Canada
My name is Haylo, I am a professional
tattoo artist currently working at Art on You Studios in Magna, Utah. When Hoss
first approached me with this opportunity to be a part of the Torqued family, I
swear my heart skipped a beat! I am so excited to have the honorary and coveted
position of supplying Torqued and all it’s readers with the latest ink news,
gossip, artistry, and of course, the many aspects that bring a tattooed body
and powerful engine-driven adrenaline pumping ride into unison!
For my first agenda, I would like
to introduce myself and include a small “biography” about how I got into the
industry of ink and tattoos.
I was born in a city called Ogden, Utah into a family of 5
children. At a the young age of 2, I was already taking my crayons and drawing
in coloring books, reading books, and yes, even walls!
Instead of punishing me, my parents
decided to put a wipe off board on the wall just outside my bedroom, where I
would spend hours drawing and doodling.
I took a particular interest in
drawing animals. After going to my first Circus at the age of 4, elephants were
my first favorite animal to draw. Soon followed by simple drawings of kitty
cats, and eventually leading to dogs and horses. And to this day, horses are
still my favorite animal to draw.
When I was of age to start school,
my birthday fell past the dreaded dead line and I was forced to wait another
year while my older siblings went to school. My Mom would watch over my baby
brother while my Dad worked. And I, of course, spent the majority of my time
drawing.
My 1st grade year I
entered a popular creativity contest known as the “Reflections Contest”. I drew
a Unicorn, and was very pleased with myself to take 3rd place. The
next year, I set my bar higher and wanted to try for at least a 2nd!
Unfortunately, my very own teacher did not believe I drew my entry and I was
disqualified. Even though I was only 7 years old, this devastated me and I
stopped drawing.
My parents were sickened when they
saw my interest in drawing all but dwindle. They decided to home school me (and
my siblings) fearing that I would be discouraged from ever drawing again.
As time went on, my desire to draw
did return. When I returned to public school in 7th grade, my art
teachers were so impressed with my skill, that I was put in advanced art
classes.
I attended 2 Junior Highs, and 4
High Schools; and everywhere I went, my reputation of being the girl that
“rocked at drawing” followed me. My classmates loved watching me draw. Even my
art teachers would ask me about my techniques and where I learned them. Being
self taught, I never quite knew how to answer them.
When I was 14, I received my first
assignment to draw a human portrait. I had never had a desire to draw people,
let alone a human portrait. At that time, Titanic was all the rage at the box
office, so I picked Leonardo Dicaprio as my subject of choice.
To this day, I still have that
portrait that paved the way to many, many more portraits. I still loved drawing
my animals, but I found a new challenge in portraiture.
I really started getting serious about my portrait skills
when I drew my first portrait for a funeral when I was only 17 years old… And
it was a funeral portrait that pointed me down the path of doing ink.
When I was 23, I drew a portrait of
a mutual friend that passed away in a motorcycle accident for his family. Later
at his home, many of his friends asked me if I did tattoos. The thought had
crossed my mind, but I was honest and told them I did not, and even if I did, I
would not even know where to start.
I believe everything happens for a
reason, and that caught the attention of an individual that approached me with
an opportunity… He had a friend that was a very talented tattoo artist, and if
I was willing to put in the time, effort and commitment to get into the
tattooing world, he would make it happen for me.
The day I met my first mentor, I
walked into his tattoo parlor… with out a single tattoo on my body. I don’t
think he took me seriously until he saw my portfolio of what I could do on paper
with graphite. He did see great potential in me, and as fait would have it, he
gave me a chance… Even though I was completely inkless!
My first tattoo that I was assigned
was also the first tattoo I acquired. Yes, I had to tattoo myself. And yes, it
hurt.
After doing my first tattoo, I
realized that this is something I really wanted. I found a way to take my
artistic abilities to new heights. I have dealt with hardcore mentors, bullying
clients, and even those that take pride in calling themselves, “Rock Stars”.
But retrospectively, I have also rubbed elbows with some of the World’s top
artists, taken advise from some of Utah’s finest, and most of all, I have been
able to meet and associate with some truly amazing people that I feel modest in
just referring to them as “clients”.
Once again, my name is Haylo, and I
have been tattooing now for only a short 5 ½ years, but I am definitely no
stranger to artistic talent. I look forward to bringing tattoos, creativity,
bizarreness, disturbing, wild, and even kickassness (yes, I made up my own
word!), to the World of Torqued
magazine!
.