Today we’d like to introduce you to Lauren Bailey.
Hi Lauren, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I have always created art and been interested in tattoo culture, but I officially began my tattooing journey during covid.
I started on fake skin as just a hobby, and I had never considered making it into an actual career choice until someone I knew who was already a tattoo artist working at a shop saw potential in my work and offered to give me some guidance.
I gladly accepted this offer as I was unhappy with my current job and needed a change. This was the best decision I ever made and a turning point in my life.
From there I worked my way up in a couple different shops learning as much as I could from other artists and my own research. The first tattoo I ever did was on my husband, who is still my biggest supporter. I practiced on myself a lot as well in the beginning and I learned a lot. I appreciate everyone who was supportive of me from day one and the motivation they gave me to keep going.
I have since been tattooing for over two years now at Pandas Den Tattoo in Kyle, TX. I am surrounded by awesome artists/friends and I get to tattoo many amazing clients regularly with the freedom of working on my own schedule.
With tattooing, you are constantly learning and getting better. I’ve been consistently tattooing now for over 3 years and while I have come such a long way, I still have so much I want to learn. I am grateful for the opportunity to tattoo and am so excited to keep going, meeting new people, and improving my work!
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
With my experience in the tattoo industry, it definitely has come with its fair share of ups and downs. The industry itself can be rough at first depending on who you work with/what shop you are at/what clients you work with, as everyone is different and some people may not have the best intentions. Being in the industry just getting started, especially as a young woman came with its fair share of complications. From this I have learned what I will not tolerate and to stand my ground when needed. It’s become easier to realize what I like and don’t like and now have currently found the best fit for me.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
My favorite styles to tattoo are neo-traditional, fine line, watercolor and colorful tattoos.
So maybe we end on discussing what matters most to you and why?
Improving my work matters most to me because I want to grow as an artist and get better each tattoo I do. I take a lot of pride in my work and give my all every time I tattoo. Making sure the client is happy also matters most to me, since the tattoo is on them forever. I want to make sure they get the best of my work and absolutely love their tattoo.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @thepumpkinstattoo
- Facebook: @thepumpkinstattoo
