Today we’d like to introduce you to Jamie Lopez
Hi Jamie, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I started my tattoo career in Santa Fe Springs in 2014 at the age of 17. At that time i didnt know that it was what i was going to be doing forever. i was still in high school so i had alot of willing participants around me looking to get their first tattoos. if i can take it back a little bit further, i always had an affinity with graffiti as a kid, something i picked up from watching my older brother and his friends writing on walls. thats where my love for art was born (somepoint in elementary school).
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
definitely not haha. i was lucky to have started at a very young age to get to this point but there were struggles along the way forsure. the downside to being young is being naive. for example when i first started shopping around for a place to work at the age of 18 you can say that i was rubbing shoulders with some unsavory characters haha. i put myself in some dangerous situations around that period of time at my first couple places of work ( i wont name any names haha) i wasnt looking for that kind of stuff though, i just wanted to tattoo. but i am thankful for that period of time because it taught me exactly what i was looking for in my career.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
im a tattooer, brand owner, creative director, graphic designer, and all around creative. this year will mark 10 years of my tattoo career. i specialize in Chicano style black and grey or fine line tattoos and my graphic design is closely parallel to that same style. ive been lucky that tattooing has brought me into so many other fields of work and connected me/ allowed me to work with so many talented people. ive had so many blessings this year for example ive had the opportunity to produce artwork for two album covers for platinum recording artists. My brand has had a landmark year and my tattoo studio is now at maximum capacity with 8 artists who are all killers in their own right. in my work life im definitely most proud of that last part, being blessed enough to surround myself with great artists who keep me inspired everyday. in my personal life, i am most proud of my wife kassandra and our baby boy coco who is 9 months old. they keep me going forsure.
What sort of changes are you expecting over the next 5-10 years?
tattooing has already changed so much in the short amount of time that ive been a part of it. especially in los angeles. theres been a surge of new tattooers and its viewed as an easier career path to pursue. which to be honest im all for that. so many fresh styles and fresh takes on older styles, its ever changing.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: JAMIEGENETATTOOS
Image Credits
PERSONAL IMAGE CREDIT:
DYLAN SHUEY (IG: @zendover)
ADDITIONAL IMAGE CREDIT:
SEAN BEHR (IG: @tornblackjeans)
