We recently connected with Halo Grey and have shared our conversation below.

Halo, appreciate you joining us today. How did you learn to do what you do? Knowing what you know now, what could you have done to speed up your learning process? What skills do you think were most essential? What obstacles stood in the way of learning more?

I did my year long apprenticeship under Eric Caves in Baltimore MD. The apprenticeship was rough, very rough. I made no money, cleaned floors, cars, tubes, needles, stations, for months with no pay or tip or even a thank you. I understood though, that all things that were worth having must be earned. I am so grateful for this because I feel as though the younger generation of people, not just tattooers, are ungrateful for most things. They want instant fame, instant gratification, instant recognition. I wish more people were giving the apprenticeship I had, I feel the craft would have more respect.

Halo, 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?

Tattooing had always been a big enigma to me. I had always seen crappy tattoos that my friends had and I thought they were ok… but I was never interested in getting many. EVERY shop in my area was just “pick it off the wall, get it here or there” I had seen the same exact tattoos on friends of mine, but there were never tattoos that blew my mind. Until I had seen tattoos of the likes of Nick Baxter and Bob Tyrrell. Seeing those in person made me go,”WHO DID THAT?!?!” I had only seen bad tattoos, but this?!?! This was before the TV show hype of course, so I had never even been around someone with a good tattoo. That was the turning point that made me feel as though tattooing was an art form that was worth being involved in. I wanted to apprentice so bad it was palpable and almost painful.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

There was a man who came in who wanted a tattoo. I was not allowed to speak to clients being an apprentice, I was a behind the scenes guy. A watcher and learner, but not yet permitted to speak to the clients. I told my mentor there was a guy who wanted help, and he told me, “Then go fucking help him.” After speaking with the client, I passed on to my teacher that he wanted a woman in pinup style making an oops face with a white dress on. He asked if I was able to draw that, and upon me saying no I was told to leave and that I was useless if I couldnt. Getting sent home happened daily it seemed, so I stormed out and went home, determined to be able to draw this pinup girl in a “thisll show HIM” fashion. I came back the next day with TEN girls drawn, neatly in a manilla folder and ready to show my mentor that I was NOT useless. He didnt even look at them. I handed the envelope to him and he tore it up and threw it in the trash. I was so frustrated and confused I couldve cried, but calmly I asked…. “whats the point? I was useless yesterday and now I come in with drawings and you dont even look? How are you going to teach me if you dont even LOOK at what I did?”
He said this next phrase to me so matter of factly that it burned into my skull for the rest of my apprenticeship and fueled my drive for EVERYTHING I do now. “I don’t give a shit what you can and CAN’T draw… you should give a shit that you could do something today that you couldnt do yesterday. Keep your apprenticeship up like that everyday and you’ll be an amazing artist in no time.” Nothing more needed to be said. Ever. It wasnt about being taught…. it was about being given an opportunity and not taking it for granted.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

Really trusting the artists portfolio and really COLLECTING art. Ive had the GREAT opportunity to tattoo collectors from all over the globe and it really puts a fire under my ass. Those people go I want something thats YOU, right here. Those people bring out the best in me.

Contact Info:

• Website: http://www.blacklotustattoos.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tattoosbyhalo/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BlackLotusTattooGallery
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/BlackLotusTattooGallery
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/black-lotus-tattoo-gallery-hanover-2
• Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@blacklotustattoogallery

Image Credits
taken myself