THURSDAY, MARCH 28, 2019 // 7
Oh, the thinks you can ink!
Hold Fast Tattoo
offers custom
work, design
By EVE MARX
FOR COAST WEEKEND
H
old Fast Tattoo in
Seaside is celebrat-
ing their nine-year
anniversary this May, but
Brandy Rea and Jennifer
Knox have been tattoo art-
ists in Clatsop County for
years.
“I arrived in Clatsop
County in October 1999,”
the Oklahoma-born Rea
said. “Tattooing was a nat-
ural for me; I majored in art
in college.”
Rea and Knox met 20
years ago in a local tat-
too shop. Long before they
became business partners,
the two became fast friends.
“I did my fi rst profes-
sional tattoo in 1996,” Rea
said. “It was a rose.”
Knox describes herself as
the “dorky girl from Califor-
nia, always reading or doo-
dling.” Both women enjoy
interacting with clients to
come up with the perfect
work to indelibly mark their
bodies.
“I enjoy people, although
I am naturally an introvert,”
Rea said.
Hold Fast Tattoo, at 611
Broadway St., is a large,
wildly creative space. There
is a 1,500-square-foot main
lobby with high ceilings
ideal for displaying artwork
by local and regional artists.
There’s even a movie screen.
Custom work is the stu-
dio’s main focus. Clients
start the process by setting
up a consultation with one
of the three in-house artists.
In addition to Rea and Knox,
there is a male artist, Jere-
miah Gingerbeard. A nonre-
fundable deposit starts your
drawing; the artist will work
with you on your piece until
Tattoo artist and piercer
Jennifer Knox of Hold Fast
Tattoo works with a client on
a cover-up.
MORE INFO
For details about pricing
and other pertinent mat-
ters, log on to holdfasttat-
toocompany.com or call
503-738-4055 to set up an
appointment. Follow the
shop on Instagram and
Facebook.
Brandy Rea, one of the proproetors of
Hold Fast Tattoo, says her focus is on
custom work.
Eve Marx photos
Jennifer Knox works with a client at Hold Fast Tattoo.
^
it is rendered just how you
want it.
“We do photorealism, we
do animal portraits, we do
Americana, we do black and
gray,” Rea said. “We love
doing cover-ups.” She said
when a client enters a tattoo
studio, they’re not just buy-
ing a tattoo, they’re buying
an experience and memories.
The name Hold Fast is an
old sailor expression.
“Sailors would get the
words ‘hold fast’ tattooed on
their knuckles,” Rea said.
“Meaning ‘don’t let go.’ It’s
also a double entendre.”
She allowed that get-
ting a tattoo isn’t a painless
experience.
“It hurts, it feels like a cat
scratch,” Rea said.
When asked if certain
parts of the body are more
painful to work on than oth-
ers, she said it depends on
the individual. Some areas
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Eve Marx
The interior of Hold Fast Tattoo on Broadway Street in Seaside.
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of the body fade faster than
others, such as fi ngers, or
behind the ear. Also, very
small tattoos don’t hold up
as well as larger ones.
While the studio can
handle walk-ins if an art-
ist is available, appoint-
ments are recommended. To
prepare for your appoint-
ment with the needle, it’s
recommended being well
hydrated. Eat an hour or two
before your appointment and
refrain from imbibing intox-
icants for at least eight hours
prior. The state of Oregon
requires anyone getting a tat-
too must be 18 or older and
have a valid government-is-
sued ID.
“Your tattoo process
requires several steps,” Rea
said. “Giving us time to
work with you ensures what
you get will be perfect.” CW
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