Tattooist Lea Vandetta, one of the original personalities on the hit Spike TV show Ink Masters, was in Scarborough last week.
Vandetta, who is the spokesperson for the clothing collection 2Kool2BTrue, made an appearance at Wild Ink tattoo studio in Scarborough. She came to Canada and teamed up with Wild Ink to launch the brand.
During her appearance, she signed autographs for enthusiastic fans and tattooed those who wanted to get inked by the tattoo master.
Vandetta has been a tattoo artist for 16 years. She said her aim as a tattoo enthusiast is to change people’s perception of tattoos.
“I always believed in tattooing – I thought it was a full art form,” Vandetta said. “It had a lot of bad stereotypes attached to it and it still does, but it’s changing little by little. My mission is to change it and show the world that tattoos aren’t necessarily bad or related to the bad stuff … it can be like a full art form.”
I cover my body with what I love and I like to show it to the world
—Lea Vandetta
Vandetta got her first tattoo when she turned 18 and has been addicted and intrigued by tattoos ever since. Eighty per cent of her body is covered by colorful and vividly vibrant tattoos that she says are beautiful art.
“I cover my body with what I love and I like to show it to the world,” Vandetta said. “I love the fact that I am like a full, breathing canvas. That was my mission since the beginning,”
Vandetta said being on the show Ink Masters, changed her life and made her popular not only in the tattoo community, but also internationally. She credited the show for her blooming career that has opened many doors for her. She is an award winning spokesmodel, a highly recognized tattooist and has released a 2013 calendar that contains pictures of herself. She is also working on creating a collection of street wear that will be designed with her own sketches.
For the next week, Vandetta will be visiting the various locations of Wild Ink Studios to launch the 2Kool2BTrue brand.
Updates on her various projects and tours can be found on her website, www.leaslounge.com