SHOP TALK

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

Austin Spencer

To end off this year right, we decided to give the Maverick community something special. For the month of December we wanted to showcase the owner of Maverick Supply Co.... (drum roll please!)..... Austin Spencer. We recognize that while you guys get some goofy videos of him here and there, you don’t truly know much about him and how he began his career. In his interview he shares some of his thoughts on building community, how he manages stress and being on Social Media, as well as the inspiration behind the company. 

A father/husband before anything else, Austin has two little babies, and an amazingly supportive Wife. As most parents can relate, having children is stressful enough.  Add on starting up a business on the heels of a Global Pandemic and you have yourself a recipe for true craziness, but if you ask him, he would not want it any other way.  Austin's primary belief remains true just as much now, as it did in the beginning, that if you put People First, you cannot lose. 

Austin has had an entrepreneurial mindset his entire life. Starting with scrubbing up old golf balls lost in the woods on a golf course, he would polish them up and package them in old egg cartons to sell to the neighbors.  His Parents have always been supportive of his interests, allowing him to explore different hobbies, hustles, and art forms.  A Multi Winning Artist in the design of slot car racing, this might have been his first taste of creating Art for Competition, and winning.  This experience was unique in that you competed with all ages, Says Austin.  It made you realize that when youre an artist, your age, background, etc. didn't really matter. It was about letting your mind and imagination create something you could be proud of.  Something that he still focuses on today, with his own art.  

With the accumulation of all of these unique experiences, Austin was bound to create a hierarchy of his own one day. 

Thank you to our community (all of you), for supporting and collaborating with Maverick on what you want to see in a Tattooer focused business and community.  Your words, thoughts, ambitions, dreams, and feedback is what Maverick was built on, and it will set the course for Maverick's future as well.  

Without the feedback, constant support, and encouragement from all of you, we would not have made it this far. 

To hear some hilariously relatable content from the owner of Maverick, please keep reading. Again, thank you all for helping our Vision become a Reality. 

SHOP:  STUDIO 21

IG:  AUSTINSBRAIN

WHAT DO YOU LOVE ABOUT MAVERICK?

Building community has always been a passion of mine. I've forever loved meeting new people through tattooing. Working out of my shop Studio 21 Tattoo Gallery of Las Vegas for over 20 yrs has resulted in me learning so much about people in general due to the time sitting, chatting, and going through such a vulnerable experience as getting a tattoo can be. Maverick's given me the  experience of meeting  new tattooers, younger artists with new fresh perspectives has kept me so stoked on growing the community and trying to bring a new vibe and potentially new home for people to keep coming back to within the industry. I hope to see many more years ahead and meet so many new friends.

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

ONLY go there with purpose. Don't fall in the hole. You have to focus. It consumes you. I currently spend more time than ever on social media unfortunately. The bright side is that I can talk to and tell the whole world about Maverick Supply Co. from my living room in my underwear lol! I'm obsessed with making new friends and learning about new tattooers, tools, and the industry's bright future.

WHO IS THE MOST UNIQUE TATTOOER YOU HAVE EVER MET?

Lars Uwe "Lu's Lips" He tattoos in Berlin as far as I know at Luxedrom Tattoo. Wildest most passionate human I've ever met. He lives his life like a Tiger he says. I have stories for days! Spent a week with him in the early 2000's. Met him through Myspace haha.

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

The day I tattooed for the first time. I fell in love.

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

Sobriety + Yoga. I don't really get stressed anymore although having young children is a new kind of stress ish. Currently learning to find my moment of silence. I don't like letting myself get stressed though. In through the nose out through the mouth. It will all work out.

WHAT IS SOMETHING WEIRD YOU DO BEFORE BEDTIME?

Brainstorming constantly. I wish I slept better. I need the wine to wind down.

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

Nevada. I love the Desert! The sunsets, the cactus and plants that somehow survive in the most barren of settings makes me happy. It's a different kind of beauty. Las Vegas itself is a whole different experience. It's amazing. People from all over the world showing up every day to party, be someone that they might not be at home and try to go as nuts as they possibly can. It's the best haha.

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

My wife gifted me a book called the "Outwitting the devil" by Napoleon Hill when we first started dating. It's pretty wild. Ted Lasso show rules too haha.

