Jeffrey Bowser

@jckbtattoos

• 📍 Heritage Tattoo Las Vegas, Nevada (@heritagetattoolv)
• Eyes: 😍
• Hair: Fresh 💇🏻‍♂️

This month we are giving a spotlight to an amazing artist located here in Las Vegas! Jeffrey's been a huge supporter of our local events, even donating a hand-painted record to our Vino & Vinyl event hosted by our partner shop, Studio 21 Tattoo (check out how rad his record was ⬇️!).

On top of his participation in our local events, you might recognize him as one of our guests on the Support Your Local Tattooer Podcast from February! If you haven't already, check it out—it's such a great episode!! WATCH NOW

Above everything, Jeffrey is an AMAZING tattoo artist. If you don't believe us—just see for yourself! 👀👇 Make sure to keep reading to learn about the moment that solidified his desire to become a tattoo artist and the challenges he was able to overcome when getting into the industry.

What made you realize you wanted to become a tattoo artist? 

It's a funny story! When I was in 6th grade, I started getting into metal & my favorite band was Avenged Sevenfold! I idolized these guys & I wanted to look just like them when I was younger, but I would always hear things like 'no one will hire you with that many tattoos'. So I would think to myself 'well, it wouldn't matter if I became a musician like my guys in A7x!'

So... I picked up a guitar.... but I was extremely bad & I also realized I had NO desire to learn guitar the same way I had with drawing! 

So I thought, well, if I can do music, what if I became the guys DOING the tattoos! And I really manifested that! Some years pass & I ended up getting my first tattoo at 16 in a tattoo shop, and that's when it really solidified that dream. 

What is one challenge you have had to overcome within the tattoo industry?

One challenge I've overcome within the industry was definitely my apprenticeship! My apprentice taught me so much and opened up my eyes to so many possibilities!

When I got my shot at it all, one of the agreements I had with my mentor was that I had to be at the shop every day 12pm-8pm, but at this time I've been working full-time, graveyard shift at Nobu Hotel when I agreed to being at the shop everyday! Doing this, no doubt, changed my brain chemistry lol. 

I was able to do that for 3 months before I couldn't anymore, and that's when I had to make the decision to give up, or continue with what i've set out for myself!

I ended up leaving my job to pursue my apprenticeship head-on which in turn taught me to believe in myself, be purposeful, and never give up!

The impact that all had on me helped mold the person I am today and I am proud to have gone through a traditional apprenticeship! Tattooing is mystical and I absolutely LOVE IT. 

GIAN KARLE

• IG: @giankarle
• Location: New Hampshire 
• Eyes: 🔥
• Hair: Probably better than yours 😉

Heartbreaker alert! ❤️‍🔥 This February we are spotlighting our Maverick Family Artist, Gian Karle. He has been part of the Maverick Family since the beginning! Gian is a truly talented Neo Traditional tattoo artist originally from Puerto Rico. You might recognize him from the TV show Ink Master, where he represented Puerto Rico and achieved an IMPRESSIVE 2nd place finish—twice! With years of experience under his belt, Gian now travels the US in an RV with his wife, bringing his unique style to studios across the country. He's passionate about using art to heal and inspire, and believes in giving back to the community. When he's not creating stunning tattoos, you can find him painting Warhammer miniatures or hanging out with his wife and puppy. Check out his amazing work!! 

In case you missed it- check out our sticker collaboration that we did with Gian. Pick one up NOW on the shop for ONLY $3! 

SHOP GIAN'S STICKER

Make sure to keep up with Gian on his socials! ⬇️

👉🏼 IG : @giankarle

👉🏼 Website : giankarletattoo.com

Josh Sutcliffe 

Ah, February... the month of LOVE 💗! What a better way to kick off the month of February than to show some love to one of our local artists. Josh tattoos at Studio 21 Tattoo here in Las Vegas and has been tattooing for quite some time now!

