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🧡 GIVE BACK PROGRAM x Rennie Dunne🧡

August 23, 2023

RENNIE DUNNE

Interested in seeing the amazing impact of YOUR purchases? STAY TUNED! Here at MAVERICK we believe that the art of tattooing has the power to create a positive impact outside of the tattoo studio. That is why we are so passionate about our GIVEBACK PROGRAM!

Every single month we shine a spotlight on an extraordinary artist from our incredible community of tattooers. We let our MAVERICK FAMILY ARTIST choose a deserving organization for us to make a meaningful donation to for their spotlight month. This month we are showcasing the amazing RENNIE DUNNE all the way from San Luis Obispo, CA! Rennie has chosen to support an organization close to her heart, WOODS HUMANE SOCIETY.

Remember, everything you purchase from our website whether it be cartridges, apparel, or eco friendly products, fuels this incredible program.

Thanks to all of YOU we were able to donate our max of $1,000 to The Woods Humane Society!

The Woods Humane Society has extensive support for pets within its community, providing a range of resources. Some of these resources include training options, both in person and through educational materials, as well as youth programs with volunteer opportunities and engaging in DIY projects with their furry friends.

Additionally, the community participates in spaying and neutering, helping surrendered pets in need, as well as offering resources to individuals coping with the loss of a pet. It is also worth mentioning that the Woods Humane Society sustains this organization solely through generous donations, grants and fundraisers. To stay updated on all of these amazing resources they offer, we highly recommend visiting their WEBSITE.

WHAT'S FREEZO!?

August 22, 2023

A QUICK RUN DOWN ON FREEZO AND WHAT TATTO ARTISTS USE IT FOR!

🧡 GIVE BACK PROGRAM x Ben Oz🧡

August 18, 2023

Get your August groove on with us over here at Maverick! We're cooling down this hot summer 🔥 with our monthly donation. This month, the spotlight is on our incredible family artist, Ben Oz.

Check out his must-read blog and keep reading to find out which lucky organization received a donation this month on behalf of Ben! Don't forget that every time you purchase one of our Maverick Tattoo Needle Cartridges, a portion of your purchase is going to a good cause & is helping others.

This month our family artist, Ben Oz chose to donate to an organization from his home town, City of Angels New Jersey.

"This specific organization has helped tons of people from my home town." -Ben Oz

Thanks to all of YOU we were able to donate our monthly cap of $1,000 to..

CITY OF ANGELS NEW JERSEY

City of Angels New Jersey is an extremely compassionate organization centered around helping those with substance use disorders. COA NJ offers counseling and resources to vulnerable individuals in need. Not only do they provide assistance and support, but their goal is to be a research therapeutics and wellness initiative.

This non-profit started in 2008 and began by concentrating on the opioid epidemic, but soon expanded into much more. This organization was created by the founders after unfortunately losing their son KC Meara to an overdose. In turn, City of Angels, NJ has the small 'mom & pop' feel, but they are doing much bigger things including job training, education, and community engagement.

Through dedication, this organization embodies unity & resilience creating hope for individuals and the community as a whole. Please be sure to check out their website where you can find amazing resources to not only help, but to educate yourself on the devastating impact that substance use continues to have on our communities.

MAVERICK FAMILY SPOTLIGHT ARTIST

August 01, 2023

BEN OZ

2023 is halfway over! (Where does the time go.... nah mean?) for the mid-point of 2023 it's time to meet one of our OG artists - Ben Oz. He's an amazing tattooer, part of the Rad Dad club and great Husband (that's not easy)!

Ben is originally from New Jersey, but currently lives in Florida...talk about a fish in new waters 🐟!

Ben has definitely encountered some life struggles, but he's come out the other side stronger and more vibrant than ever!

Please keep reading about Ben to see just how much his life experiences has shaped the Ben we see today! Something that Ben said in his interview which really resonates with all of us here at Maverick, "I’d have to say the thing that causes my stress is my stress relief, tattooing drawing and painting." For artists and non artists, this seems to be true for a lot of of us.

