A tattoo artist who allegedly swindled Fort St. John customers is being warned by the community.
According to multiple sources, Mason Selvidge is well known for taking clients’ money for unfinished work, among other claims.
Selvidge, who is currently located in Grande Prarie, has traveled to Prince George and Fort St. John for tattoo clients.
Nathan Swetlikoff is a recent client. He met him five years back as a guest artist in Fort St. John.
Selvidge worked on Swetlikoff’s first tattoo, and when he left the local studio, Swetlikoff followed the artist on Facebook and Instagram.
Selvidge was contacted by him to arrange a second tattoo session.
Swetlikoff traveled to Grande Prairie in January with his girlfriend. There, he booked a place at the hotel. Selvidge then began the tattoo.
Selvidge spent $800 on a day with the tattoo artist. But Selvidge later asked Swetlikoff whether they would be able to finish the piece that day.
“He’s like, ‘Hey since you’re going to be here first thing in the morning again, do you think you can give me that 600 cash?’” Swetlikoff said.
Swetlikoff stated that he sent him an electronic transfer right away because of his history and Selvidge’s new tattoo.
“It’s either I pay you now, or I pay at [10 a.m.] in the morning,” he said.
Selvidge sent him a message that night asking for an additional hundred dollars.
Although he thought it was odd, his girlfriend also believed it, and he decided it was fair considering how much work he did and would do. Swetlikoff stated that he offered Selvidge $50 extra.
The next morning, Swetlikoff received another message saying that Selvidge wanted to sleep in so he ‘asked’ to meet at 11 a.m.
He went to Selvidge’s house a little early and messaged him, saying he would wait outside until Selvidge was ready.
Selvidge began messaging him to try and avoid an appointment.
Selvidge told him then that he would take all his belongings and drive all the way all the ways to Fort St. John for his final tattoo.
“He’s got nowhere to do it. He’s got no driver’s license. He’s got no way to get out here,” Swetlikoff said.
After a back and forth, with Swetlikoff trying to get a refund from Selvidge, he was told all the money was spent and he wouldn’t be getting it back.
Following the encounter and Swetlikoff’s Facebook post explaining his experience with Mason, he received death threats from the artist.
Swetlikoff claims that Swetlikoff’s tattoo has been infected and is unfinished.
Swetlikoff offered to remove the posting and make an announcement for the artist’s redemption if the money was returned.
“He won’t do it. He will not do it,” Swetlikoff said.
Former Colleague says there were “red flags”
Selvidge’s former colleague, who wished to remain anonymous due to the aforementioned death threats, mentioned some of the “red flags” they noticed while working alongside him for six months.
The colleague couldn’t remember how the two came into contact, but they say he was very adamant that they had what it took to be a tattoo artist.
He was charismatic, kind and very charming. However, he knew exactly what he was doing and even took a large amount of money from his colleague and her.
They say that he would take deposits from people and then “drop from the face of the planet,” ignoring clients or even blocking them, similar to Swetlikoff’s experience with Selvidge.
He also would often only do half the work on a tattoo and then withdraw the funds without ever responding to clients.
According to a colleague, Selvidge started his shop in suspicious circumstances. He rented a unit and turned it into a studio. It is not clear if Selvidge was allowed to do this.
They remember the conditions of the space as ” dirty.”
“I recognized it as a very dangerous place to get tattooed.”
If the two other colleagues didn’t get there three hours before clients came in, the place would be covered in dog hair, pee and beer bottles, they claimed.
“I had a lot of faith in him. I really did.”
It became less professional as time passed. They say that it took them six months to realize they had to end the relationship. In response to this, he publicly attacked them via Facebook.
Selvidge is known, according to the colleague, to say he is leaving town to get more clients, but doesn’t always follow through.
“When you hurt people like that, I don’t know how you can sleep at night,” they said.
“He’s nice and lost. Very lost.”
“Waiting six hours to start the tattoo”
Another previous client of Mason’s, who also wanted to remain anonymous due to the death threats, had an experience that was similar to Swetlikoff’s.
She had first heard of Mason from a nearby tattoo shop. This client kept meticulous records of everything she did.
She says she “stupidly” prepaid for her tattoo, saying that her partner convinced her to do so to show Mason that she wanted him to do the work.
This tattoo should be worn as a complete sleeve with a covering.
On October 20, 2020, her negative experience began with Selvidge. She transferred $200 to Selvidge as a deposit.
Fort St. John’s couple traveled to Grande Prairie to cash Selvidge $1500 on November 22nd.
Her first appointment was November 23rd. She says one of her apprentices was only starting to tattoo her. Mason finished her tattoo by that time.
Although she stated that she arrived at the studio at 10 am, she ended up staying there for six hours before the start of the tattoo.
“I have tattoos from other people, and I’ve never in my life experienced that before,” she said.
Selvidge tattooed her only for two hours before he decided to quit because he wasn’t feeling well.
Selvidge cancelled her December 12th cancellation and continued to work on her tattoo for five more days before she felt ill. Selvidge stopped again at 2:20 a.m.
