SHOP TALK

Mariah Baker

📍 Ozark, MO

@mbakertattoo

Hey everyone! This month, we've got an absolute gem of an artist that we are spotlighting (see for yourself!), all the way from Ozark, MO – Mariah Baker! Her work is truly next level, and we can't wait for you to get to know her better. Prepare to be inspired by her story and unique perspective in the tattoo world.

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

I went to school for painting and graphic design, and wanted a way to continue pursuing my art. When tattooing was introduced to me, I saw the freedom and opportunities within the industry and decided pursuing it promised me a better future than continuing with a masters program/and or residencies.

The most meaningful tattoo story i've done is actually a project i'm working on right now! My client Kari asked for a 70's road trip leg sleeve, and each piece is a memory she had from her childhood taking vacations with her parents across the country. It consists of the Holiday Inn sign, her families 1971 Ford LTD Country Squire, snacks they had in their red coleman cooler, farm animals, a corncob pipe her dad smoked from, even bobby pins and hair rollers for her mom! 

I would say the largest impact I've had to overcome within the industry is finding my people. I was a chronic people pleaser and was really good at finding the wrong friends in my past, and once that started to affect my business I knew things needed to change. I started therapy regularly, identifying patterns in my life that weren't working for me, and put all of my focus and energy into my art and business to grow

I don't think the key to success is only our artistic skills. Its about your communication skills, kindness, social media presence, self discipline, and so many more things. Hone in, work hard, talk openly about your dreams, share your success stories, share your failures. It all will help create your ideal community and get you closer to your dreams :) 

MIKE BIGGS

📍 Las Vegas, Nevada

@biggsstudio

Pick up a gorgeous hand made tiki mug made by Mike Biggs! 

BIGGSSTUDIO.COM

Mike Biggs is this month's spotlight artist! Not only has he been a friend for years, but he also is our guest on Support Your Local Tattooer this month. If you haven't already, make sure to give it a listen & hear all the rad stories!

1. What made you realize you wanted to be a tattoo artist/ artist in general?

I think when I was in college at Art Institute of Phoenix I started drawing tattoo-like designs. Ive always been an artist my whole life. Always drawing and painting. I wanted to get a tattoo while I was going to college and drew a couple designs I wanted to show a shop but couldn't afford to get one- that was back in 1999. I didn't get tattooed until I was about 24 or 25? I was working at a LIDS hat shop in the airport in Vegas and a coworker saw me doodling while working and said her cousin was a tattoo artist. I met up with him and the rest is history! 

2.Most meaningful tattoo story you've helped create?

I think the most memorable is when I started tattooing realistic nipples on breast cancer survivors. I think I did it 2 or 3 times. Every time they cried afterwards and gave me big hugs. Feels good to be able to provide that for someone. Getting the nipples right was hard! But I think I did a good job and they were happy.

3.One challenge you've had to overcome in the industry and how it has impacted you?

It was ALWAYS challenging for me to deal with people in general as Im not a very talkative guy. I had to get out of my comfort zone and learn to deal with people. The hardest was dealing with difficult people....people who micromanage and nitpick everything you do and having to redraw a design a million times until they are happy. It can be really frustrating dealing with people who have shitty attitudes from the start and don't seem to trust you or the process. People always wanted to rush a huge project and you have to constantly deal with a crazy customer. I don't do well with confrontation. I let people step all over me. So eventually I just learned to speak up and defend myself and my abilities and reassure them its going to turn out ok. I gotta say im kind of a hermit now and happy to not have to deal with people too much LOL! But it did change me and made me better at talking and dealing with people in general. Keeping eye contact and being more confident of my abilities. 

4. Anything else you'd like to share? 

I miss doing tattoos but I love what I do now more. Doing my own thing and doing it for myself is really a game changer in my life. Im doing art and running my own company and that makes me so happy. Keeping it simple. 

Clark North

@clarknorthtattoo

📍 Las Vegas, Nevada

This month we are giving a spotlight to an amazing artist located here in Las Vegas, NV- Clark North. Clark has been in the industry since 1979! He has had over 30,000 hours of experience and AT LEAST 15,000-20,000 clients throughout his time as a tattoo artist. He now focusses on large Japanese/ fusion-style tattoos which take multiple sessions for full sized tattoos to be completed. 

Throughout his time as an artist he has accomplished so many things including being featured on A&E's 'INKED' & Named one of the top 50 tattooers worldwide in "Tattoo Masters" Issue #1. His story is unbelievable and inspiring, make sure to keep reading to learn more! 

Excited to get to know Clark North? Check out his INTERVIEW on the Support Your Local Tattooer Podcast LIVE: APRIL 6th  

When did you first discover that you wanted to be a tattoo artist?

I was born in Chandron, Nebraska in 1963. At age 4, my family moved to Maywood, Los Angeles, CA. (Maywood is where I first started seeing and drawing tattoos). Then my family moved to Huntington Beach CA in 1969 through the 70's & 80's. 

