Conversations with Nick Puma

Today we’d like to introduce you to Nick Puma.

Hi Nick, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Well, I started tattooing around 2004 shortly after joining the Navy as a combat engineer I’ve always been an artist ever since I was around five I will always draw pictures, and then, as I got older girl into painting, I just always pursued art. Do you know when you’re younger people ask you what you wanna be when you get older my answer was always an artist, growing up Tattooing, or tattoos in general, is kind of taboo, but I was always drawn and interested in the art a couple of years before I joined the Navy is when I started, tossing the idea around as being a tattoo artist.

But wasn’t sure if it was for me since at that time your typical stereotype of a tattoo artist was a guy that rode a motorcycle wore cut-off sleeves, probably a beard, and smoked cigarettes while tattooing… Probably had a mom tattoo so shortly after joining the Navy, I picked up a cheap tattoo kit in the back of a magazine and just decided to figure out how it all worked. Start tattooing my friends myself and on pigskin. And right away something just clicked and I was in love with tattooing up to that point I’d probably start doing our altogether for close to five years so in a way it also saved me and my art. After doing an apprenticeship, I knew I always wanted to own my tattoo studio.

Eventually, the focus mainly on just becoming proficient in all the styles of tattooing there were I know there were artists to “specialize” a certain style, but I always wanted to try to do the best I could in each style that was out there originally I’m from New York upstate and after about a year or two apprenticing and actual tattooing clients in California where I was stationed.

I moved back home and was working out there for a couple of years and around 2010 and 2011 I moved out to Colorado And just work on bettering myself and building clientele. Towards the end of 2020, I decided it would be a great idea to open up a business in the middle of a global pandemic with a friend. And it’s been going strong ever since thanks to our great clientele! Without them, we’d be nowhere.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It hasn’t been a smooth road. I think it is just from me trying to start an apprenticeship and being turned down to trying to balance the schedule with being in the Navy and trying to work full-time at a tattoo shop. I know TV has somewhat glamorized the career of being a tattoo artist but that’s just TV we’re not as cool as we look on the TV shows unfortunately there are days when you show up to work and you get last-minute cancellations and then you’re out of work that whole day, and it takes the wind out of your sails And there’s days that you’ll have back to back cancellations or possibly in the winter time in our field.

It slows down so you might go a few days without working because of that. Which I’ve never really understood because in the winter time if you think of it it is the best time to get tattooed because you don’t have to worry about swimming or the sun. Getting a last-minute cancellation is probably one of the worst struggles because I just knocked you off your feet and you have to try to get back to Being motivated, usually, I just start drawing or start working on future pieces I have lined up I tell myself when I get a cancellation it’s the Tattoo gods telling me I need some time off hahaha. That usually helps me focus the rest of the day

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I feel personally I don’t specialize in a specific style of tattooing. I love tattooing as a whole so if anything, I specialize in tattooing if that makes sense though there are certain styles I do enjoy more than others. I enjoy American traditional and neo-traditional styles I just like the colors and boldness of those. I enjoy doing detailed work as well. I feel like it’s a good challenge.

If I’m known for anything, I guess I would say my love for Pop culture and doing pop culture-style tattooing. I’m most proud of where I am today and the clients that I have and the people around me. I’m not sure what sets me apart from others. There are so many talented artists out there that I look up to. I build a relationship with my clients. I make them more than just someone I am sitting down with for a few hours to tattoo. I view them as friends as well since tattooing is an intimate practice. At least that’s my opinion.

Do you have any advice for those just starting out?
Don’t watch Inkmaster. I would just say set goals and try to achieve them little by little work hard stay humble is huge. Being patient is another big one. I’ve heard stories of people coming out of their apprenticeship and asking who are they gonna start making more money, or why don’t they make as much as artists that have been tattooing for years and years. That all comes in time you gotta put in the work.

Don’t tattoo for the money but for the love of tattooing, Says tattoo artist I think I have the best job in the world because we get to do what we love every day and share that with our clients you can’t put a price on that. If there’s one thing, Take care of your body that’s a big one which I don’t think artists take too seriously but stretching helps tremendously so does yoga. I’m just a little bit healthier diet goes a long ways.

Pricing:

• Deposits run $50-$80:$100 for large scale projects
• Each piece is unique in its own way so I price accordingly
• And always work within the clients budget if they have one
• Check us out on Google.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.allegoricart.com
• Instagram: Instagram.com/Allegoricarttattooing
• Facebook: Facebook.com/allegoricarttattooing 

Image Credits
@jeanmarieshelton