Who Did Your Ink?: JS Dupuis starts sleeve with tribute to wife, bar, and Pacific Northwest

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      Who Did Your Ink? is the Straight’s weekly feature, where we ask badass Vancouverites about the talented artists, indelible stories, and, at times, questionable antics behind their most treasured tattoos.

      What's your name?  JS Dupuis.

      What do you do?  I’m the beverage director at Boulevard Kitchen & Oyster Bar (845 Burrard Street).

      Who did your ink?  Tyler Charles from Sacred Heart Tattoos on 6th and Ontario. 

      Why did you choose that artist to do your tattoo?  I met Tyler while he was sitting at my bar. I went to see his work and I knew that he was the right artist for the job.

      Is there any meaning behind it?  I've been fascinated by tattoos since I was very young. I always wanted to get a sleeve and, a few years ago, I finally decided to pull the trigger.

      It is a big commitment, especially financially, and I wanted to find someone that could develop my "vision" as I am a terrible artist and I needed a lot of help.

      I studied botany in university and was always interested in nature, especially in the Pacific Northwest. I wanted something that represented the region and had a connection with my bartending career.

      I chose a hop vine to climb around my arm with a snake wrapped around it. My wife was born in the Year of the Snake, so it was my little tribute to her. The hop vine morphs into a fiddlehead and then into an orchid—all plants that are native to the Pacific Northwest. 

      What's next on your inklist?  The process is almost complete, but I have a few more flowers to add across my chest. 

      Have some ink you'd like to share? Contact Janet McDonald at ink@straight.com.

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