TATTOOIST INTERVIEWWhenever I have free time, or if I make
time to do it, it’s a very peaceful activity
for me – listening to music and painting. I
listen to different kinds of music, mellow
or fast, depending on the time of day.
And if I have to get something done
quickly, I’ll put on something like The
Ramones, something really repetitive
where I can crank out a bunch of
designs. But yeah, it’s important to me.
Most Fridays my brother and I hang out
at the shop (he works at Spider Murphy's
too) and work on paintings and designs
together, and critique each other's art.
That kind of thing is getting rarer
nowadays...
Yeah and it’s a shame. I think
constructive criticism is a really important
part of growing. When I first started at
Spider Murphy's I’d have Theo critique
my tattoos and sometimes he’d be like,
'OK... are you ready for this?' [Laughs]
But that was exactly what I was hoping
for when I first showed up on his
doorstep with my portfolio.
Were his critiques tough?
Not tootough. I feel I've been lucky to have friends who
aren't afraid to tell you if your stuff sucks. You don’t need
to be praised all the time, especially if you don’t deserve
to be. And of course when you're learning people have to
say something to ensure you don’t make the same mistakes
again and again. Some people are afraid to hurt other
people’s feelings, and some people enjoy it. Neither of
those are helpful. The honest truth about your work is the
most helpful. Getting that balance of both – saying what’s
good about it and what could have been better – is the
important thing.