Page 17 - the NOISE September 2014

FROM FAR LEFT: Suzanne Doucette-Stebila’s Jessie Girl, Anime Masey, Lazy Masey, and Girl in the Red Dress with Cat, are all among the artist’s work featured at both Stebila Studios this ArtWalk as well as during Flagstaff Open Studios August 23 & 24.
NICK LAWRENCE: THE EYE IN THE NEEDLE are among the most recent additions to Mr. Lawrence’s canon of oils.
SARAH GIANELLI
FROM FAR LEFT: Soul Purpose, Nautilus, Elephant, and Search for Meaning BY
Looking at Tat-Fu owner Nick Lawrence’s skillfully rendered crossover in technique, but for Mr. Lawrence, that is where upon the clients’ willingness to care for their tattoos during
oil paintings, it comes as a surprise to learn he only picked up brush and tattoo needle simultaneously in 2002.
Although he drew a lot as a child, his dream was to become a musician, and focused on learning to play the guitar until he was 20.
“Making the transition to the visual arts seemed like a more realistic way to make a living and to support my family,” says Mr. Lawrence, who has found that to be the case since pur- chasing the successful Tat-Fu in 2003. “I was drawn to tattoo- ing because I always wanted to have a career that allowed me to be creative, and that also creates a positive impact on the people around me, and the society in which I live. In a small way, I believe that tattoos can help people, by allowing them to express themselves in new and interesting ways.”
Always spiritually driven and guided; and attracted to metaphysics, human consciousness and the unknown, nearly all of his paintings has a mystical, celestial quality — a wom- an transfixed by the glowing light in the palm of her hands, a Buddha defined only by green hues and shadow. This month’s cover, Soul Purpose, a highly detailed painting of a wide-eyed owl with fire and sky reflected in its eyes and that took more than 200 hours to complete, is another visual dis- play of Mr. Lawrence’s spiritual mindedness and deeply felt connection to the natural world.
“The concept of Soul Purpose is meant to express how we experience duality in life, and that this is the purpose of the soul,” he says. “I believe the experience of duality — good versus bad, light versus dark, love versus hate — is what con- tributes to the growth and evolution of the soul. The sun and the moon represent this duality; one cannot exist without the other. I chose the face of an owl because I think of it as be- ing representative of wisdom. The hourglass represents the passing of time, and I think of time as being the equalizer of experience. Painting this allowed me time to introspect on these concepts as they apply to my personal life, and my own experiencing of duality.”
Mr. Lawrence started out as a body piercing apprentice at Tat-Fu in 2001 and soon transitioned to tattooing working under Josh Nelson as his apprentice. “I had the opportunity to observe one of the most talented tattoo artists out there, as he worked and to learn from him,” says Mr. Lawrence. “If I hadn’t worked under Josh, I am not sure if I would have pur- sued tattooing as a medium because he takes it seriously, and taught me very important lessons that I still apply in my ev- eryday life as a tattoo artist. I am lucky in that Josh and I get to continue to work together at Tat-Fu today.”
Both tattooing and painting allow an artist to express themselves creatively in a visual manner and there is some
the similarities end.
“The two are very different mediums,” he says. “With tattoo-
ing, you are time limited and working on a three-dimensional space. The permanence of tattoos negates your ability to alter your image as you work. With painting, you have the luxury of unlimited time as you work on a canvas. You can make end- less small adjustments as you go, and as your vision evolves.”
He does find, however, that working in the two art forms do reciprocally influence each other. Painting allows him to experiment with color theory and composition, and he ap- plies his discoveries to his tattooing technique.
“In both art forms, there are layering techniques that involve building one layer upon another to create subtle changes un- til the desired effect is achieved,” he explains. “It is a tedious process that requires time, patience and self-discipline. Hav- ing the ability to practice these skills when I paint allows me to go into my tattoos with a more clear direction and well- thought out plan.”
