Today we’d like to introduce you to Nichole Carlton.
Hi Nichole, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I’ve always had a love affair with art. Drawing as a child, then diving head first into photography as a teen, I knew that art would somehow be a prominent and permanent part of my life. I met my husband who was a prominent tattooer at 19, in 2001. He showed me a side of tattooing that up until that point I hadn’t known existed, the side that reflected a pure art form. We travelled the country going to different conventions and studios, meeting and becoming friends with other like-minded artists. I was instantly in love with the industry and spent 23 years supporting Joshua and his career, running our studios ‘from the back end’ and making the tattoo industry as much a part of my life as it was his. We started the Evergreen Tattoo Invitational in 2014 with our friends and partners Erin and Riley Smith in Eugene Oregon. Every year we bring in amazing talent from all over the world, and the show has grown into something that not only we, but the locals look forward to year after year. We also host the Evergreen Tattoo Educational leading up to the Invitational. For this we bring in four top tier tattoo artists who share their knowledge and techniques, helping other artists to grow and thrive. 2020 brought not only covid-19, but a terminal cancer diagnosis for my husband. With tattooing being so much a part of my life, it was only natural that he suggest that I step into the ‘front end’ and begin tattooing. I was scared. Although I’d spent so much time watching and learning and could recite a plethora of information about tattooing, actually applying it to skin was so much more intimidating. My friend Erin Smith taught me how to tattoo permanent cosmetics first. From there I decided to give artistic tattooing a try. I started out making a charcoal drawing of every single piece before I tattooed it in the skin. This helped to understand the art and its challenging spots, and gave me a bit of a very much needed confidence boost. From there I tattooed when I could, between getting my kids back and forth to school and caring for Joshua. I try to make every piece a work of art, bringing in my knowledge from painting, charcoals and photography to make it as unique and dynamic as possible. Something that is not widely talked about is that tattooing as a career demands so much more than what a person would expect. It demands your time, your heart, your sleep. Tattooing is not a job that you can leave at work once you come home from the studio. I’m privileged and grateful for the way that tattooing found me and to be a tattoo artist. Although its not for everyone, I’m so happy that it ended up being for me. I try to make sure that every single tattoo I do honors my late husband’s legacy, and is something that would make him proud.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I was very fortunate to have such an astounding teacher. The road hasn’t necessarily been smooth. I didn’t always have the time needed to dedicate to keeping a steady schedule, and would sometimes feel a backslide from having to wait such lengths between tattooing. With that said though, due to my solid background in art and with the industry I do feel that I had a bit of an advantage over others who start from scratch.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I tattoo, oil paint, and do charcoal drawings. I tend to lean toward dark, macabre and dramatic subject matter, focusing on painterly contemporary realism. I’m definitely drawn to imagery that is rich in dark shadows, as it breathes more emotion into the art. I think what sets me apart from other tattooers specifically is my use of soft and lost edges, giving the pieces more of an etherial feel.
I own my own studio, Black Brush Tattooing & Fine Art in Eugene, Oregon, Co-own the Evergreen Tattoo Invitational and Educational in Eugene Oregon, and split my time between Oregon and Indiana, working at The Salt House tattoo studio in Franklin Indiana.
We love surprises, fun facts and unexpected stories. Is there something you can share that might surprise us?
I honestly don’t really know…
Pricing:
- Tattoo hourly rate $200
- Multi Session rate $1000 (5-6hr sessions)
- Paintings & Charcoals priced per piece
Contact Info:
- Website: https://nicholecarlton.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ncarltontattoo/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NicholeCarlton
- Other: https://www.instagram.com/blackbrushtattoostudio/
