Tinker is tops in tattoo artistry
- NC Raine | April 25, 2017
Brad Tinker could no longer ignore his passion for art and sharing his craft in a personal way.
“I realized that tattooing was something I needed to take more seriously. It couldn't just be a hobby,” says Tinker. “I needed to learn the industry. When I made that decision, I stuck with it fully and never went back to work. I've been doing it ever since.”
Tinker is the owner and one of the resident tattoo artists of P.A. Ink Custom Tattooing. The shop, which opened in 2009, has become one of northern Saskatchewan's premier tattoo shops with Tinker himself being named Best Tattoo Artist in 2014 by paNOW.
Granted, opening his own shop was far from a foregone conclusion. Tinker, who is Cree, grew up a natural born artist; he was a painter and a sculptor before ever picking up a tattoo gun. But he had spent a long time – eighteen years – working in mines across Saskatchewan before deciding to commit to tattooing.
“Tattooing started out as a hobby at first. I still had my mining job, and would tattoo on my weeks out. It began to take off from there,” says Tinker. “I thought I would be a painter or a sculptor, but never thought it would be tattooing.”
Tattooing culture was certainly at an upswing at this point, around 2008, when shows like Miami Ink, L.A. Ink, and Inked were at the height of their popularity, showing a more complex and human side to the tattoo industry.
“It was on TV a lot at that time,” says Tinker. “I realized the demand for it and that I needed to open my own shop.”
But this meant walking away from job security, benefits, and a pension, just to do what you love doing, says Tinker.
“It was a tough choice to make. Especially when you have a young family,” he says. “But looking back now, it's the best thing I ever did.”
His P.A Ink has since become a family affair, with Tinker mentoring his own daughter, Janie Natomagan, who now works with him as an artist at his shop.
“[Working with her] is awesome. I take pride in it - to teach one of my own my trades. She's taken it very seriously. It's a good feeling knowing that someone will carry it on.”
Although tattoo culture continues to gain momentum, there are still those who are less receptive to the medium, he says.
“Growing up in small town Saskatchewan, being old school, a lot of older people, including some of my family, don't approve,” says Tinker. “We used to only see tattoos on gang members or people who were in jail. So they thought 'you must have a reason to look that way'. But now it's a fashion. It's an medium.
Despite the distinctions and success, Tinker is committed to continuing to push himself and better his craft for as long as he's in the industry.
“I am definitely not the person who puts their tools away and says 'I'm the best, now I'm done.' I take the compliment and go back to work and get better,” says Tinker.
“It's an ever evolving medium. You never quit learning. I've been doing this for ten years and I'm still learning.”