Jasmin Austin

Posted on Monday, 7 December 2009 by Benny

It’s been a little while since i’ve featured a tattooist, so i’m stoked to bring you this weeks feature artist, Jasmin Austin.

It blows my mind that Jasmin has only been tattooing for 4 years, once you check her stuff you’ll understand why!

Jasmin tattoos at Voodoo Tattoo, 98 Mann street, Gosford, NSW, Australia.

Thank you for your time dude, whats been happening?

Just keeping busy working on new pieces of art, few oil paintings on the go, doing some art for other companies, and artwork for my new Jasmin Austin tattoos t-shirts and sketch book,

i’ve always got something to do!

For those who don’t know, can you tell us a bit about yourself?

My name’s Jasmin Austin im a tattoo artist and painter, originally from Perth, Western Australia. I moved to NSW for work and it has been the best decision i’ve ever made, I work in a wonderful shop where I have learnt so much and really grown artistically and had had so many doors open for me since being here.

I absolutely love art i love tattooing and oil painting, if you have seen any of my art work you’d see alot of it is horror based I have an obsession with blood in tattoos! But other than horror I do love to create things that are beautiful I draw alot of artworks using girls faces which I really enjoy.

I do realism oil paintings and am strongly influenced by the old masters they have a bit of renaissance feel to them, I hope to at some stage cut down tattooing and paint more.

Apart from my art I like to hang out with my partner and friends and play with my bull terrier.

How did you initially get involved with tattooing, Who taught you to tattoo, and how have they had an effect on your style today?

I got into tattooing when I was about 19, I was being tattooed at the time in Perth and the tattooist informed me of a shop who were looking for a new apprentice, I didn’t hesitate and went in the following day with my portfolio and started work that week, the shop was in a beach town called Scarborough, I was shown the very basics and unfortunately left to teach myself the rest, I spent about 2 years there then moved to NSW looking for work, I got a job offer of a guy called Davo my now boss, I went in and saw him and got the job!

This was a great opportunity for me working in a shop with at the time 5 other tattooists meant that I could learn something from everyone, thats a lot of knowledge!

I had to re-learn a lot of things but very quickly got better and better, everyone in the shop has influenced me and shown me many other artists work in not just tattooing but all kinds of areas.

Davo was my biggest influence with his beautiful clean solid tattoos and amazing artwork.

I have now been working there for 3 years the shop is growing and so am I theres not a day that I dont learn something new, I work with an incredible crew of 7 and everyone has something to offer,

I am extremely grateful to be working there and have made the move over to NSW.

You’re an amazing fine artist, watercolours, pencil, oils – You do it all. How long have you been drawing and creating art and when did you decide to persue art and tattooing as a career?

I honestly can’t remember when it all started I just remember always loving art and creating things.

I have been really busy with it all since I was about 15 which was when I started drawing tattoo style art, It wasn’t until I left school though that I looked into getting into tattooing which I didn’t waste to much time doing.

I have been oil painting for about 2 years but only recently been pumping heaps out, it’s something I love most in this world im not sure what it is about it I just love it so much, and is something I want to do alot more of.

I guess you could say Tattoo’s have become accepted in today’s society, possibly even expected, obviously there being more people for you to tattoo is a good thing, but do you think there is a downside to it?

I guess the only downside to it would be the rise in numbers of home/backyard tattooists, there seems to be a lot of young kids buying machines off ebay and tattooing their friends, this obviously isn’t good considering they’d have no way to sterilize anything and produce really bad tattoos which we end up covering or fixing.

How do you think certain “reality” tattoo shows on TV have effected tattooing on a broad scale?

I think that has been a reason in the increase of home tattooists, but also helped open peoples eyes to the art form so tattoos end up a bit more accepted, Also I think it has shown people more styles of art that can be tattooed

What was your first tattoo, and who did it?

Oh gosh I was 15, it was a butterfly I can’t remember who did it, and yes I want it lasered off!

I guess you could describe your artistic style as being, “dark” and perhaps even Morbid Traditional, Where do you draw the inspiration for your artwork from?

I watch a lot of horror movies but I dont think they make me draw that style, i’ve just always loved to make things gory or strange, I think when you make things dark its got a feeling to it and its easy to create, it’s the same as making things beautiful but I just love putting blood in tattoos too much.

What’s been pumping through your speakers lately?

I’ve been listening to the Haste The Day, Burning Bridges album, the new Chimaira album Infection, the Angoy Scence, oh and the Dethklok album their the band from a metal cartoon Metaloccalypse

Greatest accomplishment as an artist/ tattooist?

Just getting recognized for my art, I think my future holds alot more bigger opportunities, I dont plan on slowing down with my art just doing more and more of it, traveling and doing guest spots and conventions.

No doubt you have seen some pretty fucked tattoo’s in your time, what is the worst tattoo you’ve ever seen? Oooo I think i’ve seen too many to pick just one, they’re always home jobs.

Favourite place to kick it?

I really like being at home spending time painting and keeping my dog company

What’s in your pockets right now?

I have no pockets but if anything it’d be my phone

What are your views/opinions on the World and Society today?

I think the world is a crazy place and sometimes feel like i’m from somewhere else, I wish all people were genuine and nice, other than that I really don’t put alot of thought into it, my thoughts are always consumed of art involved things.

Name 5 things you couldn’t live without.

1. My hands

2. My partner Nathan

3. My family

4. My miniature bull terrier Darth

5. And, art supplies to paint

Advice to aspiring artists/tattooists? Just to keep busy with your art always keep your eyes open to be influenced by other artists, take all the advice you can, don’t give up and do whatever you can to get yourself out there.

Anything in the mix or coming up that we should know about? I’ll have some new shirts ready for the new year, a volume one sketch book of all my custom tattoos from the previous year.

I’ll be doing a guest spot in the beginning of the year at Black throne tattoo in Brisbane which is Rachi’s shop, then in March the Sydney Tattoo Expo and I hope to move back to Perth some time next year and work at Holdfast tattoo.

Jasmin Says: I can’t think of anything else to add! I’m generally not much of a talker.

Word association, you know the deal, say whatever comes to your mind when you read the word.

Australia - A great place to live

Kevin Rudd - Haha the laugh on Rove’s Kevin Rudd segment

Religion – Ahhh causes too much aggression

Time – I want to live forever

Greed – Not me

Humanity – A strange bunch

Peace – Smelly hippies

Freedom - Ahhh smelly hippies

Tattooing – An incredible job to have

Art – My favorite thing to do