Selvidge had to reschedule the appointment on her client several times, before finally seeing her February 7, 2021.
The client says she spent more time in her truck waiting for him than in his studio, explaining that once she was allowed in his home studio, it was a “complete waste of time.”
After waiting for Selvidge’s iPad to charge, he finally started tattooing the client before stopping again.
He cancelled her once more on February 13, and she said that she was finished with him.
The doctor told the woman he was experiencing health problems and they ended up at the hospital.
The client also mentions the cleanliness of Selvidge’s home studio, believing after the apprentices left is when the conditions got worse.
She adds that he went online after her second or third tattoo and made a Facebook post talking about how he was leaving Grand Prairie because everyone there “is a joke,” and no one appreciates him.
He later claimed that he couldn’t get into his Facebook or Instagram pages and used this as a reason for why he wasn’t responding to people.
She says he then deleted both accounts, changed his personal account’s last name and started a new Facebook page for his tattoos.
She claims that he initially offered her a $800 refund but later declined.
In reference to her tattoo, she says it wasn’t what she wanted and that by the end of it all, the bottom part of her arm wasn’t completed. Selvidge had told her $1,600 would be enough to cover the whole of her sleeve.
“He fought with me every single time about it,” she said about the content of her tattoo.
Initially, the client wanted to report Selvidge to the RCMP and health board but was “so emotionally drained and upset” that she didn’t want to deal with him anymore.
According to her, it was quite difficult for her to believe another tattoo artist.
“The guy who tattooed me the next time, I just told him, I’m sorry if I’m being super picky, but I had a horrible experience with this guy, and he literally ruined it,” she concluded.
Energeticcity.ca Mason Selvidge, the local tattoo artist were contacted to comment. They did not respond to our messages.
Find a reputable tattoo artist
Chris Nikiforuk–Rhyason of The Sterling Skull Studio, Grande Prairie says that you should be aware of red flags when visiting new shops or artists to reduce the chance of having negative tattoo experiences.
Rhyason has over twenty years experience in the art and craft industry. Before booking an appointment, Rhyason recommends that clients research artists or shops.
There is currently no tattoo artist regulatory board. This has led to ethical and moral issues.
Rhyason believes that Grande Prairie is becoming over-saturated in home-based artists.
“These guys tend to undercut each other and bid on work to the point that they don’t even make a dollar,” he explained.
Rhyason says to” trust your gut.”
“If you go and you meet someone and they’re very adamant about certain things, if you look at their portfolio and their artwork, it doesn’t quite add up or measure up for you, and they go overboard trying to sell it to you, then you might not want to go there,” he explained.
Rhyason says that clients don’t have to go to a place or person that makes them uncomfortable.
“Don’t go back there, because there are lots of people that would take [the work] on. They would love to help you, love to make you happy,” Rhyason said.
“That goes for artists too actually,” he added, “If an artist is at a shop where they’re feeling like they’re being compromised, there’s lots of places you can work. People will hire you.”
In late August of last year, he posted on social media about how his shop has been getting a steady stream of female clients coming in who are concerned due to experiencing a “disturbing” amount of sexual misconduct in Grande Prairie.
He posted his latest threat of leaving on May 29th. Mason Selvidge-Facebook – Tattoos
What a punk people like this deserve to get punished
I’m covered in them and I have never and will never get work done and/or have ANYONE touch me unless it’s an extremely professional, clean, and a reputable artist. You all that had this done to them are too nice, too trustworthy, and or too damn gullible…?
Russian’s are pretty much all crooks. They are very deceitful and unethical people in general. I just make it a point to not do business with them.
The scanner wasn’t Russian, one of the people who got scammed was. But yeah, go off man.
Artist should not even be in the headline. This is a tattooist, by no means a “tattoo artist”
Clients need to be a bit more aware of who they choose to put something on them that is going to be permanent. This is a lifetime commitment and investment….lesson learned I hope.
I have no knowledge of this particular individual, but this article basically describes at least half of the tattoo industry. It’s a bit Karen-ish to blast the guy as dumb as he behaves. And maybe value is in the cautionary tale… but nobody should get tattooed by lame shady assessment. And if ya get burned then take it up with the individual. I could write an identical story about clients burning the artist as well. For one Karma is a you know what, and secondly this guy’s reputation was probably destroyed all over town before this article popping up on Google main feed. Point being do your research on your tattooer. Clients unfortunately don’t have to pass background checks either and I’ve been burned by shady people. It’s the industry. You’re either in it fully or you shouldn’t be part of it. And the scum falls off naturally. Like this clown
Chris Rhyason is one to talk. My experience with him was similar when he worked at BEAR SKIN ART in Edmonton, AB. He basically fired himself 18 hours into the tattoo he started on me. I’ve spent so much time and money fixing up his substandard tattoo work on my sleeve/chest plate I regret meeting him and allowing him to butcher my skin. The last time I let him tattoo me he got 90 minutes into the session and informed that I was bleeding too much and that he had to stop also he made wait 4 months for my appointment and made me wait 2 hours for him to start tattooing me as he fist had to finish up with his other client and then he had to in his own words “Feed my stupid face.”