Early inspiration:

I've been drawing tattoos since I was 4 ( at that time my mom had a boyfriend who was fully-covered with tattoos, he was a tattooer in the Los Angeles/Long Beach area). I started hand poke tattooing on friends and their friends when I was 16 in '79, it was Mike Brown at TattooLand in 1980 who taught me how to make Japanese-Style-Terobi-Tattoo-Needles and how to stretch the skin properly. I continued sporadically doing hand poke until committing full-time in 1991. I have been drawn to classic Japanese tattooing since first seeing it at the age of 11 in '74. 

Artist Inspiration:

Inspired by these originaly mid 1800's Japanese artists-

Kuniyoshi  · Kunisada  · Kyōsai  · Eishun  · Yoshitoshi  & Kunichika 

Anything else to share? 

My focus these days is entirely old style Japenese tattoos, including body suits, sleeves, as well as smaller 'one-point' designs. 

I am primarily self-taught though mentored by Mark Mahoney, Rick Walters, Mike Brown, Kari Barba and Catfish Carl.

In 1986, an accident left me with extensive injuries including the loss of my eye.. as well as the death of my mother and multiple plastic/reconstructive surgeries in the same month. This was when I was 23. I lost the plot from my life being flipped upside down so I moved to Florida and lived with my mom's sister and her family, where they helped me regain my passion for art and tattooing. Later returning to California, I resumed tattooing friends. 

In 1991, Mark Mahoney introduced me to Rick Walters at Bret Grimm's Tattoo in Long Beach, CA. Rick from then on mentored me, teaching and refining my techniques, professionalism, and tattooing longevity. I balanced a day job while training with Rick and tattooing at home during night-hours. It was 3 years before I began working in a shop.

My first tattooing job at Kari Barba's Outer Limits Tattoo from 1994-2004, managing her Costa Mesa location from 2001-2003. Then I didn't want to manage anymore. 

In 2004 I moved to Las Vegas to film A&E's TV series called "Inked" at Carey Hart's "Hart & Huntington". I also worked with Kent Kelley at StayTrue Tattoo from 2008 before establishing my private place in 2011. 

Clark through the years:

"There's so many Cartridge Types! what kind should I get and what should I expect?"

"Are your needles long tapered?"

"What diameter are your needles?"

"I'm new to using Cartridges- which ones are best?"  

"What's the difference between Curved open and closed?

"Do your tattoo needle cartridges have a silicone membrane?"

"What's a bugpin?" 

These are just some of the many questions we get from tattooers looking to purchase tattoo cartridges. In an effort to help you make the best decision, we came up with a fun guide that may help you find the perfect fit for your style of work.

Tight Round Liners: Great for tight, clean lines, script lettering, stippling, and fine line tattoos and all the details. The diameter of pins/needles is this particular grouping is known as a #12, featuring a long tapered and polished pin. All of our cartridges feature a state of the art silicone membrane to prevent back spill and or contamination to machine or tube. Pictured above.

Loose Round Liner/Shader: Ideal for Bold Lines along with using as a super small round shader for filling in tight small spaces, details in portraits and any other unique uses.  The diameter of pins/needles in this particular grouping are known as a #12, featuring a long tapered and polished pin. All of our cartridges feature a state of the art silicone membrane to prevent back spill and or contamination to machine or tube.

Curved Open and Curved Closed Mags: Ideal for shading/packing color or pigment with a soft edge. Curved Open mags allow you to view needle visibility better via an open viewing window in the top of the housing while tattooing. This is all a matter of personal preference. There is no advantage using the closed versus open housing cartridges. The diameter of pins/needles in this particular grouping are known as a #12, featuring a long tapered and polished pin. All of our cartridges feature a state of the art silicone membrane to prevent back spill and or contamination to machine or tube. Pictured above.

Flat Open and Flat Closed Mag Shaders: Ideal for shading and color packing with a hard edge. Great for getting packing ink close up into those tight spaces against your line work. These are commonly used with more traditional tattoos and by American traditional artists. The diameter of pins/needles in this particular grouping are known as a #12, featuring a long tapered and polished pin. All of our cartridges feature a state of the art silicone membrane to prevent back spill and or contamination to machine or tube. Pictured above.

Bugpin Curved Open Mags: These needles/groupings  have a  smaller in diameter pin/needle, also know as #10 and used for soft shading typically found in Black and Grey work and or a softer more smooth fades. These are as smooth as it gets! Super comfortable to work with. All of our cartridges feature a state of the art silicone membrane to prevent back spill and or contamination to machine or tube.

Let us know what you guys think about our needle groupings and if you use them differently by commenting on this blog.  We love to hear from you 🫶🏼

The Metanoia Tattoo Gathering was an absolute blast! I had the incredible opportunity to bring our Support Your Local Tattooer podcast to the event and connect with some truly inspiring women in the tattoo industry.

 We had insightful conversations with incredibly knowledgeable artists and entrepreneurs, and my wife & I even spoke on our own expertise on navigating finances in the tattoo world. The energy at Metanoia was unbelievable, and we were blown away by the sense of community and support.

Huge shoutout to Maribeth Klaar for being such an amazing host and creating such a welcoming and empowering space for women in tattooing. We left feeling energized, inspired, and even more passionate about supporting and uplifting our fellow artists. If you're a woman in the tattoo industry, we highly recommend checking out Metanoia – it's an experience you won't forget!