Alder Vandelft
Black Chapel Tattoo
2180 West Fairbanks Avenue
Winter Park, FL 32789.
(407)644-4467
Myspace. com/wickedvandelft
My name is Alder VanDelft and I work at a shop called Black Chapel Tattoo in Winter Park, FL. I started tattooing at the tender age of 19 and have been doing what I love for the last 15 years. I endured a pretty ROUGH apprenticeship under a guy named Frank Romano in Long Island, NY. My apprenticeship lasted about 8 mos. working 10 hour days 6 days a week with no pay. How I was able to earn any sorta income during that time was by doing crazy shit that entertained Frank. And by entertain I mean by having to go to Dunkin Donuts in my underware and order coffee for everyone at the shop, or by being dared to run naked down the major highway that ran in front of the shop for $100. It was like being mentally and physically tortured BIG BROTHER STYLE!!But thats how it was back then, you had to earn the priveldge to be taught how to tattoo. I did free tattoos for 6 mos. then 1/2 price tattoos for 6 mos, then finally I was part of the gang. I quickly pushed myself towards doing free-hand custom tattoos. That was a great and memorable time in my life, Frank was my teacher and a great one at that.
I love japanese, traditional and realism. When working with any of these styles I really enjoy putting a sureal twist on it. I live to keep my style diverse, and am always up for a challenge. I’m very open minded when it comes to peoples ideas, and strive to satisfy all my clients. When it comes to large custom pieces I do prefer to work by appointment, but I do work well under pressure when it comes to spontanious people like walk ins.
Tattooing has come a long way since the day I started in the business. I try not to think of the negative side of the world of tattooing. . . and there definetly is a negative side!Anybody who doesn’t put in the work, the scratchers, the ones who only see it as a job, or is just in it for the money is where the negativity comes in for me. Now if you’re not blessed with an amazing talent to blow people away, but you’re still devoted to the world of tattooing you usually come out as a professional. Whom I would consider a “commercial” tattoo artist, one who does mostly flash. Then theres the half-fast “commercial” tattoo artist who hasn’t mastered the craft to the best of their ability and are putting out scratchy work. If your hearts in or not it shows in your work, plain and simple. Your work speaks for itself!Then theres the amazing positive side to the world of tattooing. Like the rediculously talented heavy hitters whose work blows you away, constantly re-inventing and pushing the limits with original custom designs. Its fun to get tattooed and its a great experience, whether its a long term masterpiece or just a little somethin-somethin. Theres always a type of tattoo artist out there for the type of job, so do your homework and find whats right for you.
In my opinion the people that truly care about their work and have such great passion that you can see it in there eyes are the true tattoo artists. These are the ones who are devoted to the cause and the ones who I respect.