As seen in "Tattoo Flash", Number 40
Jon got his start in skin art via an ever-increasing amount of requests for flash work from tattoo-craving folks. "People used to see my drawings and immediately tell me the designs would make great tattoos. I don't know why it was so obvious to them but not to me. Anyways, after a few disappointments regarding how my illustrations weere being translated in the skin, I started thinking it would be nice to be able to take a tattoo design through the whole process."
Before he even had equipment, Jon remembers that people were lining up to get work done by him. So by the time his little starter kit arrived, which he ordered from the back of a magazine, Jon plunged right in. Thankfully, he was able to utilize the skills that he'd already learned from painting and drawing. "It really just came very natural for me," Jon remembers.
He adds, "At the same time I started getting a lot of work done on myself from various tattooists, such as Marcus Pacheco, and I would just soak in their methods, regarding techniques, setting up machines, etc. Ffrom there I would take those 'lessons' and implement them on myself and others who were willing." Jon still likes to observe other artists at work. "Watching is probably the best education you can get in tattooing. I learn something new each time, whether it's a blend of colors, a certain texture, or the products used, I'm always eager to try out new ideas."
Located in downtown Tracy, California, Jon's shop, 12 Monkeys, is "the cleanest monkey cage you've ever seen," Jon states proudly. THe studio offers custom tattoos along with body piercing. He loves working with customers who have an open mind and are "willing to give me the freedom to take their ideas, add my imagination, and run with it." Jon's interest in horror/science fiction movies and books, as well as his appreciation for the wildernes of nature, influence many of his tattoo designs, but overall he shuns claiming a tattooing specialty since he doesn't want to typecast himself.
Having never had a scrap of formal art education, Jon is a self-taught artist in many mediums - tattooing, oil, acrylic, water color, scultping and "just about every other approach there is." When he's not making things, Jon indulges in his passion for golf and racquetball, and he enjoys camping out in the woods whenever possible.
But the buggest rush of all for Jon is when customers look through his portfolio and "want me to customize a design to put on their body for the rest of their life. It's such an emotional high. I love that I not only get to express myself, but I can help others express themselves too. It sounds strange, but a tattoo changes your life, and for others to let me be a part of that is cool."