Daily Inspiration: Meet Kevin Johnson

Today we’d like to introduce you to Kevin Johnson. 

Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I started tattooing in Clinton, NY in 2011 at a shop called Raven Well Tattoo. A close friend of mine gave me the push I needed to start learning and from there I buried my head in the craft and culture of tattooing. For the last 10 years, my main and only focus has been tattooing. I moved around a bit in upstate New York looking for a shop that suited me best. From Utica to Syracuse and ending off in Binghamton, NY before I decided to take a huge leap and head to Denver. 

I met a former employee of All Sacred Tattoo (RIP Jayce Wallingford) in Austin Texas at the Austin Tattoo Invitational in 2019 right before he passed. He was always a huge inspiration for me, and meeting him introduced me to some of the other tattooers at All Sacred via Instagram. 

After following them for a bit on Instagram and being inspired by the other tattooers, they posted they were hiring and I felt that was my sign. After the first COVID-19 shut down in NY I left the shop I was working at (The Shaman’s Den, Binghamton NY) and started working with a close friend (Patrick Whiting) in a more private studio setting also in Binghamton. As much as I enjoyed working with Pat, I was still looking for something more. A new beginning if you will and maybe a change of pace and scenery. 

I contacted Aries Rhysing of All Sacred Tattoo about the position and after meeting him and the rest of the crew during a guest spot in August 2020 I knew this was the next step for me. Shortly after I came back out to Denver in November of 2020 to finalize my move. I started at All Sacred in February of 2021 and I have to say it is one of the best things I have done for myself and my career. 

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
The road started out quite rough and bumpy. Lots of highs and lows in this craft and I think where I started out made that more difficult. As my “mentor” was still learning about tattooing himself, he could only offer so much knowledge. I taught myself and picked up what I could from other tattooers by getting tattooed and just hanging out at other studios. 

I think the culture of tattooing in Upstate is also limited. I love that place and I am so thankful for everyone that gave me my start there but the appreciation of art is much different there than it is here and I think the exposure of tattooing has come a very long way since 2011. In my formative years, I would take pretty much whatever came through the door. That made for a lot of learning in a short amount of time, and some days that meant you weren’t tattooing because sometimes nothing came through that door or what came through the door didn’t have enough money or thought we were overpriced/ripping them off, or that your drawing sucked… 

I wasn’t always a sought-after tattooer, at one point I was just a guy trying to make ends meet, and sometimes they did not. From eating off the dollar menu and not being able to pay the bills some months to now, things have changed so much and I am so thankful. It has been a long strange difficult road at times but I wouldn’t change it for anything. 

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 tattoo at All Sacred Tattoo in Wheat Ridge, Colorado. I specialize in black neo-tradtional/illustrative tattooing. I think I’m best known for tattooing flowers and bugs but I also love to tattoo mandalas and ornamental-type designs. 

I am most proud of how far my work has come and I’m so proud of the opportunities this craft has afforded me. I think my attention to detail and meticulousness sets me apart from others. I am very detail-oriented and a touch of perfectionism helps me to stand out a bit. 

Is there a quality that you most attribute to your success?
Discipline, commitment, and honor. I was disciplined enough in my formative years to work really hard and get to where I’m at. 

I had the commitment it took to stay the course and keep learning and I honor the craft of tattooing and the tattooers that came before me. I think that tattooing is not just a privilege but I am honored to continue a craft that has 1000’s of years of history behind it. 

Contact Info:

• Website: kevinjohnson143.com
• Instagram: kevinjohnson_143