Fun Fact about Josh, he did his tattoo apprenticeship while being on a National TV show called "Inked". It was also the first tattoo shop in Las Vegas to get permitted to be housed inside a Casino, which helped pave the way for other tattoo shops to be opened on the West Side of the Las Vegas Strip (Thanks Carey Hart and Partners!).  

If you ever meet Josh, grab a drink, sit down and visit, he's got some pretty fun stories! He is truly a kind and magnetic human being. 

 Tell us about yourself? Where can we find you/ Social media @'s?

I am a Las Vegas native that loves to surf. I grew up near the beach in the summers and fell in love with the ocean. That's where I feel most natural but still love the desert and mountains. Obviously a huge outdoors person and am passionate about exercising and cooking. I spend most of my time drawing, painting and tattooing. Two of the most important things to me is to travel and listen to music. That is my medicine. I am a lover of life and am always in awe of how we exist on a ball floating through space.

What do you love about Maverick? 

I love that maverick is tattooer owned and operated. I think the eco-friendly route that has been taken with all of the supplies is great too!

What are your favorite groupings /or Maverick supplies you use while tattooing?

So far the 35 curved mag has been delightful. (These are some samples Josh tried that we have coming soon 😉). But pretty much everything I have used needle-wise has been great! Also the sticker labels, razors, bottle bag covers are pretty cool to use.

The penguin is the Maverick founder's spirit animal. What's your spirit animal and why?

My spirit animal is a bird. no specific type. I've always been in love with the idea that birds get to fly around above everything else and it just seems so peaceful, especially by the beach.

Can you describe your first tattoo experience? How old were you? What was it of? Who was the artist? 

My first tattoo experience consisted of my mom taking me to some guys house in Mesa, Arizona. I was probably 16-17 years of age and I wanted to get the Pennywise PW logo on my calf. This was a birthday present, we got there and the guy said he didn't do band logos and that I was going to regret it as I got older. So I picked something out of his book of flash. It was a 3d tribal design. Not sure who the artist was but I still want my pennywise logo haha

Top 3 artists you admire? Can you give us a brief description?

-Steve Moore out of Canada- full color full body suits with a very unique approach to the way he draws his artwork.

-Jeff Gogue out of Oregon. Lots of fun Japanese style designs. Mostly large scale.

-Aaron Della Vedova out of San Diego. Also large scale color pieces. his artwork is hard to explain.

What are some funny tattoo moments you have?

I have ton but a few are me tattooing a guy and then he throws up and shits his pants at the same time. I didn't realize my nose was running one tattoo and it dripped on this clients arm. The client had a quick freak out reaction but didn't say anything and pretended it didn't happen. It was super hard not to laugh out loud.

If you were to choose a band to describe your artwork, which band would you choose and why? 

The Red Hot Chili Peppers because they started off not really being that good when they were younger but weres so passionate about their craft that they kept doing cause it made them feel good and made other people feel good.  As they kept at it, their music got better and better and that's how I feel about my art.

If you were to win 'best tattooer in the world' who would you thank and why? 

I would start off by thanking Carey and my cousin Jason who went to high school with Carey and was the first manager at HnH. That's how I got the job there, and from there I would thank Ben Corn for getting me started in an apprenticeship for tattooing that led to being taken over by Thomas Pendleton and then finished off with Twig. Also Clark North was a huge help and influence on me. Those were the primary people and mentors that I would say thank you too that I wouldn't be tattooing today if it weren't for them. Also my family and friends for supporting me for the last 20 years of my career.

Secret hidden talent? What is it?

Being able to do math in my head on percentage conversions in groups of 10 very easily.

What is your kryptonite? 

Lately it has been sweets. Especially with the holidays just passing. But on an overall scale of life, probably women.

Any person or animal that you would like to change places with for the day? 

I would love to trade places with a bird for a day. I know they have their problems too like predators and such but the idea of flying around birds eye view sounds amazing.

What book or movie would you say everyone should read or watch? Why would you choose that specific one? 

I would say everyone should read a new earth and/or a power of now. These books really teach you how to kill your ego and to live in the moment. Very eye opening. Also the four agreements,  not taking anything personally and not making assumptions. Just two of the four but those two are the most powerful in my opinion.

