Eric Blair has been with us for half a year now. His career is a story worth telling.
Eric first got tattooed in 1984 at the age of eighteen. By the time he was twenty he was hooked and started getting a whole back piece and sleeves from his future tattoo master, Greg James. Since then Eric has travelled all over the world collecting pieces from some of the best artists, completing his body suit.
He started tattooing as an apprentice, with Robert Benedetti and Greg James, at Sunset Strip Tattoo in Hollywood, one of the oldest most reputable shops in Los Angeles.
After three months of tattooing, a guy named Lesane Parish Crooks came into the parlour and asked Eric to do a tattoo on him. Twenty four year old Eric Blair tattooed the letters Thug Life on his belly. Three years later the guy came back, he called himself a rap artist going by the name of Tupac Shakur. Eric later also tattooed Notorious on his forearm.
In the following years many celebrities came into the Sunset Strip to get tattooed. Eric's list of clients holds big names such as Angelina Jolie (lower back), Jack Osborne (unfinished back piece), Robbie Williams, and legendary hip hop artists such as Grandmaster Flash, Flava Flav, Melly Mel, Coolio and Vanilla Ice.
One of his most favorite tattoos was the letter K on Courtney Love, representing her love for Kurt Cobain, shortly before he died.
Eric has been tattooing at conventions in the US, Japan, Amsterdam and many other cities. After fourteen years of working at the Sunset Strip Tattoo he left to work at Mark Mahoney's Shamrock Social Club for two years. After that he decided to open his own tattoo parlour. Subculture Tattoo, in the San Fernando Valley, Los Angeles, which opened up in October 2005.
It was recently sold to Greg James, and is now "Tattoos Deluxe".
Eric was born and raised in California. However he has great love for his adopted city, Amsterdam. He is inspired by Dutch artists such as Gerrit Dou and Johannes Vermeer. Major tattoo influences would be Greg James, Robert Benedetti, Dana Brunson and many Japanese masters.
Eric truly has a remarkable story, we are proud to be able to tell it. Since June 2012 he has been working at Tattoo parlour Het Ruyterhuis. For his recent work take a look at his gallery. Eric works at the parlour thursday till sunday.
Eric first got tattooed in 1984 at the age of eighteen. By the time he was twenty he was hooked and started getting a whole back piece and sleeves from his future tattoo master, Greg James. Since then Eric has travelled all over the world collecting pieces from some of the best artists, completing his body suit.
He started tattooing as an apprentice, with Robert Benedetti and Greg James, at Sunset Strip Tattoo in Hollywood, one of the oldest most reputable shops in Los Angeles.
After three months of tattooing, a guy named Lesane Parish Crooks came into the parlour and asked Eric to do a tattoo on him. Twenty four year old Eric Blair tattooed the letters Thug Life on his belly. Three years later the guy came back, he called himself a rap artist going by the name of Tupac Shakur. Eric later also tattooed Notorious on his forearm.
In the following years many celebrities came into the Sunset Strip to get tattooed. Eric's list of clients holds big names such as Angelina Jolie (lower back), Jack Osborne (unfinished back piece), Robbie Williams, and legendary hip hop artists such as Grandmaster Flash, Flava Flav, Melly Mel, Coolio and Vanilla Ice.
One of his most favorite tattoos was the letter K on Courtney Love, representing her love for Kurt Cobain, shortly before he died.
Eric has been tattooing at conventions in the US, Japan, Amsterdam and many other cities. After fourteen years of working at the Sunset Strip Tattoo he left to work at Mark Mahoney's Shamrock Social Club for two years. After that he decided to open his own tattoo parlour. Subculture Tattoo, in the San Fernando Valley, Los Angeles, which opened up in October 2005.
It was recently sold to Greg James, and is now "Tattoos Deluxe".
Eric was born and raised in California. However he has great love for his adopted city, Amsterdam. He is inspired by Dutch artists such as Gerrit Dou and Johannes Vermeer. Major tattoo influences would be Greg James, Robert Benedetti, Dana Brunson and many Japanese masters.
Eric truly has a remarkable story, we are proud to be able to tell it. Since June 2012 he has been working at Tattoo parlour Het Ruyterhuis. For his recent work take a look at his gallery. Eric works at the parlour thursday till sunday.
