Meet Ashes Bardole | Traveling Tattoo Artist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Ashes Bardole and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Ashes, what habits do you feel play an important role in your life?
There are so many habits or just things I have participated in to help myself. I think some of the biggest ones are to care for my mental & emotional space, as well as taking care of my body physically. I think as an artist, so many people believe they have to suffer to create amazing works of art, however, that does not need to be true. I have struggled with my mental health for a large part of my life. Within the last 3-4 years, I have spent a good amount of time working through my traumas and struggles, working to create a more stable internal space for myself. I was diagnosed with ADHD only 2 years ago, and having this diagnosis has been so helpful in learning about how my brain functions best and then playing to those strengths. Understanding these personal challenges and medical conditions has helped me grow in both my personal and professional life.

Working through this personal trauma has allowed me to see how I was sometimes standing in my own way. Learning to see my weaknesses more clearly allowed me to create a safe, open, and non-judgemental space for my clients as well. As receiving a tattoo can be an emotional process, I’m glad I can be there for my clients when they come in & share deeply emotional things during their sessions. This provides them with the opportunity to process and even move-through some of their own trauma or issues, and have support and care from me.

Some personal habits that I have are doing things because I love myself and I know doing certain things will help support my mental, physical and emotional space. Yoga is one of my favorite things to do, it helps my back and also is an excellent meditation and way to become connected back to one’s body. Reading instead of being on my phone has improved my anxiety levels and continually teaches me a variety of topics. Going out in nature frequently has provided me with an abundance of inspiration as well as gives me the opportunity to be present in that moment and remember to appreciate what’s around me.

I believe in putting your mental, emotional, and physical health first and creating an environment and habits that support & allow you to perform your best within your life and career. You do not have to learn or create only from suffering, you can also learn and create from love just as easily if you allow it.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I think I am most excited for what I create next and the growth I have, and get to continue to have, is limitless. To get where I am today was a very long road with so many challenges. There were many times when I wanted to give up. However, I would not change these experiences. No matter how cheesy it sounds, I think it’s always worth it to take a risk on something that you are deeply passionate about and have the drive toward. Because when things get hard you need that reminder of why you’re doing this and being able to do something you love every day will always be rewarding.

I started making art at a very young age. Art was the only thing I ever really cared about and I was always creating. Once I got to high school I worked towards and received a scholarship that allowed me to attend college for art. I ended up graduating from Westminster College in Salt Lake City, Utah with my double bachelors. At this point in my life I had tried so many different mediums and although I have a love for all different kinds of art, there wasn’t anything that was really pulling me in one direction or another. During my college experience I was also starting to get tattooed and eventually after 3 years of getting tattooed, and doing art nights every Sunday with my future mentor, I got up the courage to ask for an apprenticeship. He rejected my first request saying if I wanted to wait about 5 years until he opened his own shop he would consider it. So I decided I was going to wait. Luckily later that year he took me on as an apprentice with plans of moving to Washington state to start his new shop and I was going to learn everything from the ground up. Unfortunately, two weeks before I was supposed to move out to join my mentor he passed away in a car accident. I was absolutely devastated and gave up on a lot of things in my life for that year, part of which was living on other people’s couches without a place of my own.

However, I decided that I loved tattooing, and wanted to honor myself and my mentor. Tattooing is something I wanted more than anything, so I found a second apprenticeship. This apprenticeship was the exact opposite of what I was experiencing with my mentor. They were unprofessional, gave me little to no information about tattooing, the shop space was not up to standard, and I was being used as free labor without the promise or hope of ever being taught to actually tattoo. I left this shop after a year of being there and decided to venture on my own. I knew everything about sanitation and keeping yourself and clients safe from blood borne diseases, all that was left was to learn how to apply a tattoo to skin. So I set off to learn and teach myself in every way I could.

Since then I have worked at many shops all over the country and the world, trying to learn from others and find spaces that are safe, uplifting, and supportive. Not every shop was that, in the beginning there were a lot of places where I worked where I faced extreme misogyny. After a while I learned how to find better and better shops. Today I work in some of the most amazing shops with such incredible artists, and I’m learning and growing still. Tattooing is the one artform that pulls and inspires me more than anything else. I am always looking to learn and grow as an individual to create an amazing experience for my clients, but as an artist as well. The art of tattooing is one that is so deeply mystical and has so much power for so much good and the ability to support and uplift others. There is nothing I have done in my entire life that has felt so fulfilling. So after all of the difficult parts, the times of wanting to give up and quit, the love I had for art and the passion I found within tattooing really kept me going when I felt there was no more hope. It’s worth it to take the risk on your dreams especially when true happiness and fulfillment are waiting at the end of it for you.

After all of this, my journey has brought me to a place where my goal is to create a unique experience; filled with love, kindness, and healing. I strive to draw from the mysticism within tattooing and flourish together.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
There are so many amazing places I have seen some of my favorite places I have been able to see are:

Southern Utah Desert: Exploring Southern Utah is one of my favorite things to do. The national parks are amazing but also there are so many unique spots, that there is always something to see. Desert camping is one of my favorite things to do, especially during a full moon.

London, UK: Such a fun city with so many amazing free museums, beautiful botanical gardens (Kew Gardens, I adore). Hackney and Shoreditch are great to stay and explore in, but there are endless things to explore and find in London. The tube is fun to take and makes it so easy to get around to see all of the different things London has to offer. There is also such a variety of food options.

Sydney, Australia: Realistically, a week in Australia is never enough in my opinion. But spend a week in Sydney, & you can still see a lot of cool things. Going to see an opera at the Sydney opera house is a fun experience, and the beaches are beautiful. Public transportation is easy to get around on, too. The botanical garden there is one of my favorites, and there is also a Chinese garden that’s worth seeing. I love staying in the Surry Hills area and walking around the cute restaurants there. I suggest getting coffee at any local coffee place, the coffee in Australia is so good. If you have more than a week, I also suggest going to Perth and Melbourne.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
My parents & family for always supporting my dreams of being an artist. And the art teachers: Joe Mellen & Matt Kruback, My first tattoo mentor David Schmoe Ellwanger, and the countless amazing tattoo artists that have allowed me to work in their studios and learn from them. The shops and artists around the world, like Bloodlines Ink in Perth AUS, and locally at Three Fates Tattoo in Denver, that make me feel like family immediately. Also to all my friends and clients who trust and allow me to create my art in a medium I love most. I have had so many amazing artists and support throughout my life that I am so grateful for.

Website: ashesbardole.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ashesbardole/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/ashesbardole