Journal
Practice & process notes
Occasional writing on my art practice, techniques, process, and the ideas behind the work.
4 articles on tattooing
October 19, 2023
Notes & Advice 12: Tapping Into The Creative Flow
Last week at an educational event for tattooers called the Paradise Tattoo Gathering, I spoke about the flow of creative energy, which is something that all creators and visual artists quite obviously need and depend on. I believe it's a universal force that we can tap into by opening up our awareness and observational skills through artistic training. The act of focusing our minds on practicing a task like life drawing or painting–a task that requires us to continually drop our preconceived notions of reality (ego) and observe with unbiased intensity and clarity–is what opens up the energetic channel within us that receives this universal force. Researchers have called this a "flow state." And for tattooers, drawing/painting/working in other mediums is an incredible way to not only strengthen that artistic flow state but make it easier to access whenever you need it. Excellent, creative, innovative artwork or tattoos don’t happen in a vacuum. This creative energy needs to be allowed into our life/mind by how we're living and being, and then filtered down into our painting or tattooing practice, or whatever artistic medium is at hand. For example, it's very difficult to declare, "I'm going to be creative and come up with a brilliant image or idea, right here and now!" and then just make that happen on command. What is far more realistic or more often the case is that we lose ourselves in the training, in the practice, in the task of learning and developing our skills free from heavy expectations, and in this free and loose state of action or doing, ideas start to occur to us. Iterations and variations on a theme or technique evolve naturally, bringing us to an eventual solution to a visual problem and gifting us the creative ideas or innovations. We get to claim credit for them, and rightfully so as the products of our hard work and dedication, but on a more esoteric level, it's the universal flow of energy (life!) doing us a favor behind the scenes with a wink and a nod. The process described here has been the driving force in my life, and the driving force behind my entire tattoo career. It's something I’ve taught in my “Holistic Approach” tattoo seminar for years, and something I remind myself of constantly in my painting practice as well as tattooing. If you're a tattooer or visual artist searching for your unique, authentic voice or battling the ole artist's block, try thinking about this concept and apply it wherever you can, I think you'll be pleased with the results!
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January 22, 2017
Blood Rituals in Skin Deep (UK)
I’ve had the good fortune of my recent exhibition of new paintings being featured in the latest issue of Britain’s most popular tattoo art magazine, on sale now. Many thanks to Skin Deep and Barbara Pavone for the interview opportunity. Hanging in the other half of Sacred Gallery alongside my paintings this past November and December were recent works by friend and fellow tattooer/painter Jon Clue–a series called Ritual Magic. Our interviews and artwork were combined into one great feature article that you can read and see in its entirety below. Click on each image to view it at full size. P.S. See my last several blog posts for more press and content related to the Blood Rituals series… P.P.S. Which is still in progress despite the exhibit in NYC being over! One new piece was added to the site here, with a few more expected to be completed in the coming months. Please contact me for pricing and purchase inquiries.
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September 30, 2014
Time: Tattoo Art Today
For the past few months I’ve had a painting hanging in a groundbreaking exhibit at Somerset House in London, showcasing the fine art of contemporary tattooers and commemorating the newfound crossover and intermingling of the previously disparate tattoo and art worlds. Having just returned from London where I viewed the exhibit, I can say that the museum and curators did an excellent job representing the tattoo world that I’m a part of alongside my fine art pursuits. The collection of works is impressive in scale and in its variety of mediums and styles, with a great quote by legendary American tattooer-turned-painter Don Ed Hardy on the wall as you walk in. If you want to own the entire exhibition in printed form, luckily a gorgeous catalogue was published, featuring quotes by every artist as well as essays by the curators and aforementioned Hardy. Unluckily, though, there is no way that I can find (as of writing this blog post) where you can buy the book online. You can however buy it in person, in the museum bookshop. My contribution to the exhibition, Heals All Wounds, 50 x 70 cm, oil on panel, 2014. Showing the evolution of a wound over time, with various features of the composition combining to form the shape of an hourglass. More information on the show can be found here, and you can read a more informative review of the exhibit on this blog. I haven’t been posting anything here lately in the midst of a bunch of life changes, but wanted to celebrate this amazing exhibition I had the honor of participating in, since it closes for good at the end of this week. Heals All Wounds (detail) Heals All Wounds (detail) Heals All Wounds (detail)
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April 16, 2014
April Magazine Exposure
By sheer coincidence I have paintings featured in 2 magazines this month, both from my ongoing Apostasy series. The painting Hand Of God II graces the inside back cover of anarchist journal Rolling Thunder #11 (with a beautiful 7-word interpretation offered by the editor), while a newer painting Sacrament (Vanitas) causes queasiness on the front cover of Tattoo Artist Magazine #37. Hand Of God II, oil on panel, 36 x 48 inches, 2013 “The operation succeeded, but the patient died.” To see some progress shots of the following painting, revisit my previous blog post about it. Sacrament (Vanitas), oil on panel, 17 x 22 inches, 2013 Sacrament (detail)
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