Today we’d like to introduce you to Jeff Johnson.
Hi Jeff, 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.
I grew up in the small suburban town of Newbury Park, CA. I started drawing at a young age, daydreaming bout dragons and wizards instead of paying attention in school. By the time high school came around I was in mostly art classes, choosing to make art instead of pursue academics. After graduating, I went through a few years of just drawing in my spare time, working or not working, just kind of floating. In 2001, I bumped into an old friend that offered to teach me to tattoo. Within a year, I had started tattooing regularly, quit my day-to-day job, and began what would be a lifelong passion of a tattoo career. I worked in a few shops, bouncing from Ventura County to the valley, Hollywood, and Los Angeles. Along the way, I also managed to visit many countries, traveling abroad, working at tattoo conventions, and meeting great tattooers along the way. I was also introduced to oil painting in the mid to late 2000s, a practice that has been a passion since. In 2015, I moved back home to Thousand Oaks, CA, and opened Dire Wolf Tattoo and Fine Art. It has been a pleasure to help bring tattooing to the area, being only the second shop in a town where tattoo shops were previously not allowed. I also met my wife and started a family in the next few years. I now reside back in Newbury Park, where I tattoo and paint while raising a family and keeping the wheels turning at Dire Wolf, which is now going on its 9th year in business.
We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
The road to where I am at now wasn’t as hard as some and definitely not as easy as others. There have been many sacrifices along the way and many blessings. I feel I am very lucky to do something I truly love as a career with people I care deeply about. I was fortunate to get into tattooing at an exciting time, just before the bubble really burst and things went so mainstream. The sacrifices made definitely paid off tenfold. Struggling with money at times, sacrificing relationships to dedicate time to developing my skills as an artist. Putting everything I had on the line to open my shop. The biggest pothole in the road happened more recently in 2022. My family and I were in a major car accident, resulting in me breaking my back and neck and crushing my chest cavity. The recovery heals been long and painful, but with the overwhelming support of the community here, my family, and my wife, I have made it back and have been tattooing pretty regularly again.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I make tattoos, and I paint. I enjoy tattooing dynamic illustrative designs in both color and black and grey. I’m known for custom hand-drawn designs. More recently, I have found myself inspired by elements of Japanese style tattooing, drawn in my own distinct style, flowers, snake, dragon waves, and the like. The paintings I am known for are very different from my tattoos. The majority of my painting work is loose realism in oil. However, I do make some illustrative watercolor paintings as well. I really enjoy both styles and find that the diversity really keeps me from getting bored with one or the other.
Where we are in life is often partly because of others. Who/what else deserves credit for how your story turned out?
First and foremost, Carson Hill. Carson is a renowned biomechanical tattooer whom I apprenticed under. He introduced me to tattooing, an art to which I have dedicated my time and life for the last 20 years. Shawn Barber is another mentor/inspiration. He is a well-known oil painter and tattooist in the Los Angeles area. I was introduced to oil painting by Shawn, who was more than open and helpful passing along information about how he paints and approaches his craft. Cliff Sullivan at Premier Coach in Thousand Oaks has been a mentor to me in the realm of business and inspired me to open the shop and keep it open during some hard times in the first couple of years.
Pricing:
- Tattoo-$700 half day-$1300 full day
- Painting commissions- please inquire for availability
Contact Info:
- Website: www.direwolftattoo.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jeff_johnson_tattoo/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jeffjohnsontattoos
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/dire-wolf-tattooing-and-fine-art-thousand-oaks?osq=dire+wolf+tattoo
