Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Hoss Cruz. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Hoss, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Learning the craft is often a unique journey from every creative – we’d love to hear about your journey and if knowing what you know now, you would have done anything differently to speed up the learning process.

I’ve been oil painting for 29 years, basically a self taught painter. It was a time in my career where I met my good friend Pilo who inspired me with his amazing artworks. There’s this one day where I saw a poster of a model raising her shirt to show her koi fish rib cage tattoo. I thought it was a good picture, so I stared at it. Soon enough, I saw his signature, and I was floored because I thought it was an actual photo/poster. There was so much amazement in his work, I was only 17 at the time and I wanted to become better at my skills. The hunger grew more intense as given the opportunity to apprentice tattooing by him. Words can never express my gratitude.

Hoss, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I am mostly known as a tattoo artist, although I do have original paintings in art exhibits at art galleries. My background is oil painting and I use the skills I learn to enhance visualizations for tattooing. My clients usually give me ideas and let me run freely with my original plans, it is almost like a commission for a painting on skin! Color theory is an undying inspiration to me, mixing custom palettes for tattooing makes it very interesting and fun. I pour a lot of soul into my art, there is no tool greater than the zen. My inspirations are the works found in various science fiction books.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

The most rewarding thing of being a creative is freedom. There is no other reward to me than this, thanks to all of my clients & collectors for allowing me to express myself!

In your view, what can society to do to best support artists, creatives and a thriving creative ecosystem?

Attend their exhibits, collect original artwork or prints. Become a patron.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.metal-earth.org
• Instagram: @metal.earth.studio