Fort St. John local secures second place at tattoo convention

FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. — A tattoo artist based in Fort St. John was placed second at a recent tattoo convention. 

Kenzie Williamson, a tattoo artist and the owner of Phase One Tattoo, placed second in the ‘traditional’ tattoo category at Swan City Tattoo Show in Grande Prairie in March. 

The Swan City Tattoo Show is a weekend-long convention that includes tattoos, live performances, arts, culture, competitions, food, beverages and a licensed bar. 

When asked what it means to be placed second, Williamson told Energeticcity.ca: “Honestly, it means a lot to me because I was nervous to even enter at all. 

“I didn’t really get a chance to react because my client was actually on the floor of the convention…so I was more worried about her at the time.” 

William explained that her client started to feel “little woozy” and close to passing out before the judging. 

“Which ultimately led to her sitting down on the floor and a paramedic helped make sure she was okay and she didn’t pass out,” she added. “This can be common with tattoos, it’s a vasovagal response. It’s a drop in heart rate or blood pressure that reduces oxygen to the brain.”

She called the experience of securing the runner-up spot “surreal.” 

The tattoo Williamson entered was a black and grey American traditional panther head with a dagger through its mouth. 

Williamson said her inspiration for the piece was her love of bold and dark imagery. 

“That’s really common in American traditional tattoos and what I am most drawn to. So I just wanted to do something that really inspired me and pushed me as an artist,” she added. 

She felt it was “really” cool to see so many artists in one place. 

Williamson said: “[It] felt very much like a community, which is really hard to find…so it just felt really nice to be a part of something.” 

This is the first time Williamson attended and competed at a tattoo convention. 

When asked what the judging criteria was, she said: “It was just based on overall design, technique, composition and application saturation.” 

She received a second-place trophy as a prize.