SHOP TALK

Name: Nate Banuelos 

City: San Diego,CA

Tattoo Shop: Cast and Brand

Let us introduce you to our February SideHustle Artist! 

Nate Banuelos, a tattooer for the past 2 years at Left Hand Black in San Diego, CA… BUT, If you want to find him today, you can check him out at Cast and Brand in San Diego. Nate is not new to the tattoo game, in fact he’s been around for a long time developing a solid reputation in the industry especially when it comes to Biomechanical pieces. 

When it comes to artistic outlets and SideHustles Nate says:  

“I have too many side hustles to name, haha. It’s always been hard for me to stay focused on only one medium of art, I want to do it all. Murals, canvas/panel paintings, pinstriping, and I’m currently teaching myself to metal leaf. I’d love to get into metal art also. That sounds fun.”

Nate shared with us that he believes tattooing gave his art a voice and that he realized that people may love the art done in tattoos, but not necessarily owning it on their body. Some people may want to have the art, but more in the traditional format to hang in their home or business for all to admire and enjoy. Nate continues to share below:

“Side hustle was just a natural progression. There was no conscious thought of needing it, I believe as a tattooer if you aren’t tattooing you should be painting, making flash, studying, anything to keep your skills sharp and stay productive. Also keeps you out of trouble, and eventually someone sees it and wants to buy it. Boom, side hustle is born.”

So how does one find the time to do it all? Nate is no different than the rest of us, he has to get it in where he can fit it in, and that can be any time of day. My favorite quote from Nate about finding time to do art is…. “If you Love it, You’ll find time.” 

Aint that the truth! Read more below about Nate, and some SOLID advice for others with many artistic drives and passions. 

You think it’s important for tattooers to have other creative outlets?

Absolutely!!! For some of the reasons I mentioned above. Keep the skills sharp, stay productive and creative, stay out of trouble ( an issue for many artists). Just about any skill or process can be related to tattooing and drawing. Surfboard building taught me that each step leads to the next, so if your starting outline isn’t perfect every step after that will be spent chasing that imperfection. Doesn’t matter what you’re doing, the skills can be applied to your trade of choice.

Do you have a creative outlet that you’d rather not turn into a hustle? Something just for YOU that helps you escape or relax?

Not really, No one is going to ever pay me to surf so that’s out.

Do you have a bigger picture or a vision of where your side hustle could take you?

Hard to say. It would be nice to be able to sell paintings enough to be able to slow down tattooing a bit or at least feel like I don’t HAVE to do it. I can also see myself as an old guy at car shows pinstriping hot rods and customs in my “retirement”. Still tattooing has taken me more places than any of those. Art is a hard world to make it in.

Any Advice for Tattooers that are interested in building up a new SIDE HUSTLE?

Do what you love! Don’t do it because of the money. That will come if your own house is in order.

Shoutouts?

Way too many to name. But first my Pops for instilling a good work ethic, and Mom for supporting me wanting to tattoo even though it probably scared the crap out of her. In the early 90’s it was all about Marcus Pacheco, Aaron Cain, Timothy Hoyer, Guy Aitchison, Filip Leu and many more as far as inspiring me in the direction/s I wanted to go.  Adrain Lee, Paco Excel, Ron Earhart, Matt Shamah and the New Skool Kollectiv years for forming and influencing the artist and tattooer I am today. All the artists that I get to work with today that keep inspiring me, like the crew at Left Hand Black. I’ve never been drawn to just one style or genre. There have been so many tattooers, painters and craftsmen/women I have looked up to and was influenced by over the years, they have no idea how important their mark on my world was.

Inspirational or funny Quotes?

I got no quotes or anything but I have found that it's best to keep life clean and do my best to be humble and drama free so I can focus on my craft and growth and not be tied up dealing with bullshit! I’m more available for my clients and those around me. 

Instagram: @natebanuelos

VAN NAVA

Happy New Year everyone! 🍾 Did everyone enjoy their holiday season? Did you do anything crazy for the New Year?! I know the end of the year can be super busy for most of us but let’s all take a minute to enjoy the start of the new year and learn about this month’s spotlight artist. 

We would like to introduce one of Maverick’s newest Family artists, Van Nava. Van hales from Denver Colorado and has been professionally tattooing for 7 years now. Back in 2021 he opened up a private tattoo studio in downtown Denver with a good friend and fellow tattooer Tier Nguyen @Skvllhound. Van spends pretty much all of his time tattooing and when he finds some free time he likes to repair and refurbish Thermofax machines! “I’d say my art is heavily influenced by my background of oil painting mixed with my love of bold and saturated tattoos that are made to last.” Van has some amazing work and great responses in his interview.

Instagram: vanxtattoos

Tiktok: vanxtattoos

WHAT DO YOU LOVE ABOUT MAVERICK?

I love Maverick’s high quality products and their personal touches on each order. I’m also happy to support Maverick as a company that gives back to the Tattoo community and charitable organizations that support the arts. 

