Today we’d like to introduce you to Kate Penn.
Hi Kate, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I was a student at Northern Arizona University, studying sociology & studio art. I spent my evenings bartending at a local college bar, and also did lots of local freelance graphic design work on the side. I have always been infatuated with tattoos and began frequenting a well known shop in Downtown Flagstaff known as Mirror Gallery. This shop had a number of very impressive artists and nothing but positive reviews so I become comfortable there quickly. After receiving tattoos from a few of their artists, I was told that the shop was looking for new apprentices and I went ahead and applied.
After interviewing with Cam Chase, my mentor and the shop’s owner, I got the job and was beyond excited to be working in a tattoo shop. I worked the counter for about a year and a half before I graduated from NAU and was able to give more of my time to the apprenticeship. Cam and the other five tattooers at Mirror Gallery taught me an incredible amount about art, drawing tattoos, tattooing, the history of the craft, and more. Cam and Soup Matyas, another experienced tattooer at MG, opened a second downtown shop called Flagstaff Tattoo Company.
They filled the new shop with more talented artists and I began working the counter at both shops. In October 2020, I did my first tattoo on myself.
After that, the ball started rolling and tattooing became my full time job. I now work at Flagstaff Tattoo Co. as an apprentice tattooer and I have many incredible clients that I couldn’t be more grateful for. The world of tattooing is not an easy one to get into, so I consider myself incredibly lucky to be where I am today.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Overall, my journey as a tattoo apprentice has been great. The most difficult part for me was balancing college courses, an evening job, a graphic design business, and long, unpaid apprenticeship hours. When I was at the shop, I was always happy to be there and it was clear to me which industry I wanted to be in, so I made it happen!
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
Typically, I do a lot of blackwork tattoos. I like illustrative and traditional artwork the most right now, so I’d say my style is a mixture of the two. I also really enjoy botanical and nature oriented tattoos! Because I’m only a year into tattooing, I know my style will continue to develop and change as I grow as an artist and I can’t wait to see where it takes me!
Let’s talk about our city – what do you love? What do you not love?
I love Flagstaff because I feel a large sense of community here. It’s easy to escape from the hustle and bustle of the Phoenix area, where I grew up.
There are lots of local businesses here and a general small town feel that I love!
Contact Info:
- Email: kpenndesign@gmail.com
- Website: k8penn.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/katepenntattoos/
Image Credits
Matt Valley
