have moved back to my hometown of Babylon, aka Los Angeles, and am in the process of opening up the first real SekretCity International Headquarters! 

As you can see if you visit there, the official SekretCity website is currently under construction, as my business partner, Quan Nguyen (aka Mr. Q), is completely rebuilding it from the ground up. In the meantime, going to the site sends you to my blog here. As well as being a larger and fancier site, with more information and larger images, once the new site is up and running this will be part of a totally new system for print sales, much more fast and efficient than my current system, so that prints and other merchandise (i will be making my own t-shirts from now on, and also offering a few other new tasty things very soon!) will be sent out in a far quicker and more orderly way, and in new and better packaging. 

As far as the actual location, it is a totally private space, upstairs, with no signs or advertising except for a small brass plaque on the door, all appointment only, and absolutely no drop ins. It is divided into two main sections…

After ascending the hallway stairs behind the red entrance door, the first large room is the Gallery, painted military green, with my past and current prints framed and on display (as well as for sale), and also a rotating display of any new originals that i have. this will also serve as the lobby/consultation room, decked out with big leather club chairs, coffee table, and potted palms.

The second room is the Workroom, which is painted in, of course, a nice, rich SekretCity red. One half of the room is my painting studio, where i do all of my painting and illustration work. The other half of the room is (yes, the rumors are true) a tattooing area…

Though i am returning to tattooing, i am still keeping painting a top priority, so i am only taking three appointments a week. i like to precede each appointment with a long consultation, in person if you live nearby, or over the phone or Skype if you don’t. This is not only so that we can discuss the tattoo and make the necessary arrangements to do it, but also so that i can get a good idea of what you’re like, and what you’re all about, so that i can make sure that this is a project we can work on together, and also so that i can design a piece that really suits you well. The more i know and understand about you, the easier it will be for me to really hit the mark, and give you a tattoo that works well within the context of your life, not just the contours of your body. I intend to give people good, solid, well thought-out tattoos that they appreciate for the rest of their lives, and i won’t waste my time or yours on anything else. 

I have extensive reference books on many, many subjects, and really like to do my homework thoroughly. it is important to me to understand not only the visual look of a reference-heavy piece, but the layers of meaning within it. i am also an avid book collector, and if your tattoo needs reference material, and i don’t already have it, i’ll buy it and add it to the library.

Each appointment is an all-day affair, so there is never any rush, and there is never anyone out in the lobby tapping their toes and waiting for their turn. Just the two of us working on your piece, and taking as long as necessary to get the job done right. I will not answer the phone or the door, so there will be no distractions. There are no other tattooers here, and the only other person who might possibly be present during your session would be my assistant, Sebastian. Smoking will not be allowed in the studio, but smokers are welcome to use the hookah during their session, so that we can keep smoke breaks to a minimum. Plus, it’s super relaxing. 

If you are coming from overseas, or just out of the area, please let us know when you contact us about appointment scheduling, as we have a few tricks up our collective sleeves, and we may be able to help you cut down on your traveling costs a bit. 

The minimum is $500 US, and the hourly rate is the same.

if you’d like to schedule an appointment, please email me at: chris@sekretcity.com. As well as briefly describing the tattoo you’d like to get, please leave your phone number (or Skype ID, if you’re overseas), and what days/hours are best to reach you. I will call you back as soon as i get a chance so that we can discuss the project and get the process underway. PLEASE KEEP IN MIND: right now, i am still painting, unpacking, and running a million errands to get this place ready for work, and get the lush, relaxing atmosphere established that is crucial to the entire operation, so PLEASE wait until June to begin emailing for appointments, as i will not be able to answer any messages before then.

I have spent many, many years working in street shops, and i am very proud of that fact, and i applaud those who keep that tradition alive, but, to be honest, i am 42 now, and after years of working in various shop environments, with many different policies and operating styles (some of which i agreed with, and some that i definitely didn’t), i am really looking forward to finally doing everything the way i think is best, whether or not it fits other people’s ideas of what a tattoo shop should be. The time has come for me to take everything that i’ve learned from working at many shops around the world, and arrange and design everything the way i have wanted to for years, and i can’t wait to get started! 

i will be posting some pics and updates over the next few weeks, as things develop, so that you can get a peek at the new space, and what we’re up to.

i look forward to meeting those of you who choose to visit my new “dream shop”! see you soon!

cheers!

c

btw-if you’d like to, you can follow us on Instagram, @sekretcity for occasional pics and updates…

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