MAVERICK'S GOAL IS TO HELP OTHERS WHERE WE CAN. AS PART OF OUR 'GIVE BACK' PROGRAM, $1 FOR EVERY CARTRIDGE BOX SOLD GOES TOWARDS THIS PROGRAM WITH A CAP OF 1K MONTHLY. WE TRY TO TARGET FOOD, ART, AND MUSIC (FAM) BASED NONPROFITS OR THINGS RELATED TO THE TATTOO COMMUNITY AND ARTISTS (LIKE SPECIFIC GOFUNDME PAGES FOR ARTISTS). IS THERE A SPECIFIC ORGANIZATION THAT YOU ARE INTERESTED IN? FOR YOUR SPOTLIGHT MONTH WE ARE GOING TO DONATE MONEY FOR AN ORGANIZATION OF YOUR CHOICE. PLEASE PROVIDE THE WEBSITE TO MAKE SURE WE GET THE CORRECT ORGANIZATION. WHAT MAKES YOU PASSIONATE ABOUT THIS ORGANIZATION?

Artfromashes.org is an organization that is designed to help at-risk youth with self expression through art to help promote constructive development. I can definitely relate to the issues these kids are facing as I too had many of the same issues when I was young.

WHAT ARE YOUR FAVORITE GROUPINGS TO USE FOR YOUR TATTOOS?

I often use 7RL, 3RL, 9RS and 15CMBP for all my tattoos. 

THE PENGUIN IS THE MAVERICK FOUNDER'S SPIRIT ANIMAL. WHAT'S YOUR SPIRIT ANIMAL?

My favorite movie was The Lion king as a toddler, so much so that my first words were “Squish Banana” 😹. My favorite animals from the movie were the hyenas which spawned my life long fascination with them. Petting a hyena is on my bucket list for sure! 

CAN YOU DESCRIBE YOUR FIRST TATTOO EXPERIENCE ? HOW OLD WERE YOU? WHAT WAS IT OF AND WHO WAS THE ARTIST ?

Believe it or not I got my first “Real Tattoo” when I was 14. It was a solid black star on my neck by a Tattooer who was an apprentice at the time. After this tattoo I became obsessed with the idea of tattooing. I will forever be grateful to him as he unknowingly introduced me to my life long passion.  

TOP 3 ARTISTS YOU ADMIRE. CAN YOU GIVE US A BRIEF DESCRIPTION?

Aniela Dahlgren - I have been awe struck by her tattoos since the first time I saw them, all her work is bold and yet still painterly and soft. 

Justin Hartman - His work is beautifully composed, technical and calculated. He has been a huge inspiration of mine in tattooing. 

Bobby Johnson - Bobby’s tattoos are second to none in my opinion. All his projects have beautiful color schemes flow and amazing attention to detail. 

WHAT ARE SOME FUNNY TATTOO MOMENTS YOU HAVE?

There’s too many moments to list. One of my favorite things about this career is the ability to share stories and jokes with my clients and coworkers.Tattoo shop antics are very unpredictable.

IF YOU WERE TO CHOOSE A BAND TO BEST DESCRIBE YOUR ARTWORK, WHICH BAND WOULD YOU CHOOSE AND WHY?

That’s a hard question. I guess I would just say any aggressive music because that’s what I want to listen to while I tattoo. 

IF YOU WERE TO WIN BEST TATTOOER IN THE WORLD WHO WOULD YOU THANK AND WHY?

I think if that ever happened I would finally be able to give myself a pat on the back. 

SECRET HIDDEN TALENT? WHAT IS IT?

I can forget people's names almost instantly after meeting them 😅

WHAT IS YOUR KRYPTONITE?

The sun! I’m very pale.

ANY PERSON THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO TRADE PLACES WITH FOR THE DAY?

Gordon Ramsey! I'd get to eat the best foods when I want , be brutally honest and yell in a British accent. 

WHAT BOOK OR MOVIE WOULD YOU SAY EVERYONE SHOULD READ OR WATCH? WHY WOULD YOU RECOMMEND THAT SPECIFIC ONE?

I think everyone should watch the movie Snatch just because it’s one of my favorites and the first movie to come to mind. 

WHICH STATE ARE YOU LOCATED? WHAT DO YOU LIKE MOST ABOUT WHERE YOU LIVE AND WHY?

I currently live in the Denver metro area in Colorado, I prefer Colorado because I feel as though people here are creatively open and are overall very friendly compared to other places I’ve lived. 

WHAT IS SOMETHING WEIRD YOU DO BEFORE BEDTIME?

Ok this is pretty specific and weird but here we go … often right before I fall asleep I always picture how to position my feet on a skateboard to accomplish a predetermined trick. then I play out in my head what movements I would need to do in order to successfully land that trick. I don’t know why but I find this very calming. Although I have woken myself and my girlfriend up by kicking to try and do these tricks as I’m falling asleep. 

WHAT WOULD YOU SAY IS THE BEST WAY TO DEAL WITH STRESS?

I’m the wrong person to ask about that, but I feel most at ease when I’m tattooing. For me all the stress of day to day life goes away when I’m tattooing and talking with my clients. 