What state are you located in? What do you love most about where you live and why? 

In Las Vegas, NV. I love living here because we are central to the beach and mountains. Everything is just a few hours away. We are spoiled with the convenience that we can get whatever we went whenever we want as the city is always open. We get a bunch of great music coming through and now we have sports. But also cause my family lives here.

What is something weird you do before bedtime? 

Scroll on my phone. Although normal now a days, it's something I don't like and is weird to me that its a thing we do.

What would you say is the best way to deal with stress that the busy tattoo life can bring on?

The best way to deal with tattoo stress and any stress is doing hot yoga and yin classes. These make you really focus on your breath work which relaxes you which then carries over into tattooing. Deep long slowly breathing will heal anything and anyone in any situation.

Do you have a moment that changed your life? Do you mind sharing? 

A moment that changed my life was getting a job at Hart & Huntington tattoo co. It's Carey Harts' shop that opened in 2004 in the Palms Hotel. We had a T.V. show on A&E that blew up and was a big deal at the time. I was apprenticing at the time and long story short, it was the start of my career and got me to where I'm at today.

Who is the most unique client you've ever met? 

I honestly couldn't pick one client! I have met so many different awesome and unique people that not specifically one person can out more than another.

Does the constant pressure and challenge of having to promote yourself on social media exhaust you or is it second nature? 

It's right in the middle for me. I like filming and editing, I enjoy being on camera but it's a lot of work and I actually go out of my way to balance it so I don't get burnt out on it.

Do YOU have anything in common with Josh? Let us know 💭

& Don't forget to keep up with Josh ⬇️

IG: @fitz_tattoo

FB: @ Joshua Sutcliffe

NICHOLAS PEIRCE

·What do you love about Maverick?

I love everything about Maverick, especially the marketing behind everything they do. Genius.

·What are your favorite groupings /or Maverick supplies you use while tattooing?

I have never used a better 3rl in my life than Mavericks. Hands down the liners are my favorite, but I also use the wash bottles, wash bottle bags, pen machine covers, razors, rinse cups, ink caps, and liquid solidifier. Basically everything Maverick sells, I buy.

·The penguin is the Maverick owner's spirit animal. What's YOUR spirit animal? 

I honestly don’t know what my spirit animal is, but I could easily relate to the penguin. My mom’s favorite animal is the penguin and I had a STARWARS penguin tattoo before I ever heard of Maverick. 🐧

·Can you describe your first tattoo experience? How old were you? What was it of and who was the artist? 

My first tattoo experience was terrifying. I got my first tattoo THE DAY I turned 18, and I originally only planned to get one single tattoo of a cross on my upper left arm. I had a friend whos wife was related to a tattoo artist in NW Arkansas (at a well known shop called Brainstorm), but I don’t remember the artists name — he doesn’t have social media. But the entire time (1.5 hours) all the artist talked about we’re all the people who had passed out during their tattoo appointments, and chain smoked every 15 minutes of the 1.5 hour appointment… he also told me he had his 🥜 tattooed like time bombs… I declined to see if he was lying. That’s all I remember about him and the experience…

·Top three artists you admire? Can you give us a brief description? 

1: Tim Hendrix has always been an inspiration to me, mainly because of his super laid back attitude towards everything. I met him once at a California tattoo convention.

2: Nikki Hurtado had always been an artist I strives to be like (artist wise), but I don’t know how he is as a person. I only see what he posts on social media. I also let him in California at the same convention I met Tim Hendrix at. It used to be called “Ink and Iron”, and it was on the Queen Mary cruise ship in Long Beach.

3: Andres’ Acosta has to be my favorite realism artist. I’ve never met him, but I would love to take one of his seminars and possibly get tattooed so I can really hone in on how he applies that butter smooth ink…

·What are some funny tattoo moments you have?  

