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Summit Spring Seminars 2027 | Two Days of Tattoo Education in Colorado
Two Days. Four Artists. A Different Kind of Tattoo Education.
February 22–23, 2027 | Colorado
The Summit Spring Seminars bring together four distinct voices in tattooing for two days of focused education, conversation, and practical learning.
This is intentionally smaller than a convention.
Instead of trying to absorb a demo while 400 people wander past carrying nachos and yelling across a ballroom, attendees get direct access to artists who have spent years developing recognizable bodies of work, building businesses, mentoring other artists, and refining how they approach the craft.
The 2027 faculty includes Jesse Smith, Missi Blue, Team Rocket, and Andy Pho.
Meet the Presenters
Jesse Smith
Jesse Smith has been tattooing since 1998 and is widely recognized as one of the early innovators of New School tattooing. His work is known for saturated color, exaggerated characters, imaginative creatures, and a highly identifiable illustrative style. Richmond Tattoo Convention
Based in Richmond, Virginia, Jesse is the owner of Loose Screw Tattoo and a co-organizer and host of the Richmond Tattoo & Arts Convention. He also holds a BFA from Virginia Commonwealth University and has built a career that extends into mural work, fine art, education, product development, and tattoo-industry entrepreneurship. Loose Screw Tattoo Store
He appeared on Ink Master Seasons 2 and 7, and his work has earned hundreds of awards for its use of color. He is also the creator of the Method Tattoo System and founder of the Giving Arts Foundation. Loose Screw Tattoo Store
Expect perspective on:
creative development, New School tattooing, color, building an identifiable visual language, long-term artistic growth, and turning an individual artistic point of view into a career.
Missi Blue
Missi Blue is the owner of Blue Bird Tattoo Studio and has been tattooing for approximately 20 years. She is known for bright, bold color work and pet portraiture, with a portfolio that also crosses into color realism, New School, and neo-traditional influences. Blue Bird Tattoo
Missi opened Blue Bird Tattoo in 2020 and has grown it into a working studio and team while continuing to develop her own tattoo practice. Her background is particularly valuable for artists interested in the intersection of technical skill, client experience, artistic identity, and running a sustainable studio. Blue Bird Tattoo
Her work is especially recognizable for its use of vivid color and personality-driven animal portraiture.
Expect perspective on:
color, portrait work, creating personality in tattoos, client collaboration, studio ownership, and building a career that leaves room for continued experimentation.
Team Rocket
Team Rocket brings a collaborative perspective to the seminar lineup, giving attendees a chance to look at tattooing through the lens of shared process, problem-solving, and creative execution.
I want to be careful here: I could not reliably verify a public professional bio for this specific Team Rocket from web sources alone. There are enough unrelated “Team Rocket” results online to turn SEO research into Pokémon archaeology rather quickly.
For the live PDP, I would use their confirmed bio, individual artist names, specialties, shop, and seminar topic once we have those directly from them rather than stuffing the page with internet nonsense wearing a trench coat.
Position them around:
collaboration, technical execution, artistic problem-solving, workflow, and how two perspectives can shape a stronger finished piece.
Andy Pho
Andy Pho is a tattoo artist, mentor, and founder of Upside Tattoo in Texas. His career has included significant time creating art in both New York and Las Vegas before establishing Upside as his own vision for a tattoo environment. UPSIDE TATTOO
His approach centers heavily on collaboration with the client and the ability to translate imagery into highly considered work across paper, canvas, and skin. His public biography emphasizes intentional placement, detail, and creating a one-of-a-kind experience rather than treating tattooing as a purely technical transaction. UPSIDE TATTOO
Pho has also worked in mentorship and personal-development spaces, with a focus on helping artists grow beyond technical ability alone. A 2024 mentor bio described him as a tattoo artist of 13 years, mentor, and life coach. Amazon Web Services, Inc.
Expect perspective on:
realism, composition, collaboration, intentional design, client experience, artistic development, and building a more thoughtful tattoo practice.
What Your Seminar Pass Includes
Two full days of tattoo education
Four featured presenters
Hands-on and discussion-based learning
Direct access to experienced working artists
Small-format sessions with more opportunity for questions
Community with tattoo professionals from around the country
Entry to the Summit Spring education program
Built for Working Tattoo Artists
These seminars are designed for artists who already understand that getting better is not about discovering one secret needle configuration handed down from the mountain.
It is about seeing how accomplished artists think.
How they solve problems.
How they approach a piece before the machine ever touches skin.
How they develop a recognizable style.
How they work with clients.
How they build careers that can survive beyond this month's bookings.
That is what Summit Spring is built around.
Seminar Details
Dates: February 22–23, 2027
Location: Colorado
Presenters: Jesse Smith, Missi Blue, Team Rocket, Andy Pho
Capacity: Limited to 40 attendees
Price: $1,200
This ticket includes the seminar program only.
The optional Summit Spring Mountain Experience, February 24–25, is sold separately and is limited to 20 participants.
