Quick-change body art makes a mark temporarily
Staff reporter
For the man or woman on your Christmas list who has everything, here's an idea.
A gift certificate for a tattoo! No, not the conventional kind that is painful, pricey, and permanent but one that is airbrushed on and wears off in a couple of weeks.
Local entrepreneur Gene Winkler got the idea to offer TATs, temporary airbrush tattoos, from watching artists during Marion's annual Chingawassa Days.
"It looked like fun to do and you know me, I'm always looking for something new to do," Winkler said with a smile.
He looked at a used airbrush unit at McPherson which spurred him on to do the business but with new equipment.
"TATs are a good way to 'test drive' tattoos before you get the real thing," he said.
The process is simple and painless.
The business is located at 426 E. Main, Marion, at the same location as Gene's Travel.
The customer selects a pattern from more than 300 examples. The stencil is placed on the surface to be tattooed. Winkler's kit has up to six different colors of ink that can be used.
Winkler then turns a dial near the nozzle of the sprayer for a particular color and pushes the lever. It's taken some practice to achieve just the right touch to make the tattoo.
In five minutes or less, a TAT is created. Baby or talcum powder is applied to keep "set" the artwork.
TATs cost from $5 to $12, depending on the number of colors of ink. It typically lasts 10 days to two weeks. Clothes can rub it off as can prolonged soaking in water.
If the person wants to remove the tattoo before it completely wears off, there is a tattoo remover they can use or baby oil also is effective, Winkler said.
"I'm teaching other people to do this," Winkler said. Eventually he may purchase additional kits and the trained personnel can take the kits to various events in the area.
Winkler also is willing to create a specific stencil for customers. He's in the process of creating a Pete the Rhino, the official mascot of Chingawassa Days. He also would like to make stencils for popular mascots.
The inks are FDA approved, are non-allergenic, and 100 percent organic.
After bathing or showering, individuals with TATs should pat the tattoo area with baby or talcum powder.
Does this mean Winkler may consider becoming a real tattoo artist?
"No, I'm not going into the permanent tattoo business," Winkler said with a chuckle. "This is something people can get kicks out of. It's just for fun."
