Today we’d like to introduce you to Madison Thomas
Hi Madison, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I have always been an artist.
I won best artist in preschool (big flex I know) and I was alway drawing in my free time.
After I found out you could be an artist AND make money doing it I knew that that was what I needed to do with my life. I graduated from College For Creative Studies in 2021 with a BFA in Illustration, and did a big fat nothing with my degree while working full time as a cheesemonger to make ends meet. I quickly realized this was not ideal and I needed to find my way back into an art career.
During this time I was working on my arm sleeve with my tattoo artist Mason (@mezzo.tattoo on insta). When I brought up tattooing as a career move. He told me that it could be a physically and mentally demanding job, but incredibly fulfilling if you are willing to dedicate enough time to it. I had an opportunity to start fresh in East Lansing and quickly found an apprenticeship at a local shop, Ink and Needle, that was willing to teach me.
For the first few months I was apprenticing, I worked a part time retail job in the morning and spent most evenings tattooing roses and diamonds on fake skin. I moved on to doing free tattoos and after 6 months I completed my apprenticeship and became a junior artist. I made the move to Stray Dogs Tattoo Studio 2 years into my career and have worked here for about 7 months. I love it!
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Most Tattoo Artists can agree that getting into the career can be a challenge. Since there is no one way to go about it almost every artist you talk to has a different list of struggles they faced to get to where they are in their careers. When I first started my apprenticeship I was terrible! If you know me you know I LOVE being good at things and I was NOT good at tattooing at first.
Tattoo machines are bulky, awkward, and took a long time to get used to. It was exhausting working my retail job in the mornings and having to work for free every evening. When putting permanent works of art on other people’s bodies, which they will wear everyday, it can be hard to give yourself grace for any perceived mistakes. I have to remind myself that I, like most artists, will always be my own worst critic. Its much easier these days to remind myself that my clients chose me and trust me because I have shown them I am capable. It feels good to know that!
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I like to consider my tattoos Illustrative or storybook-esque. I work in color and black and grey to create pieces inspired by nature and to compliment the body parts that they are placed on. My tattoos are all unique and I will seldom do the same design twice. I like the idea that every person I tattoo has something no one else in the world has! Whether it is custom design we worked together on, or something from my flash.
Recently I have started taking on bigger multi-session projects that I’m very proud of. Most of them are unfinished as of now so I’m excited for when I am able to share them with everyone.
Everyone has their own unique flare that sets them apart from others. I believe mine is a liberal use of stars and dots and the organic and wiggly feel of my designs. I like to get a little funky with it!
Where we are in life is often partly because of others. Who/what else deserves credit for how your story turned out?
I’ll start at the top! My partner, friends and family all supported me making my career change from the get go, begged me to do it even! My coworkers at Ink and Needle who ended up surprising me by becoming some of my closest friends. I’m so thankful for the home I’ve found at Stray Dogs and my friendships with all the artists who work there. Big thanks to Ronan and Mason for allowing me in to their incredible space. Biggest thanks to every person who has sat in my chair and has gotten a tattoo! It literally wouldn’t be possible for me to do what I do without the trust of my clientele, whether you’ve gotten all your tattoos from me or just one!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.straydogstattoostudio.com/
- Instagram: shmadee.tattoo
