‘Ink Grasp’ launched contemporary expertise on the planet of everlasting ink and different associated inventive abilities. Spike, later rebranded as Paramount Community, launched its distinctive actuality tattoo competitors collection on January 17, 2012, and has remained a success present ever since. It pits skilled tattoo artists in opposition to one another in numerous aggressive rounds to check their general artistic imaginative and prescient and expertise. Judged by masters of the craft like Dave Navarro, Chris Nuñez, and Oliver Peck, the celebs who emerged from the present’s first season have been busy establishing profitable careers within the business. So precisely what have they been as much as?
Winner 1: Shane O’Neill
The College of the Arts (Philadelphia) graduate, Shane O’Neill, championed the enduring present’s debut season in 2012 and gained the whopping $100,000 prize together with a function in Inked Journal. The identical yr, he sat as a jury member for the Chaudesaigues Award that acknowledges the expertise of the masters of physique artwork. Famend for a practical imaginative and prescient that he showcases by means of everlasting ink, his impartial store, Notorious Tattoo, positioned at 26 W. Fundamental Avenue in Middletown, Delaware, continues to be a profit-generating enterprise since 2010.
Even after his art work featured in illustrious tattoo magazines like ‘Tattoo Society’ and ‘Rise Tattoo Journal,’ Shane wholeheartedly targeted on honing his talent set. The self-taught tattoo artist has progressed a lot so in his profession that he’s now accessible by appointment solely. Along with being the proprietor of two tattoo studios in 2012: one in Middletown, Delaware, and the opposite in Willow Grove, Pennsylvania, Shane has additional expanded his enterprise.
He has launched his personal firm, System One Tattoo Product, which offers in tattoos and piercing aftercare merchandise. He’s famend as among the finest portrait and realism tattoo artists within the US. The popularity isn’t solely inside America however world. His shoppers hail from Washington, D.C., Baltimore, Philadelphia, and New York. Shane’s signature fashion has gained him over 100 accolades for his flawless wildlife and horror art work as effectively.
Winner 2: Tommy Helm
Tommy Helm was one of many fan-favorite contestants on season one, and his almost-win didn’t sluggish him down even a tad bit. After ending in second place, he was solid with Huge Gus and Jasmine Rodriguez on Spike’s ‘Tattoo Nightmares.’ On the three-season actuality present, the skilled tattoo artists tried to ink first rate cover-ups for among the worst tattoos on folks.
With over 259k followers on his Instagram account, the well-known tattoo artist usually has months of ready, which his shoppers patiently abide by. Tommy owns the Empire State Studio, a tattoo store in Amityville, New York. The proud father and husband retains his private life veiled from the prying eyes of the media however does sometimes share pictures of his lovely spouse, Michele Gonzalez-Helm.
Winner 3: James Vaughn
Very like the opposite winners of season 1, James Vaughn continued to construct his profession as a tattoo artist after touchdown in third place on ‘Ink Grasp.’ He then made a comeback on the seventh season of the fact present, which concluded on Might 24, 2016, however completed in fourth place this time. The tv character additionally appeared on the Christmas particular, ‘Ink Grasp: Merry Ink,’ in 2014 and coached one other contestant on season 12 (2019).
Regardless of not successful the title of Ink Grasp, he didn’t let it dampen his spirits and went on to focus on neo-Japanese conventional tattooing types. With a tattooing expertise of over twenty years, he’s one in all North Carolina’s most awarded and well-known customized tattoo artists. James is likely one of the many gifted artists who showcase their expertise on the Wildwood Tattoo Seashore Bash, the biggest tattoo conference within the Jersey Shore. However earlier than he started globe-trotting to attend such world-class conventions, he efficiently ran two NC tattoo parlors, particularly Straight A Tattoo in Asheboro and Emerald Metropolis Tattoo & Piercing in Greensboro.
My loopy infants pic.twitter.com/4g1zDltH2q
— James Vaughn (@Mrjamesvaughn) September 2, 2014
He has even been revealed greater than 20 instances for his ingenious creativity. Although James doesn’t actively use his social media accounts, his Twitter deal with states his residence as Mount Nice in Charleston County, South Carolina, the place the award-winning artist has settled together with his spouse and two kids. In October 2020, the artist labored on the grand opening of the first-ever tattoo store on a navy camp however determined to decelerate a bit shortly after. As of now, James works as an Artist Supervisor on the American Tattoo Society, a tattoo store in Fayetteville, North Carolina.
Learn Extra: How Much Does it Cost to Get Tattoos From Ink Masters Chris Núñez and Oliver Peck?
