Today we’d like to introduce you to Ettore Bechis.
Ettore, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I began to tattoo in 2002, at that time I was in Brazil, in those days I was working as a set designer in tourist resorts, the tourist resort company based in Milan sent me around the world (Madagascar, Thailand, Africa, South America etc.) Assembling the shows, painting large canvases and building with wood and various other materials, stage objects for shows (guns, swords, thrones, rocks, etc.). One day in a mall, I bought a tattoo magazine and saw the advertising of a tattoo supplier, they sold a kit to start tattooing and I said … Why not try it? From there, everything started, I tattooed for free to my fellow workers and then when I started to improve, the tourists. When I returned to Italy the story changed, no tattoo studio wanted me because I was not good enough (and they were right) until, by insisting, I met what would become my mentor, Alessandro Doria, all the beginning was a bit unpleasant but then turned out to be a very good person who helped me a lot. In 2007 I embarked on my first trip to the United States, I went to New York for 2 weeks as a guest in a tattoo studio and then Miami Beach, the following year I went to Santa Barbara, California as guest artist to return in Miami Beach for a few months, finally in 2014 I took the O1 work visa as an artist and moved to live and work in Miami. Recently I got Green Card, it was really difficult but I did.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
No, it was not a smooth road. At that time there was not much material to study and what was there was all in English (books and videos) and I did not speak the language. Even now I do not speak English well, but at least I can understand. The world of tattoos was much more closed than now. Today if you want to learn you can go to YouTube and learn how to tattoo, at least the basics, or you can join a tattoo school, definitely after school you have to do an apprenticeship but at least you have the basics. Once that was not the case, the tattoo industry was much more closed. No one wanted to teach you anything.
Many tattooers have complained about television programs like Miami Ink because they have marketed the tattoo industry but I believe these programs have cleared the tattoo art and made tattoos more popular than among ordinary people and also deleted some prejudices. For example of a prejudice the tattoos are always and in any case linked to a crime environment. Now things have changed and people begin to consider tattoo as an art form. I always say that tattooing is easy, tattooing well is very difficult, you never stop learning.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
I currently work for the Salvation Tattoo Lounge located on 1612 Washington Ave in South Beach. I’ve been working with this company since 2007 and I’m fine. My colleagues are good people and nobody acts like a rock star. Everyone is doing their job and trying to do their best. Not because I work there, but I really think it’s the best tattoo shop in Miami Beach. The shop is clean and what’s important is the excellent customer service. I am specialized in figurative tattoo style, I really like realistic color tattoo, but Japanese style fits me well so people ask me especially geisha, dragon, koi fish, etc. in color or black and gray. When I have some free time, I like to paint in oil and I think this helps me a lot later when I have to transfer pictures with shadows and shades on the skin. I think it’s a lot of benefit to have a pictorial background. I think the most important thing about a business is to take care of your customers, not only when you have to sell the product, but most of all after. I always send texts to my clients to know if the tattoo is well healed or if it needs a free retouching, I take care of them and they are loyal to me.
If you had to go back in time and start over, would you have done anything differently?
If I had to start again, I would probably have done more tattoo conventions and instead of doing more styles would have been better if I focused on one, but actually doing more styles gives me much more satisfaction, lets you change every day and not get bored never. For the rest I do not think I would change anything, I’m happy, there are ups and downs, but this is normal for everyone, I do a job that I like and which allows me to travel where and when I want, my dream has always been to come to work and live in the United States and eventually I succeeded.
Pricing:
- For tattoos, small starts from a minimum of $100 for those who require more sessions the rate is $150 per hour.
Contact Info:
- Address: Salvation Tattoo Lounge
1612 Washington Ave.,
South Beach, Miami - Website: www.ettore-bechis.com
- Phone: 7863201625
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ettorebechis/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ettorebechismiami/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/bechistattoo?lang=en
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/ettore-bechis-tattoo-artist-miami-beach
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