By | Michelle Meyers
On Friday the 13th, people flooded into the doors of the Sangha Tattoo Studio to make a decision that will stick with them forever on the unluckiest day of the year.
HSU students Sara Graves and Jordan Kovalcikova-Gillgren stood among the crowd lined up outside the studio that led out of the building.
Graves and Kovalcikova-Gillgren said that they have been trying to attend a Friday the 13th event for quite some time – anywhere, anyhow. So after hearing about the event, they lept on the timely tattoo opportunity.
“None of the tattoo shops seem to be doing this,” Graves said.
The Sangha Tattoo Studio was offering a “flash sale” on Friday the 13th themed tattoos. The tattoo’s that were part of the sale were listed on three sheets of art, called “flash sheets,” for customers to choose from. One of the sheets cost a total of $20, with the price included a $13 tattoo plus a seven dollar tip for the artist. The other two flash sheets included art that cost $31 and were slightly larger. In addition to the tattoos, Sangha also offered $31 nostril piercings.
Graves and Kovalcikova-Gillgren went to the studio without any firm ideas as to what piece of art they would choose. When they arrived, they were impressed with the art.
Kovalcikova-Gillgren decided on two tattoos from the flash sheet, a geometric design and a dagger. Graves decided on going with a pair of dice.
“I don’t know, that’s pretty dicey,” said tattoo artist Justin Love, when Graves picked out her tattoo.
Love is a native of Humboldt County and has been tattooing for 3 years.
When it was time to place the art, Graves turned to Love for a professional opinion. Love pointed to a spot on the back of Graves’ calf, directly above her heel. After Graves was set on the placement, Love instructed Graves to stand on the table so that he could place the stencil for the pair of dice.
“This is fun, I wasn’t expecting to stand on the table,” Graves said as lifted her arms in the air.
“We’re having a lot of fun here,” Shawn Christensen said, an artist at Sangha Tattoo Studio.
Christiansen came to Humboldt from Nebraska to get a tattoo at Sangha Tattoo Studio back when it was Old Growth Tattoo. Yet, after getting his tattoos there, he never left.
“Tattoos made me want to tattoo,” Christensen said.
Over in the other booth, Love finished Graves tattoo, and she sat up on the table to take a look. When Love asked Graves how she felt she looked down at her new art, smiled, and said, “It looks so good!”
“Good doesn’t cut it, I want it to be great,” Love said. Graves laughed, and said, “It’s great.”
Because on this Friday the 13th at Sangha Tattoo Studio, luck has nothing to do with it.
Sangha Tattoo Studio is located at 1806 4th St. in Eureka
