Tattoo heartbreak

i got an apprenticeship last year when i was 17. i learned how to clean tubes, work an autoclave, make stencils, take off gloves, healing process and aftercare, how to properly dispose of needles, make a set, break down a set, machine set up, how to talk to people and see the business side of tattooing, blood born pathogens... spent hours drawing, shading, outlines, flash, watercolor, paint, pencil, char coal...studied different styles and forms of tattoo art...did everything including talking to clients and booking appointments to sweeping and moping and taking out the trash. after almost a year of this i was told my high school schedule wasn't flexible enough to keep me as an apprentice and they hired someone else. i never once tattooed anything. not even a piece of fruit. im a few weeks away from 19 and graduating. the shop i worked for kept all the work i did. they have 4 artists, a shop manager, and 2 apprentices, and apparently there is no room for me. below is a link to only a few pieces in my portfolio (don't have the others posted yet.), and i was wondering if, based on what you see, if i should bother going elsewhere for another apprenticeship. tattooing is defiantly what i want to do...but being screwed over like that is very discouraging. http://www.tatbook.com/album.php?user=stephanie&album_id=129

This is the reason why people go underground...and you know I am really pissed off right now-so here we go. FIRST off you need to get your work back- they have NO RIGHT and I mean NO FUCKING right to keep it. YOU were NOT their employee, and they simply saw you as a good artist who was naive. I saw your art, and there is some work that is good, other work that is ok-but overall you do have talent-your young and developing your eye, and just based on that alone I can imagine how they saw your art and most likely figured they had a sucker on their hands whom they could fool into doing art and end up "letting her go" SERIOUSLY????? Their shop is theirs, you got experience but it was for a fucking trade of sweeping floors etc and your art is yours- and I can't stress how strongly I feel about shops stealing other artists work. This is why people go underground- because scum owners like this do this type of shit- and I am not saying "firing" someone or "running out of room" it is for the stealing part- man I hate that shit! Especially since you are young and inexperienced... I may be pissing some people off here, but as an artist myself if I worked for someone and they did this I would be beyond ticked. I actually have sued someone (and won) for using my art on Ebay and selling the images as someone else's work. I seriously recommend getting your art back and then visiting other shops to see if you can get another shot at apprenticeship-and don't ever leave your work there unless you end up working for them. granted we don't know the shop's side of the story- but does it matter since they have your art??? NO. They are LUCKY you are not my kid-because their would be one pissed off momma at their doorstep...

welcome to the world of Tattoo! ya got screwed! get used to it! i have slept in the back of shops and soooo much more shit to better my self to get where i am and im still venturing forth! i have been ripped off robbed and gone to court over the art of Tattoo.But i have NEVER had my art stolen! at least not that i am aware of.now you get your shit together go back to those assholes preferebly with a court order and get your art back! these sleese bags can not keep what is rightfully yours! although there is copyright laws also that may come into play here. hey i sincerely feel for ya and you have been majorly done WRONG! im just letting you know youre not alone.if you cant get that art back then FUCK EM! re draw it and make it better! i sincerly hope you can get into a reputable shop and get a rewarding carrer.i personally have been so screwed in this industry from shop owners and other artist (through no fault of my own) it would make most say what the fuck and why. BUT IM NOT LETTING THEM GET TO ME! i keep going. im not real puter savy and wasnt able to look at your work but i STRONGLY ENCOURAGE YOU TO KEEP GOING! take a cpl art classes if you can it will only help you.it does really piss me off to hear someone getting screwed like this,but there are assnine self centered asshole malignant puss sucking maggots out there,and they know who they are! but there are good and great artist out there also. best of luck hope you stick to it and get a good spot

my work wasn't necessarily stolen, but when they fired me, it wasn't given to me on my way out the door like one would expect. they moved a short while ago, and i did go and ask for it, but they said they didn't know where it was..."everything is still in boxes and we're not real set up and organized yet. we'll call if we find it"...that was a month ago. not particularly worried about what was in that folder really. all that stuff was easy, and i have a few outlines still. i don't want a court battle...i just want to be a tattoo artist, and not get screwed again. how can i avoid a repeat of previously stated events?

Ideally- you should draw up an agreement or contract clearly outlining your position as an apprentice and what duties are expected from you etc- in return the shop should clearly state in the same document their responsibilities in your education as an apprentice. Some shops may be really pissed at that idea-but honestly it is the only way to prevent that kind of dishonesty on a shop's part. These days there is really no excuse for not having contract-they want to run it as a professional business then they should clearly understand the idea of a contracts and their importance in a professional business. Honestly I would really look for a studio that does this, if not really do your research and ask around for the studio's reputation...