Today we’d like to introduce you to Jeremy Redhawk.
Hi Jeremy, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
Well, I moved here to Houston in 2000. I lived next door to a tattoo shop on Richmond, and made friends with one of the tattooers there. I apprenticed there briefly, then started working as a tattooer. I was there for a few years and then found myself trying to work at Shaw’s. Larry Shaw eventually gave me a job, and I worked with him and he pretty much taught me everything I know about tattooing, machines, the business. I am incredibly grateful to have had his expertise and guidance. I worked for him for eight years or so, then I worked with his son at his shop. It was a great experience and I have been able to work with some really great tattooers over the years. I eventually opened my private studio in 2018, and have been here ever since.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
I think that most of the professional challenges I faced with tattooing were adapting to a different medium. There are of course the challenges and obstacles that come with starting and operating a business.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I started drawing as a kid, as far back as I can remember. I remember sitting on the sofa and drawing my Dad as he was watching tv. It was really energizing because I was so proud that I could draw. Drawing is more a way of seeing, I think. My parents really went out of their way to support my development. When I was 12 or 13 they enrolled me in classes at the local Art League. I started off there with watercolor. My teacher there taught me landscapes in watercolor, and it was very difficult at first. But then he always had a little Zen saying or something that shifted my perspective and forced me to see differently. I continued my art training over the years and studied Philosophy and Art History at St. Thomas, and later Painting at the University of Houston. I feel like it all set me up for really evolving as a tattoo artist.
At first, most tattooers start by doing flash, walk-ins, lettering; and that is how you gain more and more experience technically. But over the years tattooing for me has evolved into something much more fulfilling. There’s something special about Art, the verb, and helping others to articulate their thoughts visually, and permanently, nonetheless. I feel like what is paramount for me is the technicality, producing solid, quality lines. Whatever the particular style of each individual piece, quality execution is key. After that, I’d say my most inspiring art to create is some sort of mixture between clean, hand-drawn geometric and mythological motifs.
What would you say have been one of the most important lessons you’ve learned?
I think the most important lesson I’ve learn, so far, is patience. Whether it is work, relationships, or just life, patience will help you live longer. And it gives you perspective, to see your life and work from the top looking down, where your strengths are and how to make the most of them, facing your fears and conquering them, and not so much seeking answers, but finding the right questions, which lead to a greater understanding of ourselves; which is the answer.
Contact Info:
- Email: Jeremy@TheRedhawkStudio.com
- Website: https://www.TheRedhawkStudio.com
- Instagram: @TheRedhawkStudio
- Facebook: TheRedhawkStudio
Image Credits:
Jeremy Redhawk