Make sure to check out Ben on his socials:

INSTAGRAM: @benoztattoos

WHAT DO YOU LOVE ABOUT MAVERICK?

I obviously love the needles they are beyond awesome! Their staff is great too I love getting my boxes with a funny note written inside with some stickers or pins!

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

I use tight 3 liners every day I also use 13 curved mags and 17curved mags I also use their razors ink cups bottle bags and clip cord covers

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

I’d have to say a wolf , I’m very pack oriented I rely on my family and without them I’d get lost . I’m very loyal especially to my friends and family and would do almost anything for them .

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

My first tattoo was probably 12 years old and I did it myself with a electric toothbrush tattoo machine my friends and I made . The next 15-20 tattoos were done similarly

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

Bret rosepiler his neotrad is insane the simplicity I. The designs yet they are so detailed and amazing everything he does is magic. Next I’d say rob goodkind he’s a legend he’s mixed Japanese and dark elements and it’s so rad his stuff is constantly inspiring me to do more . Lastly I’d say The Sepp I don't know his name or what country he is from but his stuff is so wild his prints and tattoos are constantly pushing the limits and he’s just a really good artist

WHAT ARE SOME FUNNY TATTOO MOMENTS YOU HAVE?

I don’t think I can pick one I think every day at our shop tops the last we are like a big disfunctional family

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

I’d say it’s a mix. It Dies Today is like a metalcore band I think it’s the angry bloody dark side to my work then maybe like the deftones or tool also representing the dark creepy sad part of my art and the. A stoner metal band called Windhand and they are like my psychedelic weird side of my art

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

I wouldn’t but if I did I’d thank everyone , from the people that hate me and have tried to hurt me they constantly push me to keep going and get better . To my family without them I would have been lost along time ago

SECRET HIDDEN TALENT? WHAT IS IT?

I can juggle

WHAT IS YOUR KRYPTONITE?

Myself

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

My two dogs elsa and Trinity, they are 2 year old cane corsos, they have the best life they just get fed run around play and sleep

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

I am a movie guy and I love books I don’t read a lot anymore I listen to audio books while I paint and draw but if I had to pick I’d say the matrix , I don’t know why but I live the first 3 movies

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

I’m from New Jersey but I’m in south Florida right now. I personally don’t like the heat I’m more of a cold and snow kinda guy so that part of where I live I don’t like but the sky here whether it’s sunrise or sunset or thunderstorm like right now the sky is always so crazy and beautiful

WHAT IS SOMETHING WEIRD YOU DO BEFORE BEDTIME?

I don’t have anything really weird but I draw myself to sleep every night and I usually stay up till 5-6 am I don’t sleep much and I feel more creative at night for some reason so I usually stay up for most of it

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

I’d have to say the thing that causes my stress is my stress relief, tattooing drawing and painting

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

I was in prison for a few years when I got out I was homeless and very down and out I ended up meeting my wife and she got pregnant and I started tattooing all in like 6 months without all those things happening I’m not sure I’d be here . I was definitely on a downward spiral up till that point

WHO IS THE MOST UNIQUE CLIENT YOU HAVE EVER MET?

I don’t think one comes to mind I’d have to say if you like my art your a unique person. I have a niche style and it’s not for everyone but most every client I tattoo whether they are silent the whole time or talk the entire time they are all very good and interesting people!

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

It’s brutal I hate the social media aspect , after I had been tattooing a few years I wasn’t getting anywhere on Instagram I was t growing and had only a few thousand followers, so I decided for a whole year I’d post everyday no matter what I did that and I went from a few thousand to like 60-70k almost a year and a half later I hit 100k and I thought we’ll I reached 100k I can stop posting it will grow on its own. That didn’t happen my account stopped I started to post again and I started to grow again. I hate social media I really have to force myself but without it I wouldn’t have clients they mostly all find me on Instagram so I have to keep up with it!

