Hi, I'm Jess! I'm a beginner tattoo artist with a lot to learn, but I'm so grateful and excited to be here.

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It's been a tough ride trying to figure out what I'm meant to do in this life. I grew up on an acreage in Alberta but always knew I wanted to live on the west coast. I moved to Vancouver Island to attend university in 2015 where I studied creative writing and journalism. I graduated with a degree but have never used it in a professional setting; instead, I ended up bouncing around BC, working at a remote Heliskiing resort, to spending my summers waitressing at a fishing lodge. My twenties were a decade of confusion as I tried to figure myself out and where I was heading. I don't think I've ever cried so much in my life than I had in the last few years of my twenties. 

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Hence the name Cowboys Do Cry. I put up a tough front for so long, fighting my resistance to my heavy emotions. But it wasn't until I became more vulnerable and sat with myself and felt my big feelings that I started to finally figure out where I wanted to go in life.

 

I began as a permanent makeup artist in 2020 after getting my own eyebrows done because it changed my life to such a huge degree that I wanted to perform the service for others. I'd never even held a tattoo machine before, but I signed up for the training and somehow excelled at it right off the bat. Permanent makeup was fun and while I enjoyed the craft and loved helping others with their self-confidence, I found I was craving something more creative. The switch from permanent make up to tattooing is often rejected by traditional tattoo artists and I had no idea how I'd enter into the realm of tattooing. I entertained the idea of becoming an artist by drawing up flash sheets and practicing with my brow machine on fake skin and friends who kindly let me permanently ink them, but I didn't think I'd actually transition to doing tattoos in a studio. 

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I began working at Studio Mina in 2022 as a permanent brow artist, but started my tattoo journey over the summer of 2023 after the owner took me on as an apprentice. I am forever grateful to Mina for helping me get started as a tattoo artist, and I grew even faster than both of us could imagine. In May of 2024, I moved to a private studio located in Gastown where I now work alongside some wildly talented artists.

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My entire life I've been doing acrylic paintings on canvases, so the switch to digital illustrations to the transfer to skin has been an exciting journey for me to navigate. Many of my paintings are inspired by pop art and comic strips, but my tattooing has been a mix of fine line and colour packed patchwork pieces. I'm still learning what my specific tattoo style is, but I've been having fun learning new techniques and finding bits of myself in my artwork along the way.

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Sometimes I still have pinch me moments over the fact that people want my artwork on their bodies forever. My clients are the best in the world and deserve a safe and inclusive space where they can bring their ideas to life. My tattoo studio is a relaxed, welcoming environment. Your comfort and confidence are top priorities, so you can trust that your tattoo experience will be as awesome as the art we create together. The art of tattooing is a delicate energy transfer and I seriously believe that I am leaving a piece of myself with my clients and I only ever will leave good vibes with you. 

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I have the utmost respect for my journey because it all led me here and I couldn't be more excited to watch it unfold. Thank you to everyone who has supported me thus far, I cannot express my gratitude enough. I look forward to working with you and making your vision come to life and creating some really cool art.

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Love, 

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Jess