Meet Kat Maxman | Tattoo Artist

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

Hi Kat, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
I’ve been drawing my whole life and Art has always been extremely important to me. I knew I wanted to be a tattooer from a very young age and there wasn’t really another option in my mind. I had never felt more certain about anything. It was a lot of work to get things moving but I constantly set achievable goals for myself to always keep myself motivated.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I specialize in black and grey tattooing, pointillism, and sacred geometry. There are so many tattoo artists in the world and something I do to try and set myself apart from others is trying to create an all around good experience. It may be what I do everyday but people remember getting their tattoos and I want that to be a good memory. Something I’ve been doing recently has been collaborating with other artists on pieces which has been really exciting. I love getting to work closely with other artists, it’s challenging, rewarding, and I always learn alot. It was NOT easy getting to where I am today. I started my apprenticeship when I was 19. I would work from 9-3 as a janitor in a tanning salon and then would go work at my unpaid apprenticeship from 4-midnight. Every off day I had I spent it at the tattoo shop. I was very poor and tired. I knew it would be worth it and that hard work pays off and it does! I became a full time tattooer by the time I was 21. I always set goals for myself and constantly try to find ways to push my art and business forward. Some lessons I’ve learned along the way are don’t forget to take a step back and see how far you’ve come, hard work always pays off, and never be afraid of a critique.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
My favorite restaurants to bring people are White House Pizza, Slow Groovin BBQ, and The Chocolate Moose for dessert. My favorite places to bring people are the Hot Springs, Sunlight Mountain to ski, or hiking up in Marble CO. I also love getting to show people around downtown glenwood.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
So many incredible people have helped me get to where I am today. Paula and Paul Major stuck their necks out and hired me when I was very new in my career. They saw I was stuck at a shop where I needed to get out. They provided a safe environment for me to really grow as an artist and gave me guidance where it was needed. I don’t know where I would be today with out them. Every single person I have tattooed should get a shout out as well. Spending thousands of hours with all of you has given me the experience and confidence to do what I do. My Boss Shelley Fishbein who has and continues to provide a clean, safe, and fun environment to work in. Lastly I want to give a HUGE shout out to my fiancé and business partner Scott Fishbein who everyday pushes me to be a better artist. I have and continue to learn so much from him. I feel incredibly lucky to have so many inspirational people in my life.

Instagram: Katmaxman

Image Credits
Kara Moore Julio Diez