Meet Keith Kiernan | Tattoo Artist native to Denver CO

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

Hi Keith, why did you decide to pursue a creative path?
I have always been a creative individual. I remember as far as I can that when I picked up a pencil or pen crayon that I would draw something with it. I used to draw what I saw and would attempt to draw cartoon characters that I watched on tv. I used to pose my action figures in ways also and would draw them to get a perspective on the details.

I knew I wanted to have a career in something where I could still use my hands and not rely on a computer and sit in a cubicle. My mom had an office job and I just always felt so board or out of place when I went to work with her and I knew I never wanted a job like that.

Going to school I had difficulty focusing on anything written down in the paperwork so I used to draw in the margins because I was board or not interested in the word problems that were given to me in school and I used to get in trouble for it.

When I was going to college I pursued as many art classes as I could but always had to take the general stuff for credit and I just felt as though I was filling gaps in my education that never truly served me in life. When I came across tattoo shops or comic book shops I felt more drawn to them and was always curious about them. Comics were more accessible but tattoo shops always seemed secretive almost mystic and I just wanted to get a tattoo as a teen but my mom never let me. It wasn’t until going to college and being an adult I was 21 when I first walked into a tattoo shop.

It wasn’t the best shop either it was kinda street shop off colfax called ink spot at the time. It’s not around anymore but I went in at first for a piercing and then came back with a crummy portfolio and asked about a tattoo apprenticeship. The manager Nick at the time was who gave me a shot and that was the start of getting into a tattoo career.

I worked at this shop for about a month and the guy that was teaching me said he was going to open his own shop so I decided to go with him and I remember helping with a lot of the labors and barely being home during that time I even helped him tattoo out of his friends houses but I didn’t tattoo I just drew up designs and set up his station and all that.

Moving forward I stayed with him for about a year after he opened his shop and was doing random tattoos here and there and scrubbed tubes cleaned then shop head to toe daily and just was feeling exhausted most of the time. I wasn’t feeling very fulfilled or happy being there after a while and decided to go back to school and took a break from the tattoo world and shortly after I tried to move to another shop with the portfolio I had and realized from a lot of other artists I went to that I needed work and I decided to finish up art school and went for my BFA in illustration at RMCAD and transferred there for a few years and got out of it what I could until I ran out of student loans and my tuition was too much for any scholarship or merits I had so I had to drop out of college and went back to tattooing and decided to start fresh instead and did another apprenticeship for another year and met the guy I consider a mentor that really pushed me hard to be my best and made me the artist I am just because of work ethic and everything he burned into me.

After he cut me loose I took it upon myself to keep working at street shop after street shop until I landed on something solid and I’ve worked at 5 or so different shops until I got a solid ground and shops that helped me grow as an artist and I’ve been working professionally now since 2016 before then i remember starting out it was 2009 at the time so I try to count those years too because even if it was mostly during my apprenticeship years it all was valid to my growth as a professional that was my ultimate goal is I wanted to do it right and I wanted to earn my place in this industry because I have a great respect for it and it’s history.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
Well it definitely wasn’t easy to get where I am and even now I’m always having to work hard to accomplish a project that comes my way. Mainly because if I do a killer job on it it’ll bring more work for me so really in some sense I have to have that motivation to do good tattoos and produce good art. I mean I always try to bring out the best in my own work. Also while doing it on a client I aim to make it a good and fun safe experience for them. Because part of getting a tattoo or any body art is also about the persons experience and that in a lot of ways has gotten me out of my introverted shell. I’m really not a out going person but I am an open person when you meet me I am respectful and like to be a friend to my clients not just their artist. I don’t think I’m alone in that regard as a tattoo artist because it sort of goes without saying most shop environments are like that for their clients but that’s the upbringing and the kind of ethics I like to put into my work. So that when they wear this tattoo and look at it it reminds them of a good time even though they are undergoing a painful sensation with the process being present with them in some way makes them feel safe and takes away from the pain of the needle hitting their skin.

