Meet Eric Hayes | Tattoo artists and fine artist

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

Hi Eric, how has your background shaped the person you are today?
I am from Erie, Pennsylvania , specifically a small suburb called Fairview. I grew up in a tight knit community with a graduating class of 160 students, most of which went to the same school district from kindergarten through 12th grade. I feel like growing up in a community where everyone grew up together and where everyone knew one another very well, it almost kept you accountable for being true to who you were because otherwise someone would call you on it. That being said I had great art teachers all throughout school and they all pushed me to take my art to the next level, and were always very helpful in showing me how to expand my artistic talent

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
My art, to me, has become a huge part of my identity throughout my life. It’s something that I’ve taken seriously from a very young age and dedicated more of my time than anything else in my life. Through that hard work and dedication, on top of the support of those around me, I have fortunately been able to make a lucrative career out of art and tattooing and most days don’t ever truly feel like I have to “work” at all. By that I mean I get to go to the shop everyday, create art and hang out with my friends and it never becomes boring or mundane. I devote all I have into my art and try to outdo myself with each and every piece of art I do, daily. Even if it’s a small “easy” tattoo, I take it as a learning experience and want to better my skills with each one, because in reality, no tattoo is easy

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
If a friend were to visit me that had never been to the area before, I would start off by taking them to the Hungry Bear in Woodland Park for breakfast, then on the way back to the springs I would take them up Pikes to see the summit. After the descent, we could pull into Manitou and visit the penny arcades and stop in a few shops, then because I’m constantly hungry, it would be about time to grab some lunch. Anyone that knows me, knows that bar food is some of my favorite cuisine, that being said, the Keg in Manitou is some of my favorite bar food around town. After that I would take them to the shop and show them how cool the layout of Heart of Gold is, and introduce them to my other friends I get to work with everyday. Then most likely take them to my house, if they’re visiting from out of town they have most likely already met my family but if not I would introduce them to my family and dogs. Then definitely catch dinner and a movie at Roadhouse Cinemas. That to me sounds like a perfect day

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
As generic as it sounds I would like to dedicate my shoutout to my family and friends. Growing up my parents were huge supporters of my art, and were always buying me art supplies to practice and learn with. My siblings were always supportive and always helping me come up with cool ideas to draw if I was struggling to find inspiration. My friends were all in the same art classes with me in school, which then carried over to drawing and painting with me at home to get through the long harsh Pennsylvania winters. And now In my adult life my Wife continues to constantly show her love and support with my art, as well as our kids always getting stoked when I’m working on a new art project at home and often times sitting right at the table with me creating art of their own. My friends back in Pennsylvania wear some of my tattoos, some of which were some of the first tattoos in my career, and I know that took a lot of trust, so thank you all. In addition to that, tattooing and art have introduced me to some of the greatest friends in the world, some of which I’ve worked with in the past and continue to work with everyday

Website: Artoferichayes@gmail.com

Instagram: Art_of_eric_hayes