Freshly Inked Interview with Sierra Colt
How long have you been tattooing? I would say about a solid 20 years now. I started learning a bit from some family friends that had a walk in shop around 1993 but really didn’t dive in 100% until 1998 when I started in a shop in Colorado with Chris Gomes at Independent Arts
Do you remember the moment you wanted to be a tattoo artist? I think it was right around the time I got my first tattoo. My mom actually set up a session with this old timer named “Dawg.” He had a “classy” studio set up in his cold basement in Minnesota. I remember her telling me to pay close attention to everything he does if you want to start learning this craft. I’m glad I didn’t pay too much attention because who knows what bad habits I might have picked up but the tattoo actually came out good I thought. think at that point I knew that tattooing was something that was going to be part of my life.
What job did you do right before becoming an artist? I feel like pizza delivery was always my side hustle but I ended up having a light career in snowboarding in 90’s. It was a ton of traveling on the different amateur and then pro tours and many amazing days riding. I definitely had some incredible experiences but snowboarding only covered so much. Around 2000 I decided to focus back on tattooing only and from there I was 100% committed to our industry.
What style of tattooing do you focus on? My work is very large scale focused. I fall into the Neo-Japanese category but I also do a lot of ornamental flowing design work. I really try and add depth and layers to my work.
Where do you currently tattoo? I own Bearcat Tattoo Gallery in San Diego California. Our place is an appointment based shop. I’m very lucky to be surrounded by some amazing artist here.
Tell us about the atmosphere in your tattoo studio. I converted an old 1906 house. It has a very comforting home feel when you walk in. We also have an incredible space for events (art shows etc) in our back lot. It’s a large area surrounded by palm trees. On the day to day we have some awesome clients that roll in for their work. Our shop has a family feel. We usually break for lunch together with our clients and really treat the day with our clients like a visit from a friend.
How would you describe your work in three words? Bold, Colorful, Depth
What's your advice for aspiring artists? I think it’s important to take the time to do it right. Really render out your designs and concepts before you apply them to clients. The most important thing is to get tattooed by artists you admire and use that time to learn and ask questions.
See more from Sierra here!