In recent months, I have really dialed in on the tattoo concepts I want to do. Having such a broad skillset, I have in the past been pulled in so many directions. But you may notice now that my Instagram says: “Botanicals~Antiques~Paintings”. And so it goes, these are the types of things I would love tattooed on me. (Alas, I cannot reach 3/4 of my body….)

In order to build into my true work, I am looking for a few people in San Antonio who can be the right canvas & collaborator for my overall vision. I am opening applications for this. I figure many people will drop off as reading this, and that is okay as long as I can find the correct people for this next phase in my tattoo career.

Before I ask anything of you, I’d like you to consider this scenario:

You are in a post-apocalyptic world. The friends you have around you all share deep and severe losses of their family, friends, homes, and identity. The community you live in has many new and unexpected joys, and one of them is tattooing. The group’s artists harness soot from old metal lids over the campfire and stick and poke tattoos one prick of a sharpened bone at time.

Record-keeping is lost since the downfall of technology and the natural disasters invading every inch of our once-sacred homes. What we have left is oral history and our bodies as journals. Many of us have become serious foragers and hunters, creating deeper connections with nature and spirituality than we ever have before.

In this landscape, intimacy has taken a new turn. It’s not about white picket fences, income, or political identity-- but rather about the depth of humanity between wandering souls. He/she takes a look at you and starts to ask about your ink, as if it is most telling of your personality-- a post-apocalyptic form of literature.

The nights can go long as you reflect with friends and lovers about your tattoos, taking turns around the campfire to show-and-tell each piece of fresh and aged ink-- like little portals into who your soul.

You smile when this particular tattoo comes up. And the onlookers comment often on its beauty as it is a lasting form of art. It wasn’t just a whim during an emotional storm or even an emotional lapse-- although those have meaning too. This tattoo is a far-reaching story about your identity….

I would like to help you create a tattoo that carries a story no matter where you are at in life. With a lover, solitary confinement, swimming on a nude beach, in a hospital bed, hanging out with children, traveling to a foreign country, etc, etc.

Of course, money is a big factor on both of our ends. I have a mark for what I need to make to afford my family’s needs. In order to bridge that gap, I am offering a sliding scale-discount. I anticipate these tattoos to take 2-3 sessions. A normal session would be $1200 for 6 hours, but I am willing to go down to $600/session for the right applicants.

These are the requirements for the tattoo:

1. Have a large stretch of your body that can be dedicated to a flowy tattoo. (Torso, Legs, Arms, or whole-body)

2. Have 1-2 visually appealing objects that have meaning behind them that you want to incorporate into the tattoo, like these: Inspiring Thoughts.

3. Choose 1-3 potential plants that also have meaning to you, that can stretch across your body. I am aiming toward this level of artistry: Inspiring Tattoo Artist, and this is a good example of the direction I want to move in: Artichoke Design.

4. Write a moving story or poem about the meaning of the tattoo that I can share upon the completion of this tattoo.

5. Be willing to have a photo/video-shoot of your tattoo.

6. Be able to afford at least $600/session.

7. Be available for back-to-back weekdays in March or April.

The creative elements above are motivated to increase the connection that tattoos can create for our souls— fulfilling tattooing as a well-rounded art form. The only thing is, a tattoo I don’t believe is a complete creation without the sensitive collaboration of the person receiving the tattoo! I want you to be equally excited about this, as I think that dramatically increases the meaning of the art you will receive.

If you want to participate, please apply below! I will be choosing clients based on the most inspirational responses.