Undoubtedly, getting inked is a painful experience, which is why a lot of people shy away from the art.  Tattoo artists, however, have ways of making their clients feel more comfortable as they are getting tattooed, and for Miami Ink star Chris Nunez, it's injecting some humor into the experience.

“Trying to make them laugh, trying to keep it lighthearted, and then painkillers… painkillers help,” Nunez told davesdetours.com when asked how he makes his customers feel more at ease.  “I try to take their mind off it by chit-chatting with them once I get through the beginning… once we get to the color we just try to have fun and kick it.”

Chris Nunez is one of the five male tattoo artists on TLC's Miami Ink.  He co-owns the tattoo shop featured on the show with fellow tattoo artist, Ami James.  Other cast members include Yoji Harada, Chris Garver and Darren Brass.

Nunez, a native of Miami, received his first tattoo, his parents' names, when he was 16 years old.  Prior to entering the world of tattooing, Nunez was nursing a career in graffiti art.

In addition to tattooing, Nunez also takes time to enjoy more leisurely activities.

“I like going out… and having fun, that's a great hobby,” Nunez, who is known as the “ladies man” of the group, told davesdetours.com.

At present, Nunez is busy working on a clothing line called DeVille USA and running the Love/Hate Lounge, both of which he also co-owns with James.  The bar, which is located in South Beach, is open to all kinds of patrons, though Nunez pointed out that they “like people that dress right” but discourage “rowdy people” from visiting the bar.

“It's not a chic establishment where you have a French guy at the door, that's not going to let you in.  At the same time, it's not a place where you can come in and be a pig and be disrespectful... we are not going to tolerate that either,” he said.

Fans of Chris Nunez will be able to catch him on the small screen again when Miami Ink returns this fall.


-Lisa Claustro, BuddyTV Staff Columnist
Source: davesdetours.com, hype1.com
(Image Courtesy of TLC)