A conversation with Jay Rose, new interviews every Monday.

Your approach to tattooing is all about the human form and how your tattoos can emphasise and work with the body. Naturally, plants and depictions of nature are your chosen subject matter presumably due to the free form and potential to enhance the body’s natural curves. Have you always tattooed in this way?

When I first started tattooing, I was very focused on simply translating my drawings onto the skin, with lesser regards to placement. I suppose you could call it a "sticker style" type of arrangement. 

Nowadays my absolute priority is to create pieces which compliment the individual; their specific curves and body type in mind. This apparent shift resulted from the growth to larger designs, which ultimately forced the placement of pieces to the forefront of my attention. Being able to work with the human form, a 3D canvas that is in constant change and motion is easily one of my favourite aspects of tattooing. 

The larger scale work that you do is beautiful, your work is a mixture of bold lines and simplicity often for the full body projects. What’s your process in designing larger scale work with clients?

Typically I request for my client to send a photo of their desired placement via email, which I use to brainstorm and mock up ideas on. However, I would say most of the designing actually happens on the day of the appointment, where I am able to freehand on the body directly. It's significantly easier for me to create a concept of flow when I have the form in front of me. 

The way you draw and the colours you use are child like in a way (I mean this in the best way your drawings are beautiful), its a playful approach to tattooing in the use of colour. I know when I was learning to tattoo it was clear that everything should have a black outline, where as now we are seeing more and more tattooers taking their own approach to contemporary tattooing. Did you find it difficult at the beginning for people to accept your approach to tattooing?

In terms of the industry, yes, which is completely understandable. I still believe that in terms of longevity, black outlines to surround colour is ideal. However that being said, I've learned that there are exceptions. When I first started to play with colour in the context of tattooing, I experimented with a vast range of techniques and styles. Soon after seeing my pieces healed, it was obvious that some techniques simply did not work or required more testing. I believe these "failed" experiments forced myself to understand the limitations of coloured ink, which led to developing strategic ways to overcome these limits. Ultimately it's made me a much more versatile tattooer. 

You mentioned to me you were taught by a Korean artist, do you think their approach to teaching lead you into the direction of smaller more detailed tattoos?

My mentor, Khan Jung the owner of Tattoo People in Toronto, specializes in large scale japanese tattoos, so I never got to see him do anything smaller than a full sleeve. However most of the artists that I watched and learned from as an apprentice, were korean artists who specialized in smaller detailed tattoos. The first needle I used was a 3RL, which is quite fine compared to most apprentices. I only decided to do so because everyone else at our shop was using a 3RL or a single needle. 

You studied at OCAD, do you think this helped you in moving into the direction of tattooing? Was tattooing a career you were thinking about when you were studying?

Surprisingly, not at all. I never ever thought about tattooing as a career when I was at OCAD. I was so determined to be a painter and only that. However, I do believe that my background as a painter allowed for me to transition a lot quicker to tattooing, as I had already developed my fundamental drawing and painting skills. Falling into tattooing has easily been one of the best opportunities I could have ever asked for. It has given me so much passion in my work and life. 

I know from my own experience personally, my fine art degree work and my tattoo work are extremely different. Did you find your work translated well into tattooing or did you keep the mediums completely separate?

I would say in general my fine art is quite difficult to translate into tattooing, as I mostly work with coloured lines or shading via pencil crayons or paint. I don't typically draw with a black outline. Going back to my previous answer, it took a lot of time and experimenting to understand how this transition can happen successfully. Over the past few years, I'm beginning to learn what designs I would like to exist solely on paper or canvas vs immediately putting it out as a tattoo flash. I can better identify what I can or cannot properly tattoo, in regards to longevity and proper healing.

The work you wear on your own body is beautiful, your back especially. I know we’ve spoken about this and how frustrating it can be to have one of your favourite pieces on your back for everyone else to see but you! Who did your back? Did you approach them with a concept or give the artist free rein?

My back piece is done by one of my favourite artists, Victor J Webster from East River Tattoo. Prior to this back piece, I already worked with Victor when he created my right sleeve. When I approached Victor about my back, I had no expectations or requirements, and told him he had complete rein over the design. Even when I got to my appointment he started freehanding on my back and I still had no idea what I was getting. It was a wonderful experience to let go of control and trust my artist completely. I could not be more happy with the results!

That being said, you work mostly from flash. Do you prefer for clients to choose pre drawn ideas and pieces from you opposed to custom?

I need a good balance of both custom and flash. Custom pieces allow for me to connect to my clients further in bringing their concepts to life. In addition, it allows for me to work on my own problem solving and technical skills.

Flash gives me the opportunity to push my creativity in what I see the future of tattooing looks like to me. It also requires a different process as there are no prompts or suggestions. Just working from a completely blank canvas which can sometimes be liberating or hindering. 

Ceramics is something we are seeing more of from you. It feels as though you give 100% to every thing you do, ceramics being no exception to this. It looks so therapeutic! Was this something you’ve recently learnt or a medium you’ve used for some time now?

I started working with ceramics around a year ago and I have fallen in love with every aspect of it. It can encompass so many different types of techniques: drawing, painting, collage, sculpture, and even a bit of chemistry. The experimentation side has been so exhilarating as there are infinite combinations of glazes, clay bodies, tools, and techniques available. I am still very much a beginner! For anyone looking to start I would recommend taking a 8 week throwing course and going down a pottery youtube hole. 

As you extend your practice through different mediums do you find when you’re creating outside of tattooing you’re edging towards one over the other at the moment? E.g ceramics over painting etc

As of right now, ceramics is my priority outside of tattooing. However I'm always itching to do something different and new. At this moment, I am so curious about animation in 8bit form and also looking into some game design...but just thinking out loud here :)

What can we look forward to seeing more of from you for the rest of 2020?

I've been working closely with KOTN recently, and we are working on some really cool collaborations for the near future. Other than that hopefully some good quality tattoos and more explorations in clay <3