If you'd like to check out more of Amber's work, head over to her Instagram page
I started working at Lefty's two days later with Erin and some other artists and well to say that that decision was the best I had made up to that point in my life would be a huge understatement. Erin showed me all of the proper things I should have been taught during my apprenticeship and in the process, we fell pretty hard for each other. So hard that a couple months later we got married and 18 years later it's still the best decision I have ever made. We worked at Lefty's together for another 3 years before opening up Blood Eagle together. We've worked, grown, inspired each other, and accomplished so much together as tattooers, artists, and most importantly as people. Working with and on people who inspire me daily is one of my favorite aspects of this job. I've met and worked with so many different folks over the years and all of them have helped me grow as an artist. I love working in a variety of styles, but I love neo traditional and black and grey illustrative the most. From pretty ladies to flowers and butterflies to skulls and dead things, I love working with clients on making their ideas come to life. I also love the challenge of cover ups! It feels great to help a client reclaim their body and rid them of tattoos they've outgrown. I'm excited to see what the next 21 years in tattooing will bring my way, so please take a look at some of my tattoos and hopefully I'll see ya in the chair soon!
Sometimes I still think it's pretty crazy that I tattoo for a living. I remember doing shitty tattoos on my legs in my bedroom at 15 with a homemade tattoo machine and pen ink. Luckily for me pen ink doesn't last, but my love of tattoos did! I got my first tattoo done in a sketchy shop at 16 and my mind was already thinking of what I wanted to get tattooed next. Being heavily influenced by the heavy metal and punk rock music and art scenes, I was attracted to what society deemed as a subculture at the time and wanted to dive in headfirst. I was fortunate to have parents that encouraged me to be myself and to follow whatever path made me happy. So, when I graduated high school, instead of heading off to art college like I had planned, I decided to spend all the money I had been saving on a tattoo apprenticeship and thus began the wild ride that tattooing has sure enough given me. The first 3 years of tattooing I was taught a lot of what I didn't want to do as a tattooer and not so much of the technical know-how that apprentices need. Luckily for me I got a phone call one day in the beginning of 2006 by a tattooer wanting to hire on a female artist, because as he put it "not everyone feels comfortable with a burly dude doing their tattoo".
When I'm not busy working on tattoos, then I keep my hands busy creating art. I love oils, acrylics, watercolors, pen and ink you name it! I'm always interested in commissions so reach out with your ideas!
Having trouble coming up with an idea, check out these one off designs I have ready to go! Would love to tattoo any of these along with tons of other designs I have at the shop.
