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By Dawn Burleigh

After weeks of not knowing when the shop would reopen due to the shutdown from the pandemic, Randy ‘Flipper’ Dolittle is back and better than ever.

Flipper participated in the 5^th annual Ink Masters Texas Tattoo Expo in Beaumont on Saturday and won 14 awards. Two more awards than the previous year.

“It was nice walking around and watching people work,” Flipper said.

Flipper is owner of Flipper’s Skin Flix a professional tattoo and body piercing studio located at 1060 Texas Ave. in Bridge City.

Flipper has been an artist most of his life and studied commercial art with the hopes of designing album covers. With the introduction of software programs such as Photoshop, finding an opening was more than difficult.

He turned to construction for a way to make a living when friends started asking him for tattoos.

With a switch of mediums from paper and ink to skin and ink, he become a tattoo artist known for his clean, sterile shop.

At the Tattoo Expo, Flipper was awarded:

Best of Day Sunday

First Place – Medium Color

First Place – Color Portrait

First Place – Chest/Back

First Place – Coverup

First Place – Small Color

Second Place – Large Black and Gray

Second Place – Large Color

Second Place – Coverup

Second Place – Medium Color

Third Place – Coverup

Third Place – Medium Black and Gray

Third Place – Black and Gray Portrait

Third Place – Chest/Back

The Best of Day Sunday tattoo was a newspaper article tattoo.

“It was a smaller show but with a lot of great artists,” Flipper said. It was the first competition since tattoo shops were allowed to reopen. The shops officially reopened May 20, 2020 while following the new regulations due to COVID-19.

New restrictions include answering questions concerning possible exposure to COVID-19, sanitizing your hands upon entry, wearing a mask while in the building and having your temperature taken. Artists also have new guidelines to follow.

“The health board was there, walking the floor daily during the event,” Flipper said.

The ballroom was only permitted a maximum number of people on the floor at a time, and the artists were more spaced out than at pervious events.

To see work done at Flipper’s Skin Flix, on Instagrams for artists:

Markavius @sinndskin
Flipper @tattooflipper
Alissa @alissatattoos

Flipper’s Skin Flix piercer Miss O at missouch@hotmail.com