I have been tattooing at SRT Studios for four years, with a majority of my work consisting of large freehand Japanese pieces as well as darker horror themes.
My real passion is in the macabre with my love of metal music and all things gone obsessed providing ample inspiration for my tattoos, drawing and paintings. These include artists like Alex Renault, Paul Booth, Diego Ruiz and King Carlos and bands such as Decapitated, Fintrell, Behemoth and Deicide among hundres of others that keep me inspired.
I am the owner of SRT Studios and a proud one at that. I first began tattooing here eight years ago, when it belonged to a couple of my friends. When a, year later, it was offered to me as a purchase, I jumped at the chance. It was the best move I have made and am very proud of how it is developing.
I am also extremely proud of my staff, who had little or no tattooing experience when they started here as Trainees, without them, their enthusiasm and talent, SRT Studios would not be a shadow of what it is today.
Prior to starting here I was studying for the Bachelor of Visual Arts at Adelaide Central School of Art. This was after nearly ten years of private tuition and seemed the next logical step. The wealth of knowledge I gained has allowed me to approach tattooing with a “true” artistic eye, so much so that I no longer create tattoo designs for my clients, I create Fine Art and use their bodies as my gallery.
When not tattooing or creating designs I spend most of my time in my studio, painting, or drawing.
I am a South African expat who enjoys art and creativity in many different forms, especially painting, drawing and tattooing.
I draw inspiration from everyday life, the music I listen to (namely metal, rock, industrial and punk) as well as movies (the darker the better) and an array of other great artists and tattooists that are helping to take art one step further instead of just rehashing the past. The styles I most enjoy working in are black and grey horror, which lets me indulge in my fascination for gore and the grotesque, and full colour new school.
I’m really stoked to be working in one of Australia’s most modern and ambitious art studios alongside a really talented and hard working crew. Some of my favorite artists/tattooists are Paul Booth, Nick Baxter, Josh Carlton, Victor Portugal and Guy Aitchison.
Due to a high demand of tattoo designs such as names and sayings, lettering has become something I specialize in out of necessity.
For most other tattoos I reference comic book artists for style ideas. Love that urban graph look. I really do enjoy it all. Even taking a thrashed to death idea and trying to but a new spin on it.
When I am not tattooing I paint urban manga style street art which I sell in venues around Australia.
Since having finished my apprenticeship at SRT Studios in 2009, I am now loving getting the opportunity to do more and more of the style I really enjoy: Traditional.
Pinups, flowers, revamped images of yester-year, anything cute, pretty, girly, slightly gory or vintage and detailed, are definitely things that inspire me.
The modern and forward thinking attitude of our studio and the facilities it provides definitely makes it easy for me to create something original and new, as I am very focussed on custom designing.
I love making sure my clients have an enjoyable tattoo experience, whether it be their first or not, and it is easy to do so in the easygoing but professional surroundings here at SRT Studios.
After having studied art from a young age, my passion has since turned to tattooing after many years of searching for the right career choice. If I had to find a fault within myself I’d say that it would be my drive for perfection which certainly transcends into my art.
When I was younger I worked with St. Johns Ambulance for a few years, so I found that I picked up tattooing quite easily as I already had a broad knowledge of the medical aspect, it was just a matter of applying it to this industry. I tend to enjoy black and grey works the most as there is an endless supply of methods and ideas. I have now been tattooing for around 4 years now and I am enjoying every minute of it, which is a rare thing these days and a feeling I will hold onto for years to come.