Side Hustle x Turk

August 01, 2023

TURK

This month we're stoked to share this ridiculously awesome creation by the extraordinary Turk. He's been part of our Maverick Family Artist crew forever, and we can't express enough how pumped we are to have him on our team! Living in a world where daily chaos prevails, Turk prioritizes the well-being and creativity of his family. As he emphasizes below, being a dad is the most significant role. You can really feel how important his family is to him. After ditching his life in California, he's now in Tennessee (what a switcheroo!) hustling to build a fresh new shop. As if Turk's not busy enough with his schedule, he's also got his hands in all sorts of creative cookie jars.

Listen up! Don't stop reading now. Turk is one wise dude with killer advice for newbie artists, the scoop on sticking to a schedule, and how to conquer procrastination!

Don't forget to grab your raffle ticket for a chance to win this gorgeous piece! CLICK HERE

SIZING: 18 x 36

Where do you tattoo?

Currently I tattoo in a private studio in Franklin, Tennessee while we build out the new shop. We had a successful studio in San Diego, California for over ten years but the landlord got greedy after our second lease and doubled the rent on us. We did our best to negotiate and keep the shop, but he wasn’t having it. We tried to find a new location, but permits were backed up so far it just didn’t seem plausible, so ultimately we had to close in California for good. My wife and I decided that we would just leave California all together. There’s too many restrictions and crazy laws and it just doesn’t match our values as a family anymore. After some heavy considerations and research, we landed on Tennessee and have been off and running ever since.

What’s your SIDE HUSTLE?
I’ve got a few actually, hahaha. I play five instruments and used to do the band thing pretty heavily but it interfered with my tattooing a lot (not to mention it’s so damn hard to make a living in the music world) so I scaled back on music and focused more on things that align with art and illustration background. I would say my current side hustle is making art. Wether it be watercolor, acrylic, or otherwise.

I also make tattoo machines, by request.

How’d you get into your side hustle?

Honestly, I’ve always been an artist my whole life. Growing up as a kid I was always able to draw with no training and I even had a side hustle in middle school where I’d charge kids 50¢ to draw on their book covers. Ninja turtles, the Batmobile, whatever they wanted. Because of the area I grew up in I did a lot of cholo old English and script which would pay off later in life, haha

Even though I was always an artist, I never was into painting, really. I mean, I was, but we grew up pretty poor in my family. With two brothers and two sisters and just my mom working her ass off to keep us fed, buying paint and brushes and canvases and shit just wasn’t an option.

I got into painting after I got into the tattoo world and could finally afford the stuff I needed to start really dipping into that realm of art.

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?

You gotta make time, really. That’s all there is to it. I have two kids, one with special needs, so literally everything I create has to be on a schedule the doesn’t take away from my most important job, being a dad.

I have a drawing day, just like my ten hour workday, devoted only to drawing upcoming work. If I don’t have upcoming work, then I can get loose and doodle stuff that I have been thinking about or layout some ideas for paintings.

When I finally do get to working on paintings, I have a nightly routine of painting for about 4 hours a night until it’s complete. Kids are down by 8pm, paint until midnight, go to bed, repeat. It’s the only way I can complete art tasks on time, hahaha. If it’s just “I’ll work on it whenever” it will never get done. At least, not if there’s a deadline.

Social media is the thing I care least about. I guess I should care more, since it’s kind of the main way clients find you anymore, but I don’t have any regimen for that. I hate being a slave to that shit. I’ll post when I want or remember to but I don’t let that shit own any space in my head, really. There’s kids that have been tattooing a year that have 100k followers and get tons of likes for pedestrian tattoos, but I don’t let it bother me. All the time they give to make their accounts that huge, I’m using to be a better artist or a better dad. I just don’t have the energy for the social media machine. I’ve been doing it long enough that people know what I do and if they’re looking for me, they’ll find me. I could care less about imaginary hearts on my tattoo pictures. The client and the end result is all I care about.