DO YOU HAVE A MOMENT THAT CHANGED YOUR LIFE? DO YOU MIND SHARING?

Unfortunately I had some pretty traumatic experiences early in my childhood that drastically changed my outlook on life. Because of these events I was forced to mature quickly. Despite it all stemming from negative experiences I feel as though it motivates me to make positive decisions.

WHO IS THE MOST UNIQUE TATTOOER YOU HAVE EVER MET?

Probably Bobby Johnson, he is one of my favorite people and endlessly entertaining. 

WITH HAVING TO PROMOTE YOURSELF ON SOCIAL MEDIA, HOW DO YOU MAINTAIN A POSITIVE MINDSET?

Social media to me has just become so routine that it doesn’t really affect me negatively. Despite staying busy I always look forward to promoting new projects on social media because any chance to get the projects I work so hard on seen by new people is exciting to me. I also enjoy looking back at older posts on social media to see my progression. I tend to be my worst critic so looking back at my old work at least gives me a sense of accomplishment from where I was to where I am.

KATIE NOWICKI

Happy New Year Maverick family! 🥂 Hope you all had a safe holiday and enjoying the first days of 2023. Nothing like breathing in a fresh new year! To start this year off right let us introduce you to our January SideHustle, Katie Nowicki!

BTW… Have you guys been loving these side hustles as much as me?! Let us know in the comments on our blog! We would love to hear👂🏼from you. 

Katie tattoos at Ironhorse Tattoo Collective in Worcester, Massachusetts and is a natural talent in all art forms. Her main side hustle is stained glass work and from her portfolio, SHE. IS. GIFTED. 

This month we are raffling off this gorgeous stained glass half Hannya Mask created by Katie herself. I may be a tad bit biased, but it is SO ATTRACTIVE 😍 especially in person! 

Start the new year off with some luck and make sure to purchase a raffle ticket for the chance to score BIG time- Be sure to check out other work done by Katie linked below and keep reading to learn more about how Katie got into staining glass. 

Size: 10x5.5 inches

Where do you tattoo? Ironhorse Tattoo Collective in Worcester, Massachusetts

What’s your SIDE HUSTLE? Stained glass, but not the kind your granny makes.

How’d you get into your side hustle? I needed a new way to express myself. I love tattooing and drawing/painting, but I wanted a new creative outlet that didn’t involve much of what I do everyday and I still could create designs and make them into something beautiful.

How do you find time to work on your side hustle after tattooing/drawing/running Social media and all the other tasks we have as tattooers? Some weeks are harder than others, depending on the workload  or if there is a convention coming up. But I tend to find time in the early mornings. On days off, if nothing else is going on, I could sit in my studio all day just cutting, breaking and grinding. 

You think it’s important for tattooers to have other creative outlets? Absolutely! As tattooers, we are constantly creating, but it's not always for ourselves. It's also a job—a cool job, but it is a job. Having another way to create has helped me through those burnout stages we ebb and flow through. I find myself creating better tattoos, simply because I've oiled my creative gears to think differently. 

Do you have a creative outlet that you’d rather not turn into a hustle? Something just for YOU that helps you escape or relax? I don’t know if this would be considered one, but every Christmas I make cookies and tend to get way too involved in painting them. I've made cookie portraits of everyone from O.D.B to Dolly Parton and have been told I should sell them. But, honestly I just enjoy laughing at and eating them. 

Do you have a bigger picture or a vision of where your side hustle could take you? My end goal, since I started cutting glass, has been window installations. I grew up in a Catholic church, which was the most gorgeous in my small town. It was almost like a mini Sistine Chapel. So not only was I surrounded by the beautiful  paintings all over the ceiling, I had massive windows with so many stories to be told around me. I would stare at them during sermons and get lost. So I dream of a 10’x8’ window installations often.

Any Advice for Tattooers that are interested in building up a new SIDE HUSTLE? Just do it! We are all more than tattooers, we are artists. Create, Rinse, Repeat.

Shoutouts? First and foremost my girl Angela Wood @sweetandoffbeat for nominating me.  My creative best friend who always pushes me and supports me more than anyone, Meghan Dube @abby.rose.ceramics

And there are a thousand more people I could thank, but I'll save the 5 min speech for my Emmy. 

Inspirational or funny Quotes?

Don’t sweat the petty things and don’t pet the sweaty things George Carlin

Random knowledge drops/closing statements?

Getting out of your comfort zone and trying something new can be scary. But it's in these moments of vulnerability that we find ourselves, our true selves. Don’t be scared of the unknown, embrace that shit. None of us would be here if we didn’t take a fucking leap. Much love and keep on chooglin'!

HOW DO WE FIND YOUR SIDE HUSTLE?

WEBSITE? katienowicki.com/bigsassglass

INSTAGRAM? @bigsassglass (glass account) @katienowicki (tattoo account)

WEBSITE: https://www.katienowicki.com 

STAINED GLASS WORK: BIGSASSGLASS

INSTAGRAM(TATTOO): KATIENOWICKI

INSTAGRAM(GLASS): BIGSASSGLASS