Today we’d like to introduce you to Nathan Phillips.
Hi Nathan, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I was born and raised in Pretoria, South Africa. I started my Tattoo Apprenticeship back in 2009 under the mentorship of Faith Doggette and soon realized that this was something I wanted to pursue full-heartedly.
Fast forward 12 years to 2021, attending the Grand opening of my good friend’s New Tattoo Studio in Florida, my Fiancé and I decided to take the plunge and start the process of obtaining US work VISAs.
After almost two years, of back and forth flying, thousands of dollars on Lawyer and immigration fees, flying our 2 dogs and 2 cats, selling all our belongings, and saying goodbye to friends and family, we are finally here and working hard to rebuild our lives and working towards our GreenCards and ultimately citizenship in the United States of America.
I feel like I’m reinventing myself and bettering myself here where I can focus on the art more than the stresses of life.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Thousands of pages of Paperwork which my Fiancé took on, months where I was here alone working on the Visa and saving money to bring my whole family over.
South African currency is very weak to the dollar so application fees and flights etc cost nearly an arm and a leg and most of our savings.
But we are here and working in the future, as they say so far the juice has been worth the squeeze.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I love doing black and grey realism, I like mashing things together that clients don’t always think can be done. I strive to make every piece one of a kind, and custom to each client. As for just one style, I have been fortunate enough to practice multiple styles and I like doing all of them given it is the right piece and canvas.
I’d say I’m known for my soft shading and light-handed work. I’m also very straightforward forward, South African traits I suppose, not everyone likes it, but I’d rather give it to you straight and how it is than beat around the bush and for the sake of argument, just take the client’s money for the sake of doing the tattoo, it would be way more lucrative to be that guy but I’m not, I would much rather give you something both of us can be proud of now and 10 years down the line, and not just something that’s the latest Pinterest or TickyTocky trend.
I’m very proud of the fact that I was granted my work visa as it’s an achievement in its own right in this day and time.
I’m proud of being able to support my family by doing what I love and making the plunge to better our own lives!
Do you have any advice for those just starting?
Draw, draw, draw and did I mention draw??? Get an apprenticeship and do it the right way.
I’m proud to be an Artist before I was a Tattoo Artist and feel it’s a vital part of doing what we do!
The better you can illustrate and make it your own the better your pieces will become, I’m still a long way away from the greats but I strive every day to be better than yesterday albeit it is a smaller piece I still strive to do it the best I can!
Pricing:
- $150 per hour
- $850 Full Day rates
- Set prices on larger-scale pieces
- Military, First Responders, and Teacher Discounts do apply
Contact Info:
- Website: https://linktr.ee/np_art
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/nathanphillips_art?igshid=YTQwZjQ0NmI0OA%3D%3D&utm_source=qr
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NBPhillips?mibextid=LQQJ4d
Image Credits
Bernard Brand