Building machines or cutting shanks is the same. If I don’t have any current paintings on the table, or if I have a request for a machine, I’ll spend the four hours a night in the garage winding coils, cutting springs, or engraving a frame, whatever. Those couple hours a day are what I use for whatever side hustle I might be working on.

Long story short: make time for the things that matter. Family is always first, the rest is the side hustle.

You think it’s important for tattooers to have other creative outlets?
Absolutely. Having as many creative outlets as possible is paramount to learning more and becoming a better artist in one way or another. Even if you try and fail, it’s better to try. You learn so much from failure. Every success is built on a sturdy foundation of failure. I’d say if you have time, and it doesn’t interfere with family, give it a shot. What’s the harm?

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?
Anymore, that’s my musical life. I’ll sit down for a bit and play my guitar or bass, or even break out the banjo or cello. I’m not in it for money anymore. It just helps me relax. Sometimes I work out designs in my head or even come up with new ones while I’m plucking away. Sometimes I’m creating a whole scene with the strings. It’s like I’m painting a picture with sound. Making art for the blind. Sounds cheesy, but that’s how it feels.

I’m also getting into making knives and hatchets, but that’s still in its infancy, so stay tuned for that shit.

Do you have a bigger picture or a vision of where your side hustle could take you?
I have no bigger pictures for my art, really. Just to get better. To fail better. I would never stop tattooing, it has literally brought me to all the things I cherish most in life, so even if I became some super famous painter or start selling tons of machines or whatever, I’d still be slinging weird ass skulls in a room somewhere. Hahaha.

Any Advice for Tattooers that are interested in building up a new SIDE HUSTLE?
Like I said earlier, make time. Even if it’s just time to try something new. Make time to fail. Make time to fail better. Make time for progress. There are no great things in life that didn’t take hard work and sacrifice. So suffer now that you won’t have to suffer later. Make time, prepare, and do the work.

Shoutouts?

Huge shoutout to my wife, Crystal, for always being supportive of my weird ass side hustles but always keeping me on point with what needs to be done and when. Without her, I definitely wouldn’t be as regimented as I am. She’s the best person in my life, and I love her madly.

Shoutout to my old crew, when we still had the studio. I miss those guys. Nate Banuelos, Ed Flores, De, whoever the counter guy was… I miss them.

Shoutout to my favorite tattooers: Sacred Crow, Rob Goodkind, James Tex, DaDaHell, Chris Yvon, and my good buddy, Nate Banuelos.

As always, a shoutout to Danzig and hotdogs. Without either of them, I would have no reason to live.

Inspirational or funny Quotes?

One of my favorite quotes is from Benjamin Franklin:

By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.

Random knowledge drops/closing statements?

Sailor Jerry was just a guy. Not a reason to stay in a holding pattern artistically. He was all about learning new things and what would make tattooing better and more efficient. I’m all about understanding traditional, but staying in the time capsule isn’t helping the industry move forward. Learn traditional, honor its place in American tattoo history, but evolve past it. Or at least aspire to.

Also, to the new bloods, try drawing on paper for a change. And try not to steal as much shit as you do, hahaha. I can’t tell you how many iPad ideas I see where people are ripping images or the video starts after the image was already traced. We all need to borrow sometimes, I get it, but seriously try to learn how and why things are the way they are. It will bleed over into the rest of your art and make you a million times better.

Not being able to pinch zoom and double tap mistakes will make you plan ahead more for what your actual artistic capabilities are and will ultimately make you a better tattooer.

HOW DO WE FIND YOUR SIDE HUSTLE?

I put my art up in art shows, books, prints, etc. and now that we’re in a private studio, you’ll have to find them on my Instagram or on our website.

Tattoo machines are by request only at the moment, so you’d have to DM me for one of those and you have to be a legit tattooer. No kitchen wizards or apprentices.

WEBSITE? www.LHBLK.com

TIK TOK? What the fuck is a TikTok?

INSTAGRAM? @lefthandblack