I have tattooed a lot of funny tattoos and people… but I would say the funniest moment for me was a lady I was tattooing her on her ribs, I don’t remember the tattoo, she was clenching so hard from the pain she blasted a fart and acted like it was me 😂. Clearly there were two of us in the room… and I felt it rip out of her body because I was on her ribs/stomach.

·If you were to choose a band to describe your artwork, which band would you choose & why? 

I’ve never really compared myself to any bands… but I do love NF and play his albums on repeat A LOT. His style of rap is pretty legit.

·If you were to win 'Best Tattooer in the World', who would you thank?

I would thank God first and foremost… because without him I would be nothing and wouldn’t have the artistic ability to do what I do. Second I would thank my mom for giving birth to me… without her… I wouldn’t be here.

·Do you have a secret talent? What is it?

I am full of complete random facts that I sometimes blurt out like I have tourettes! Not sure if that’s a talent or not…

·What is your kryptonite?

My kryptonite is a client that can’t sit still. I’m sure I’m not alone on this.

·Any person or animal that you would like to trade places with for the day?

I would 100% trade places with a silverback gorilla for a day! I would see exactly how strong they really are! Probably the closest to being like the Hulk that I could ever get.

·What book or movie would you say everyone should read or watch? Why would you recommend that specific one? 

I’m not much of a reader, but If I could recommend a book it would be the Holy Bible, a great guide book for living, and “Passion of the Christ” for a movie. Non religious movie, Back to the future 1-2-3 hands down.

·What state are you located in? What do you love most about where you live & why?

Arkansas. I love how simple and quiet Arkansas is compared to most big city states. I love to travel and see big cities, but I love to come back home to the peace and quiet.

·What is something weird you do before bedtime? 

I’m like an old paranoid dad who roams the house checking to make sure all the doors are locked and the garage doors are closed and the alarm is set, or I can’t go to sleep.

·What would you say the best way to deal with stress that the busy tattoo life can bring on? 

I’m terrible at dealing with stress, but lately I’ve been running. That seems to be the best thing I can do to de-stress. RUN.

·Do you have a moment that changed your life? Do you mind sharing? 

Meeting my wife and having kids has probably been the greatest thing(s) that I have ever had happen in my life and transformed all aspects of where I was going and what I had planned for my future. All for the better.

·Who is the most unique client you have ever met? 

My man Butch Harris! He’s a 74 year old dude who refuses to retire from working and also refuses to quite getting tattooed. To me he’s truly someone who has been through a lot in life. And through it all, keeps the most positive attitude and gratitude. His skin is not the best to tattoo from all his motorcycle adventures getting scalded by the sun, but he’s such a cool dude! Still builds and rides Harley’s at 74.

·Does the constant pressure and challenge of promoting yourself on social media exhaust you or is it second nature? 

It 1000% exhausts me because of the algorithm that social media plays with. With the 35k followers I have on Instagram, 1% sees my work and interacts with my page. I’ve been on instagram since day 8 of the app being a thing.

JONNIE COIMBRA

Introducing this month's ARTIST SPOTLIGHT! Our talented family artist from Concord, NH is Jonnie. He has been with us for a while and his work is absolutely stunning (see below). Jonnie is a tattoo artist and owner of Golden Order Tattoo in New Hampshire and has been in the tattoo game for 6 years now. He specializes in Neo-traditional tattoos with muted color tones and lots of varying line weights. If you're ever wandering through the New Hampshire landscapes, don't miss a chance to swing by his shop. And for those of you who might be a tad far from Jonnie, be sure to give his social media channels a visit!

IG: @jmc.tattoo

SHOP: Golden Order Tattoo

ABOUT YOU: TELL US ABOUT YOURSELF. WHERE CAN PEOPLE FIND YOU/ SOCIAL MEDIA @'s?  

I'm a tattooer and owner of Golden Order Tattoo out of New Hampshire and I've been at it for six years. I specialize in Neo-traditional tattoos with muted color tones and lots of varying line weights. When I'm not tattooing I'm frequently out in nature seeking inspiration or spending time with friends and family. You can find me on Instagram under the handle @jmc.tattoo or you can find me on my shop website www.goldenordertattoo.com

WHAT DO YOU LOVE ABOUT MAVERICK?

