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Artist Aims To Break Guinness Non-Stop Tattooing Record

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- The Pittsburgh Tattoo Expo has brought aficionados who create and receive body art to the Sheraton Station Square. The Expo continues through Sunday.

If things go well, the series of designs etched on Jeff Garton's back will be finished the same day. Artist Robin H. M. and her human canvas hope to break the Guinness record of nearly 53 consecutive hours of non-stop tattooing. Garton admits it's not exactly painless.

"Oh yeah, it hurts. It's about accepting it, and wanting the tattoos. I'm definitely a collector, and I'm here to collect some new tattoos."

If they keep going, and there's no reason to think they won't, they'll surpass the old record at 10:20 Saturday night, and reach their goal of 60 consecutive hours at 5:20 Sunday morning. Jeff Garton's theme is to celebrate powerful women.

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"This is the image that they used for women equality, which they used in the marches," the artist says. "This was Jeff's idea, and I absolutely loved it, especially being a female in he tattoo industry, which is a male dominated industry."

Every hour they get a five minute break. Accuracy is confirmed by a video camera and independent witnesses. Jill Garton, the timekeeper, says her husband Jeff first approached the artist for a tattoo in 2011.

"It was a very large tattoo. And she said, I've always wanted to do a Guinness World Record. Would you want to sit for it for an entire tattoo? And he said, 'Absolutely. That would be amazing.'"

In 2011, they set a record which has since been broken. Now, they want it back.

For more information on the Tattoo Expo, click here. 

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