Getting a tattoo from Mr. Lawrence is a many-step process that begins with a thorough consultation to discuss the style and idea that the client has in mind. As a commission artist his job is to provide whatever the client wants, but if the de- sign is compromised by size, placement or composition, he does his best to educate the client as to why that particular design isn’t ideal, and provide them with other options that still encompass their idea, but are more aesthetically and ar- tistically sound.
After conducting his own research to get a firm grasp on the subject matter, Mr. Lawrence begins drawing; either on paper or directly on the skin to help both himself and his client gain perspective on how the finished piece will look. Once in agreement, he draws the tattoo exactly as it will be applied, reviews it one last time with the client to make any minor changes, and then they are ready to begin. Working with rotary tattoo machines and traditional coil machines, and generally commissioned to do larger tattoos, it often will take multiple sessions to complete, followed by fine tuning and touch ups after the skin has healed.
“One of the greatest challenges of tattooing is working with acanvasthatbleeds,”hesays,“andthenrequireshealing,ages, and is exposed to elements like the sun. You have to be mind- ful of the bodies’ reaction to the tattoo. You have to be careful to not cause too much trauma to the skin, and in doing so, throughout the entire tattoo, attend to bleeding and swelling as it occurs. You have to be cognizant of the fact that some aspects of the tattoo will likely look different as they heal, and have the foresight to counteract these effects as they occur. A tattoos’ ability to stand the test of time is largely dependent
and after the healing process,” he says.
One of his most memorable recent tattoo commissions
was a portrait of comedian Richard Pryor he executed on a close friend, and which added another to his long list of awards when it won first place in the Best Portrait category at the Northern Arizona Tattoo Fest in Prescott this summer. The finished piece is a photorealistic image of the comedian created entirely out of shades of gray. (A similar tattoo of the sitcom character Steve Urkel took first place at the 2012 Laughlin Tattoo Convention for Best Black & Grey).
“Every time I look at that tattoo, or watch other people see it for the first time, I crack up laughing,” he says. “I’ve always been a big fan of Richard Pryor, and I love doing ‘off the wall’ tattoos like that one. Every time I look at it, I can almost hear his voice. I enjoy tattoos that provide comic relief.”
Working within time constraints, being aware of the fact that he is permanently marking another individual, and meeting the demands and expectations of clients makes for challenging and stressful work, but a happy client’s enthusi- asm over the finished product makes it worthwhile.
“It is rewarding to know that a piece of me stays with my clients for the rest of their lives,” says Mr. Lawrence. “I love that with tattoos, you can carry your art with you every day, no matter where you go, and that it is one thing that no one can ever take away from you,” says Mr. Lawrence. “I feel that well executed tattoos can enhance a person’s physical form just as a painting can enhance the wall it hangs on.”
While painting, Mr. Lawrence enjoys a more peaceful and liberating creative process, but the medium comes with chal- lenges of its own, particularly coming up against his highly detailed and perfectionist nature which makes it difficult to walk away from a piece and declare it complete.
“Tattooing requires me to stay in the moment and to be more spontaneous as opposed to my more methodical na- ture. When I paint, I find myself endlessly rendering my paint- ings,” he says. “That said, the reward of completing a painting comes in remembering the time spent, dedication of energy, a sense of accomplishment and a sense of honestly express- ing myself. The process of working on a painting can also be very therapeutic in that it provides time for reflection and thoughtfulness.”
Tat-Fu Tattoo is open 12-9PM Tuesday-Sunday at 104 E. Route 66 with an Art Walk party beginning at 6PM Friday, Sep- tember 5 featuring a collection of the most recent works of art by Tat-Fu Tattoo artists Nick Lawrence, Josh Nelson, Cam- eron Chase, Sug Spyra, Landis Bahe & Melissa Zimmer.
| Sarah Gianelli knows her ink. arts@thenoise.us
thenoise.us • the NOISE arts & news • SEPTEMBER 2014 • 17