Today we’d like to introduce you to Mason Flippin.
Hi Mason, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
Hello, my name is Mason Flippin @masefliptattoos on Instagram. I am a tattooist of close to thirteen years here in central Florida. During my youth, I spent most of my time drawing, making music, painting, writing poetry, creating graffiti, or anything creative. I dig art, man 🙂 In my early twenties, I began creating larger canvas pieces centered around abstract spray paint designs and broken mirror mosaic imagery. A tattooist my father befriended, as he was currently collecting tattoos from, happened to see a few pieces of mine at their house. I was always leaving art anywhere and everywhere, and he inquired about them, learned they were created by his kid, and asked to meet me. I had collected a few tattoos, so I wasn’t entirely naive about the tattoo world, but I was unfamiliar with this artist as we had yet to meet, but I figured it’d be rad to meet another artist and friend of my pops. At the time, I was twenty-one, working odd jobs at odd hours, creating music, and painting as often as possible to get by. Fortunately, I was friendly with a cafe in the area that would let me place and sell paintings within—it sometimes saved me.
When I met Jonathan, I didn’t know what to expect other than the opportunity to meet another artist affiliated with my family. He saw something,g in me that I honestly did not, but he kept it quiet and asked me to do a few drawing studies. I happily obliged because I love drawing! He then asked me to return when I could to hang around the studio, pull, and talk about music and art. I was more than happy to do so. Eventually, he asked if I would like to apprentice to become a tattooist, and my first thought was, I can’t do that, haha.
Tattooing was only really a thought for me then. I didn’t have a lot of plans for my future. Just make art as often as time allows; it’s what I’ve always really enjoyed most—self-expression without harming others. It just felt right. So, after a few months of hanging around the studio and falling completely in love with the culture, I accepted my apprenticeship one week after I turned twenty-two.
I took it seriously because, at the time, I began to give up many hobbies to pursue something. Again, I never had plans for my future; I just made art and got by. I’m incredibly grateful to Jonathan for meeting a young rough-around-edges kid from East Orange County and helping him find direction in his life. I owe you much, Jono! My apprenticeship was about a year and a half long, half within a street shop and half within a private studio. Both perspectives showed me so much. About thirteen years later, I still love creating for and with other humans. They tether inspiration from their lives and make a tattoo that fits their meaning while shaping it to the aesthetic they dig with natural flow for their anatomy in a way that hopefully maintains longevity. I genuinely still adore tattooing.
It wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Nothing worthwhile usually could be smoother, and I rarely do what’s easiest because I don’t like cutting corners. Especially when it comes to creating for someone’s skin, I was fortunate enough to keep my head down and continuously learn as much as I could/could. I’m still a student in everything I do. I enjoy learning and prompting steady growth. I am relearning basics, studying, listening, observing, and trial and error. Art always borrows from art, so studying various mediums often inspires and enriches quality. Early in my career, around three years after my apprenticeship, I was thrust into a managerial situation where I had zero business. The studio owners lived in Australia, half a world away, and asked me if I could manage the place. It was a huge learning curve for me, being that new still and attempting to work with and curate artists for absent owners while harnessing my skillset. I’m sure I made many interpersonal mistakes, but I was grateful to learn as I went. Attempting to do what was right for someone else’s business was only sometimes communicated correctly, and that fell on me often. However, the knowledge and wisdom gained from that experience have made me a better human and artist. Still grateful for every opportunity 🙂 I worked there for about three years until I reached out to a studio I’ve admired my whole career in hopes of learning about that studio that helped cultivate artists I still look up to today. I’ve been here for close to seven years now. It’s changed so much over the years but still full of wonderful people. Tattooing is a wild ride.
Let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I could be considered a neo-illustrative tattooist. I create tattoos in a few styles. I often blend techniques from traditional tattooing while pulling them to create unique and solid designs. I enjoy most tethering inspiration from someone’s story and their innate meanings when wearing their personalized body art. Creating something for someone to wear for the rest of their lives still feels sacred to me. I’m just grateful to be a part of it.
What would you say has been one of the most important lessons you’ve learned?
That’s a tough one and can be so revealing 🙂 Creating from a place that feels consistently genuine while maintaining productivity towards a solid foundation-based ethic seems paramount. Creating a place that feels open and honest to you is significant, but comparing yourself to others along the way may always leave you wanting or missing. Your path is yours; travel it the best you can. There’s only competition in this if you put yourself in one, but doing your best consistently has some pretty rad scenery. Be honest about what you need and can work on, continue studying, and enjoy the process. As an artist first, being in love with the process has been and hopefully will remain my favorite part of the journey. Also, take care of yourself, not selfishly, so you can operate optimally for those around you and yourself.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://trinitytattoo.com/home.html
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/masefliptattoos/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MasonFlippin/
