Meet Jennifer Mathiesen | Tattooer

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

Hi Jennifer, what is the most important factor behind your success?
This question is very similar to the question, what value or principle matters most to you and why? In the regards to the answer. My values and principles are some of the most important factors behind my success. I draw things on people. But it is much more than that. I love my job because I get to draw things on people, but the importance of those things to those people is why I take my job seriously and put everything I have into producing exactly what each client wants to wear on their body for a lifetime. I have a very strong work ethic because my day in and day out is much more than that to each one of my clients and I try to remember that. It could be their first tattoo, a memorial tattoo for a loved one, a tattoo thought of and planned out for years, just waiting for the right time, it could be a scar cover up tattoo to see something beautiful instead of being reminded of the trauma that created the scar. Each tattoo is a transformation. Everyday is special. Every person, every experience has made me realize that I don’t just draw on people. I really learned and embraced that more than ever participating in the event ran by Personal Ink/Fuck Cancer, tattooing over scars created by mastectomies. I have never taken my job lightly. I am thankful to be able to be a part of someone’s transformation no matter how deep the meaning is. The more people that I tattoo, the more reasons, concepts, meanings, even if it just means they like tattoos, the more I am reminded that each persons experience is important.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I am a tattoo artist by trade and appreciate and practice in many other art mediums. I have been tattooing for 20 plus years. I have worked hard. It was not easy. It isn’t an easy career to get into but once I realized my dream I could not give up, so I didn’t. There has been set backs, partnerships, places that I thought I would call home for longer. No matter what life decides for you, you choose how to take it and where to go from there, and every step has lead me here. I am proud of where I work, Live Easy Tattoo, and helping build it with the owner Geno Somma and artist’s Timothy Kidd, and Chris Yaws. I am proud of the shop and being a part of the Tennyson art district, participating in first Friday and our community. A lesson I’ve learned along the way is realizing what you think you want in the future is not always what you’re going to want. Even if it is sometimes it’s not what you get. There is not one right path that gets you where you want to be. As long as you make the effort, try, even if you fall and have to get up many times, keep on keeping on, you’ll get to where you need to go.

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.
So many places. I have clients that are visiting, coming in from out of town so I have this questions asked periodically. I think Denver is an awesome place for so many reasons. Coming in from the airport, riding in to downtown on the train, seeing all the mural art is quite the experience. Downtown is always fun, 16 street mall, Platte street and the Millennium Bridge. Confluence park in the summer and watching people play in the river, it’s a city summer oasis. First Friday on Sante Fe St. and on Tennyson St. are both definite musts. Both have amazing art and amazing restaurants. Tennyson street has bbq-Post Oak, vegetarian-Vital Root, comfort-Colorado Cherry Company, Italian-Parisi’s, sushi, pizza, donuts, Indian, Thai, Italian. There are so many amazing restaurants in Colorado. I would have to ask what they’re in the mood for and what neighborhood they’ll be in to really recommend somewhere. There are so many amazing venues. Many amazing museums, the Art Museum, Denver Museum of Nature and Science, Meow Wolf, to name a few. You can’t go wrong with live music in Denver. Small venue or large, it will be a good time. Seeing a show at Redrocks or just hiking it during the day. Dinosaur Ridge, you can even see the Dakota Hogback formation driving I-70 by the Morison exit. Look out mountain. There are so many amazing trails in the city and out: Just the Colorado Trail system alone is 500 miles. Driving to Estes Park, the drive alone is amazing, the town smells of candy, eat lunch, take the gondola, feed the chipmunks. Drive through Rocky Mountain National Park. Going to Union Station just to hang out, eat, is always fun but you could also take a train to Glenwood springs, ride the gondola to to the top of the mountain, make a weekend out of it, and of course go to your choice of hot springs. Driving to Colorado Springs, Cave of the Winds, Garden of the Gods, Cheyenne mountain zoo. Visit the Wild Animal Sanctuary in Keenesburg. Denver zoo, Lakeside Amusement Park, Elitch Gardens, Waterworld, Butterfly Pavilions, the Aquarium. During ski season, you can’t go wrong with any of the multiple ski resorts, stopping by Idaho Springs and soaking in the hot spring’s on the way back to the city.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?

Oh my! This is a lot, a lot of years and a lot of people that have influenced me. I feel like every step has gotten me here and all the people along the way has influenced my path. My family. My mother nurtures all the good I have. My dads are both, in very different ways, very influential. Brothers, sisters, nephews, nieces, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins… Where I am from is a big part of who I am. My partner Chris Yaws who I have worked and lived with for 20 years, has been a huge part of my life and artistic growth. My step kiddos, Chase and Cannon, are so creative and inspiring. My in-laws and the rest of the Yaws family including Jason McKenzie, all have been so supportive. Tonie and Mike Fagnan who ran a mom and pop shop, gave me a chance, mentored me, nourished my creative drive, and really, that is when it all started, allowing me to actually grow tattooing as my career. Every shop that I have called home. Starting with the first shop I worked at in Denver, Bound by Design, Cody Patten, Phil, Patrick, Ian Rumley. Creating partnerships, people that I will always cherish, Ben Gunn, Chris Yaws, Paul Cave, Mantra Tattoo. Allowing me to start new chapters, Aries Rhysing, Kayla, and All Sacred Tattoo, Jeremy Costilow and Six Collective. Reigniting my passion in art and community Geno Somma, Timothy Kidd, Rose Basargin, Chris Yaws and Live Easy Tattoo. There are so many people who inspire me in and outside of our art community. Delshay Deverra, Ben Parker, Tommy Sisneros. Everyone at the Silver Key Tattoo in Davenport Iowa. There are so many amazing tattooers and other media artists in the Denver art community and beyond. I am inspired everyday.

I have an amazing clientele, some people I have tattooed for 20 years, some I just started tattooing, they are the reason I get to go to work everyday.

Website: https://www.gentlejen.com/

Instagram: https://instagram.com/gentlejentattoo?utm_medium=copy_link

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Gentle-Jen-198105451126136/

Yelp: https://yelp.to/HHbSuv5kqnb

Other: https://liveeasytattoo.com/ https://www.facebook.com/liveeasytattoo/ https://instagram.com/liveeasytattoo?utm_medium=copy_link

Image Credits
Chase Yaws, Chris Yaws, Heidi Wagner, Aaron Murphy.