In reality though there is so much you can do with that because that’s what getting a tattoo is it’s going to be painful but it’s also relieving and can be transformative for the person. That’s sort what I love most about my career is that it’s an art form that goes back thousands of years into practice and it carries a sacredness to it because it is on a live canvas and it’s a personal thing and responsibility that you hold as the professional they trust doing the work for them.

I don’t really have a brand of my own now other than my signature I use for business cards or merch. I’d definitely like to sell some clothing brands or prints and other merch on the side for a consistent income even while I’m not tattooing it would be nice to have that residual income on its own. I’m still working on that. These days a lot of businesses thrive on social media and internet markets and I’m still learning those things on how to be more tech and internet savvy. That is a personal goal though to have my own website that works for itself and that includes setting up appointments for clients.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Oh ha well even being originally from Colorado it’s lame that I don’t know all the happen places mainly because Colorado is changing and growing so fast! But If it could be anywhere I’d take them into the mountains on a road trip or something to a nice scenery spot and just hangout. If they were into snowboarding I’d take them up to copper mountain or something like that and walk in the town to a pub and grab some food. There’s a lot of nice hiking out here in the spring and fall so seeing all that. Id also ask them what they would want to do because I’m not a good host with those things haha

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I just want to give a shout out to my mentor Erik at Parlor Tricks for putting up with me and showing all the support he’s given me recently he’s been a strong influence for me in this career. Also a couple fellow tattooer friends of mine Sean Poelma who I’ve been buddies with since college we’ve always bounced back off each other giving advice on things and Dave Stem at Blackwood. He doesn’t know it but he played a role in my life that inspired me as an artist when we worked together at a previous shop.

And of course to my boss and friend AJ McGuire at Dead Drift who recommended me for this interview. I am grateful for the support and friendship he’s shown me over the years.

I Also got to express my love for my clients and family and friends who have always supported me. I also see and treat my clients like genuine friends because they are who keep me going and I am just grateful for that and it’s what keeps me inspired and motivated as an artist because it keeps me busy and creating.

There are many books and artists I could think of that inspired me and feed my creativity but to name one it would have to be the Odyssey by Homer. It’s a pretty well known book but it’s an epic that highlights the hero’s journey that isn’t like most hero’s journeys you would see in comics as the protagonist being a Greek war hero he’s just a battle ridden lost hero finding his way home and comes to face many struggles trying to get back to his kingdom and I think in a way theoretically I can relate to that story of having those struggles and finding my way through them. It’s also just a piece of literature that has been repeated in most western culture so that’s one I can name.

The organization that I can share being the strongest family to me would have to be the Buddhist organization SGI I’ve grown up with this practice of humanism since i was a kid and it’s proven to save my life especially when I was going through a really rough period in my life I could always sit and chant to help me get out of these challenges and life obstacles I’d face. Also having the support from other members would always encourage me to keep going and not give up even when at times I really wanted to.

And I’d say that one other person that has been the biggest influence in my life that has helped me more than anyone would have to be my mom and I owe literally my life to her and I’d do anything for her because she’s always been there to help me even as an adult at times. She raised me and really almost put her life aside for my sister and I when she needed to so I wouldn’t be where I am without her and I’m eternally grateful to be where I am and to have the wisdom i share with others through my mom.

Other than that I am just happy to be here and love what I do and I want to keep being a creator for and with others that I work with I feel blessed and will keep working hard. I put my life into what I do I am very passionate about tattooing and the art I create and I’m always looking to grow whenever I go. Or whatever project I am working on it always challenges me to grow and to be better than before so I try to not look at it as work but as a lifestyle to enjoy.

Website: Deaddrifttattoo.com

Instagram: @Keithkirin

Facebook: Keith J Kiernan

Other: www.inkedsoul.com/Keithkiernan

Image Credits
Villain Arts Tattoo Convention, Denver CO Convention Center