I love Maverick for its grass roots vibe; keeping things really personal with every purchase. You can tell they really appreciate your patronage with the signed thank you cards they place in every delivery. They have been right by my side since I started working with them and always go out of their way to represent the artists they sponsor. This is an organization about the artists. I love their product for sure, I don't use anything else. High quality cartridge's and awesome shop materials like bio-degradable bottle bags, clip cord covers, ink caps etc. Oh and their packaging is awesome.

WHAT ARE YOUR FAVORITE GROUPINGS AND OR MAVERICK SUPPLIES YOU USE WHILE TATTOOING?

I like running their tight liners and open mags, specifically the 15 curved mag and the 23 curved mags. I use their bottle bags, and clip cord covers as a way to cut down on plastic waste. I love that Maverick includes bio-degradable options.

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

this is a tough one.. Maybe a sloth? I like to relax as often as I have the chance haha.

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

My first tattoo experience is technically a stick and poke I did on my own wrist when I was fifteen. As far as being tattooed in a shop I was 18 and I got a sun and moon on my wrist done by Matt Clark. He currently works out of Meredith NH at Midnight Moon tattoo. Solid guy, would recommend.

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

1.Viviana Calvo- for her use of bright color and really intricate designs 2.Ulyss Blair- I just love his portrayal of animals (have you seen his birds?)

3.Rob Borbas- His work is just wild so detailed. I can look at his work all day long.

WHAT ARE SOME FUNNY TATTOO MOMENTS YOU HAVE?

Early in my career I had a client come in that wanted some script. They showed me what they wanted- it was spelled incorrectly so I pointed that out but they insisted. So after trying to convince them to correct the spelling error I just did the tattoo. They later wanted a refund because it was spelled incorrectly..... I thought it was funny.

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

I probably have to go a little old school and say Brand New. Its got a moody sort of feel at times, but can also brighten up when needed.

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

I'd thank my closest friends in the industry for constantly being a source of inspiration and growth. People like Randy Burnham, Bill Quindley, Neil Comeau, Gian Karle.. I could go on and on.

SECRET HIDDEN TALENT? WHAT IS IT?

I can do a head stand.. Shhh *don't tell anyone*.

WHAT IS YOUR KRYPTONITE?

Video games... I can lose whole days just gaming away in a dark room.

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

My cat for sure. Sleep, eat, and play all day? like could life get better?

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

The Lord of The Rings. Book or film. You wanna see a good example of friendship?

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

I'm currently located in New Hampshire. I love that I'm close to Boston, the ocean, and a massive mountain range. There is always something to do yet its nice and quiet at home.

WHAT IS SOMETHING WEIRD YOU DO BEFORE BEDTIME?

I do yoga, is that weird?

WHAT WOULD YOU SAY IS THE BEST WAY TO DEAL WITH STRESS' THAT THE BUSY TATTOO LIFE CAN BRING ON?

Take some time off here and there. I take a week off every month just to do things that I love and spend time doing leisurely things . DONT WORK SEVEN DAYS A WEEK- the hustle aint going anywhere.

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

I was working in a street shop for a couple years in my early career, but I wanted to specialize and focus on neotrad. I saw that Randy or @rb.tattoo was looking for help at his shop so I hit him up thinking what's the harm in trying. He responded and took me on and from there my career took off and I got to learn from one of the best I believe in this country. Pretty life changing.

WHO IS THE MOST UNIQUE CLIENT YOU HAVE EVER MET?

Probably the one client I had who brought in a sleeve he designed printed on paper with exact measurements to his arm. He wanted the tattoo EXACTLY as it was in his mock up. So I did it... and he hated it. Never saw him again.

DOES THE CONSTANT PRESSURE AND CHALLENGE OF PROMOTING YOURSELF ON SOCIAL MEDIA EXAUST YOU OR IS IT SECOND NATURE?

It is single handedly... My least favorite part of the job.