Blog - Page 2 of 10 - Matt Hodel Tattoo

I hear the word success more that 10 times a day. I choose to hear it. I surround myself with the word. When I run, the Nike App commentator says it in my earbuds. When I listen to podcasts on my drive to work, the host says success repeatedly. The book I am reading right…

www.blurb.com I love Blurb. I just got done making another portfolio. In the past I have used Adobe InDesign to layout my books. Doing it this way gives me a lot of control of the layout. Today I decided to use their HTML book making option. I was surprised at how much control I really…

It’s Throw Back Thursday! I found a memory card from 2008. I guess I didn’t like taking straight photos in back then.

Man, its cold out! I can’t believe summer went by so fast. Here are some pics from our last campout to get me through this damn cold weather.

Being successful isn’t out of your reach. I use an app called flip book. It searches the internet for me and brings back topics I’m interested in. Today, the blog I reposted below came across my feed. I was thinking, “I wish I would have read stuff like this years ago!” Instantly I realized I…

My second year of tattooing, I was working long hours at Iron Age. It was the original location that was upstairs next to Vintage Vinyl. I’d had a trying week of crazy customers. It was not abnormal to tattoo 10 people a day. At the end of a shift I would pray that a tribal…

www.matthodeltattoo.com

First camping trip of the year. A 250 mile loop to Giant City State Park. We found a cemetery for old heavy equipment. Went on some hikes. I think April and I have figure out the motorcycle camping. Rule one: Less is More. We do not take much. I could do this forever.

Why you will quit tattooing. I used to say “Tattoo artist don’t retire, they just die.” Thats not a true statement anymore. It is no secret that a rising amount of ambitious practitioners are rushing to the industry. With the excitement comes disappointment as announcements of earlier retirement become common on social media. To a…

2015 was an awesome riding season. We really pushed my dyna to its limits. Traveling through 9 states we cover a few thousand miles of back roads. We did our best to stay off the interstates and the rewards were plentiful. I finally used my warranty I got from Docs. It expires in two weeks.…

This is Tom. Guess what Tom does? Mechanics and Gearheads will recognize his tattoos instantly. That’s Tom’s tribe. If Tom got stuck in some shitty dinner party with a bunch of stuck up assholes, he would stick out like a sore thumb. But if another guest recognized Tom’s tattoos and showed him his arms…

Sketch Book Pro https://www.sketchbook.com/ This is the starter kit drawing program for the intimidated and computer inept artist. I have shown this program to tattoo artists around the country. Artists that had never drawn digitally took to Sketchbook very quickly. Sketchbook is a stripped down drawing program. It is very intuitive for a traditional artist…

When Nathan was ask what he wanted to be when he grew up, he said “A professional baseball player”. His fourth grade teacher told him to pick something real. I think this pushed him harder. She was right that he wouldn’t become a Ballplayer. My brother ended up spending 9 years with the Arizona Cardinals,…

Sketches from old conventions.

Why I don’t want my kids to tattoo. Tattooing is not for everyone. I get asked about letting my kids get tattooed or what if my kids want to tattoo for a living. The answer is No. As long as my kids are kids, they are not getting tattooed. The state says 18, so I’m…

Grant Wyatt stopped by today. I haven’t seen him in over a decade. He is living life to the fullest in Vietnam. A Missionary, he and his family give hope to those we only see on TV. Acting as a liaison, he helps direct the support given to smaller villages in rural Vietnam. How…

Jacob Doty Age: 22 Hometown: Billings, Montana Occupation: St. Louis Blues, Chicago Wolves Position: Foward “Why I got this tattoo is because I live away from home a lot and wanted something to always remind me of home. Remind me where I came from and never to forget my roots.” If…

We met a group of friends for a huge camp out. This park is awesome. Check out the view.

I will post a video of our epic off road road trip. We crossed creeks and washed out roads while April walked knee high ahead of the bike. We had to ride up rock roads made for dirt bikes and country roads made for farm equipment. We brought a stranded biker gas. Camped on the…

April and I have been doing these camping trips on the motorcycle. We pack light and ride across the back roads of Missouri to discover the people and places that get lost on the insular interstates. This trip we will be out for four nights. Our destination is to find the small historic town of…

This is the closest I get to a portrait. Franky and Madison have been getting tattooed from me for almost a decade. Here is Franky’s new tattoo! It is a tribute to his love, Madison. www.matthodeltattoo.com

Sammie was disappointed with the direction her tattoo was going. She needed someone to cover-up, fix-up, and finish her Elephant! I helped Sammie get a tattoo she is no longer embarrassed by.

The first years of tattooing are tricky. Your focus should be on technical ability. Can you make the machines do what you want them to do? The first few years are just a challenge to figure out why what worked on Monday will not work on Wednesday. Consider the novice tattooist. There is an urgency…

Your crystal balls sucks.

4 Ways to Remain Centered Amid All of the Chaos By Jennifer Marut “Every day brings a choice: to practice stress or to practice peace.” ~Joan Borysenko Right now I am in a tight squeeze. I am in the process of making some big changes, and it’s bringing quite a bit of chaos—uncertainties, insecurities, and…