Local Artist Remains on Ink Master After Fourth Challenge

Local artist remains on Ink Master after fourth challenge

Posted by TBN_News On 07/15/2015

The remaining 15 artists geared up for the fourth challenge of the sixth season of ‘Ink Master’ as Tut for Tat aired July 14, 2015. The artists that avoided being in the bottom three were surprised to see Big Ceeze and Kito return safely. Nerves were instantly heightened once they saw firsthand that one bad day could ruin their chances after watching contestant, Miami Burgess, be sent home. This left his apprentice and good friend, Craig Foster, vengeful of the decision to send Miami home and he prepared to knock down the other competitors.

After arriving at the Brooklyn Museum, the judges revealed the week’s surprise guest judge, Avan Jogia, who is the hit star of Spike’s upcoming mini-series Tut. Avan proved to be a valuable asset to panel of judges since the focus of the challenge would be centered on Egyptian style artwork. The week’s flash challenge dared each artist to each adorn an Egyptian sarcophagus in just 4 hours. One change up to the challenge proved to be a blessing for some and a curse for others when it was revealed that the artists had to work in teams of three. The focus of the challenge was to see how well the artists could use of detail, and were limited to only using paint that reflected natural colors and gold leaves to decorate a sarcophagus fit for a king. Winners of the flash challenge would be given the power, as a team, to assign human canvases in the elimination tattoo.

Personalities and egos instantly collided, and as the competition progressed, the artists found agreeing with one another to be even harder than the last competition. St. Marq instantly rubbed his team the wrong way after having a little too cocky of an attitude, leaving his team members not very excited to work with him. With detail being the most important aspect of the week to the judges, Duffy, Erik Campbell, and St. Marq kept it clean and simple with just the right amount of detail. Their simple design was executed in the best way, and along with winning the challenge they were handed the fate of their competitors for the next round.

The elimination tattoo had plenty of contestants on edge, but they all were able to enjoy a special moment when they got a sneak peek look into Spike’s new epic miniseries Tut. The exclusive insight left them with plenty of imagination and inspiration for the upcoming round. The challenge was for three artists to go head-to-head and tattoo the same ancient Egyptian image on the same subject. Tensions rose when the set up would leave just one winner and two losers, pushing more contestants closer toward the possibility of being sent home. St. Marq took charge in assigning the human canvases and making himself an easy target, which Duffy and Erik were glad to let happen. Marisa LaRen was brought to tears and angered when her mentor, Erik, allowed her to be put up against the experienced Chris Blinston. However, Chris was still focused on his original strategy of knocking MV out of the competition.

It was a heated round, but those that came out on top were Big Ceeze, Erik, Tyler, Matt, and Chris. The judges asked to see MC, Marisa, and Kito, making it Kito’s third time being in the bottom three. The human canvas jury selected Marisa’s tattoo as the worst of the day, but she was luckily able to avoid elimination. After a heated discussion, the judges decided that it was time for MV to pack his bags and head home, leaving just 14 contestants in the competition. After the fourth week, 14 artists still remain:

• Chris Blinston (@ChrisBlinston) – Owner/artist at No Hard Feelings in Coral Springs, FL

• Erik Campbell (@erikcampbelltat) – Owner/artist at Black Pearl Tattoo in Grand Junction, CO

• Big Ceeze (@bigceeze) – Owner/artist at Mi Familia Tattoo in Anaheim, CA

• Dave Clarke (@daveclarkestach) -- Artist at Sacred-X-Pression in Fort Walton Beach, FL

• Duffy Fortner (@duffyfortner) – Artist at Red Octopus Tattoos in Prince Frederick, MD

• Craig Foster (@skinwerks) – Owner at Skinwerks Tattoo in Carrollton, GA

• Kito (@TattooKIto) -- Owner/artist at Fidolo Tattoo in Tulsa, OK

• Kruseman (@davekruseman) – Owner at Oldeline Tattoo in Hagerstown, MD

• Marisa LaRen (@marisalaren) – Artist at Vatican Tattoos in Ft. Lauderdale, FL

• St. Marq (@saintmarqtattoo) – Owner/artist at New Breed in West Lafayette, IN

• Katie McGowan (@TattoosbyKatie) – Artist at Black Cobra Tattoo in Sherwood, AR

• Earl Noble (@theearlnoble) – Artist at Black Amethyst Tattoo Gallery in Saint Petersburg, FL

• Tyler Nolan (@_tylernolan) – Artist at Vatican Tattoos in Ft. Lauderdale, FL

Page 1 • Matt O’Baugh (@mattobaugh) – Owner at Black Cobra Tattoos in Sherwood, AR

Coming up on next week’s episode: With just 14 contestants left in the competition, strategy becomes a means of survival during this season’s fifth challenge. Naked models are used to create mind-blowing illusions, leaving many of the artists feeling naked and afraid and one cutthroat artist gets a chance at vengeance. Challenges create panic and things take a turn for the worse when medical assistance becomes dire. Make sure to catch episode 605, Problem Parts, as it airs July 28, 2015.

Page 2