Two Days. Four Artists. A Different Kind of Tattoo Education.
February 22–23, 2027 | Colorado
The Summit Spring Seminars bring together four distinct voices in tattooing for two days of focused education, conversation, and practical learning.
This is intentionally smaller than a convention.
Instead of trying to absorb a demo while 400 people wander past carrying nachos and yelling across a ballroom, attendees get direct access to artists who have spent years developing recognizable bodies of work, building businesses, mentoring other artists, and refining how they approach the craft.
The 2027 faculty includes Jesse Smith, Missi Blue, Team Rocket, and Andy Pho.
Meet the Presenters
Jesse Smith
Jesse Smith has been tattooing since 1998 and is widely recognized as one of the early innovators of New School tattooing. His work is known for saturated color, exaggerated characters, imaginative creatures, and a highly identifiable illustrative style. Richmond Tattoo Convention
Based in Richmond, Virginia, Jesse is the owner of Loose Screw Tattoo and a co-organizer and host of the Richmond Tattoo & Arts Convention. He also holds a BFA from Virginia Commonwealth University and has built a career that extends into mural work, fine art, education, product development, and tattoo-industry entrepreneurship. Loose Screw Tattoo Store
He appeared on Ink Master Seasons 2 and 7, and his work has earned hundreds of awards for its use of color. He is also the creator of the Method Tattoo System and founder of the Giving Arts Foundation. Loose Screw Tattoo Store
Expect perspective on:
creative development, New School tattooing, color, building an identifiable visual language, long-term artistic growth, and turning an individual artistic point of view into a career.
Missi Blue
Missi Blue is the owner of Blue Bird Tattoo Studio and has been tattooing for approximately 20 years. She is known for bright, bold color work and pet portraiture, with a portfolio that also crosses into color realism, New School, and neo-traditional influences. Blue Bird Tattoo
Missi opened Blue Bird Tattoo in 2020 and has grown it into a working studio and team while continuing to develop her own tattoo practice. Her background is particularly valuable for artists interested in the intersection of technical skill, client experience, artistic identity, and running a sustainable studio. Blue Bird Tattoo
Her work is especially recognizable for its use of vivid color and personality-driven animal portraiture.
Expect perspective on:
color, portrait work, creating personality in tattoos, client collaboration, studio ownership, and building a career that leaves room for continued experimentation.
Team Rocket
Team Rocket brings a collaborative perspective to the seminar lineup, giving attendees a chance to look at tattooing through the lens of shared process, problem-solving, and creative execution.
I want to be careful here: I could not reliably verify a public professional bio for this specific Team Rocket from web sources alone. There are enough unrelated “Team Rocket” results online to turn SEO research into Pokémon archaeology rather quickly.
For the live PDP, I would use their confirmed bio, individual artist names, specialties, shop, and seminar topic once we have those directly from them rather than stuffing the page with internet nonsense wearing a trench coat.
Position them around:
collaboration, technical execution, artistic problem-solving, workflow, and how two perspectives can shape a stronger finished piece.
Andy Pho
Andy Pho is a tattoo artist, mentor, and founder of Upside Tattoo in Texas. His career has included significant time creating art in both New York and Las Vegas before establishing Upside as his own vision for a tattoo environment. UPSIDE TATTOO
His approach centers heavily on collaboration with the client and the ability to translate imagery into highly considered work across paper, canvas, and skin. His public biography emphasizes intentional placement, detail, and creating a one-of-a-kind experience rather than treating tattooing as a purely technical transaction. UPSIDE TATTOO
Pho has also worked in mentorship and personal-development spaces, with a focus on helping artists grow beyond technical ability alone. A 2024 mentor bio described him as a tattoo artist of 13 years, mentor, and life coach. Amazon Web Services, Inc.
Expect perspective on:
realism, composition, collaboration, intentional design, client experience, artistic development, and building a more thoughtful tattoo practice.
What Your Seminar Pass Includes
Two full days of tattoo education
Four featured presenters
Hands-on and discussion-based learning
Direct access to experienced working artists
Small-format sessions with more opportunity for questions
Community with tattoo professionals from around the country
Entry to the Summit Spring education program
Built for Working Tattoo Artists
These seminars are designed for artists who already understand that getting better is not about discovering one secret needle configuration handed down from the mountain.
It is about seeing how accomplished artists think.
How they solve problems.
How they approach a piece before the machine ever touches skin.
How they develop a recognizable style.
How they work with clients.
How they build careers that can survive beyond this month's bookings.
That is what Summit Spring is built around.
Seminar Details
Dates: February 22–23, 2027
Location: Colorado
Presenters: Jesse Smith, Missi Blue, Team Rocket, Andy Pho
Capacity: Limited to 40 attendees
Price: $1,200
This ticket includes the seminar program only.
The optional Summit Spring Mountain Experience, February 24–25, is sold separately and is limited to 20 participants.