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

What about a  Dolphin!? That would be pretty badass. Just tearin' ass across the ocean occasionally jumping up and out of the water sounds tight. A person..not really sure. It might be cool to trade places with a musician to feel how wild it would be to sing to an arena full of people. That energy would be pretty wild I can only imagine. Maybe an astronaut. I dunno I've always enjoyed being me.

WHAT IS YOUR KRYPTONITE?

My wife.  A good bottle of red wine...and some good food. I can't say NO to any of those.

SECRET HIDDEN TALENT? WHAT IS IT?

Ahhh shit. I don't know. Maybe being the best Dad I can. I love being a Dad. It's the coolest. I'm incredibly fortunate.

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

Best tattooer in the world...haha. I'm Not even close. Tattooers wear so many hats.  but in all honesty, we as tattooers don't recognize or appreciate ourselves enough (if ever) so I would probably take my own advice, and thank myself honestly.

Please know, I do not want to sound like a butthole, but I'm the one that stuck it out. I was hated on, embraced, supported and shunned. I didn't let it faze me. I worked  through the hardest of times as lonely as it can be. I'm thankful for the great clients and even the tough clients for pushing me at times to places I didn't wanna go. The long days and nights drawing and sometimes not, only to be forced to draw faster and on the fly for big work and walk-ins.

Somehow I fumbled through learning to work with and manage other tattooers/artists along the way keeping most of them as friends. This was the hardest challenge I've ever faced. I don't really have a mentor as far as running a business. I just read as many books and never gave up. I teamed up with great people and trusted them to do their thang. I think we all owe ourselves a little credit. I personally never gave it to myself in the past. I've now learned that it's ok.

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

Blink 182 I guess haha Bubbly, Playful and fun. I've never takin' myself too seriously. I like to keep it light.

WHAT ARE SOME FUNNY TATTOO MOMENTS YOU HAVE?

Good Laward! I've had a few. 

My lil' sister nicknamed Corndog (Courtney) used to run the front counter at my shop and was always getting hit on by all the guys. Not sure how it started but they would ask her if she tattooed and I finally told her to tell the annoying ones that she did. We drew her up a flash sheet of corndogs with ketchup or mustard mohawks. She easily tattooed a dozen or more randos with absolutely no experience (we let them know that lol) but dudes can be so dumb lol.

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

Always been Influenced and admired Aaron Dellavedova at Guru Tattoo in San Diego for his approach to tattooing, business and his impeccable execution at whatever he puts his mind to. He's the man. I got a full sleeve by him in the early 2000's...02-03 ish.

I also LOVE me some Adam Hathorn at Big Trouble Tattoo in San Diego too! He's from the same lineage/area of Tatt Gods! I love how he's always stuck to his style and vision as an artist. His tattooing is technically as simple and bold as it gets providing a finished tattoo that will look amazing forever but has such a distinct unique style that's incredibly HIS.

I love it. Lu's Lips (Lars Lou) not really sure what he goes by these days. He's by far  the wildest human I've EVER met. Got tattooed by him in Berlin years ago and he honestly is the most influential tattooer I've ever seen. I'm not sure if the younger  Neo Traditional community  even knows that their essentially flowing the work that he's laid out back in the day. He's an animal. 

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

First female tattooer in Las Vegas to open a shop..the 2nd shop EVER in Las Vegas. Dante. She was a badass for sure. "Studio Tattoo"  on Boulder highway. 15 years ish later called us up when we opened our shop "Studio 21 Tattoo Gallery" and yelled at us for having a similar name. OOPS! I watched her tattoo my dad in the early 90's and was hooked. I wanted to do what she did bad. She was cool enough to  tattoo my drawing that I did for my dad on him..pretty rad. She said she could "make it real nice if we paid more" in the middle of the tattoo haha. So random.

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

That's me, the Penguin! The best. Community driven, loyal, and empathetic along with that bold black n white suite. Who doesn't like penguins!?

WHAT ARE YOUR FAVORITE GROUPINGS TO USE FOR YOUR TATTOOS?

I love our tight 3's, loose 9's and a 15 Curved Open Mag ALL DAY!