Meet Turtle | Owner/ Tattoo artist at Turtles Tattoo and Company

We had the good fortune of connecting with Turtle and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Turtle, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
What did I want to do different, business practice is simple its broken down and there for you to learn, My process was more what would make my fellow artists comfortable, and my clients want to stay at my shop. My employees come before me fuck that old school mentality of separating work and friends my shop is a family I’m lucky to be working with the people I work with, we spend more time with each other then away. Yes at the end of the day I run a business but what i love most is taking care of people providing a space for art and expression and spreading love kindness and a lot of laughter.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
My style I guess if you had to call it something is Neo-illustrative black and grey for the most part but i also love to do any style of tattooing except color portraits not my thing. my journey starts when I was ten My sister came home with a tattoo on her thigh of a wolf and i thought i was better then whoever did it at the time. i never like sat down and actually drawn anything, but i was hooked started teaching myself to draw, it consumed my everything then started looking for an apprenticeship when i turned 18 that failed but it didn’t deter my passion to learn so i started teaching myself this was before the youtube era and computer phones. so to the library i went got a copy of Huck Spaulding tattooing from A to Z and just started scratching messing people up till i was half way decent, then stopped tattooing got in some trouble decided i really didn’t want to be a scratcher but a real tattoo artist. finally got an apprenticeship and the biggest thing i learned is you are constantly learning new things about tattooing different techniques different tricks to make you better it never stops. The second thing i learned was you need people you need personal relationships they are what make you, you. i struggled to find a place to fit in i was being a chameleon instead of my authentic self and until i started to not compare or judge my success by others and just be grateful for the moments. thats when it all fell into place the light bulb went off and i started to enjoy life all around it is a long journey to get to where im at and i have more to go but im not scared anymore im hopeful and grateful , i am still a work in progress, it will take time and it may happen faster for others but you have your own path to travel and thats ok too.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Breakfast: I’m making scrambled eggs with cheese sausage Links pancakes and biscuit
Lunch: maybe Ferngully Jamaican resturant or Tassa on exit 265 0ff Hwy75
we would head to the shop and probably tattoo them for a couple hours to catch up
Hit up the grocery store to pick out dinner
have a dope Dinner
then its movie time and drinks and pj’s its a party
and if you get sleepy you just go to bed

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My Shoutout goes to my village there are many people that helped me along my journey but my foundation starts with my mom Charmaine who passed she was my biggest fan and supporter day one bought me my first machines. then there is my sister Christine, my Brother Charles and my son Cash they keep me grounded and built me different. So Shoutout to them with all the love and respect.

Website: https://Turtlestattooco.com

Instagram: @turtlestattooandcompany

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/WvnKR5JWVBj8tj3U/?mibextid=LQQJ4d

Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/@TurtlesTattooandCompany

Image Credits
@jaygreene.509
@nathan_heinrich
@moldybonestattoo
@balloontattoo
@eat.our.art
@nekropanties