Nick Sharratt
Published December 2007
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Dave Muller: How long have you been at Mystic Tattoo for now?

Nick Sharratt: I’ve been working at Mystic Tattoo for six months now. Before that, I worked at a shop in the western suburbs of Chicago for about a year. I started out three and a half years ago at a shop called The Tattooed Heart in Lafayette, Indiana.

Dave Muller: How happy are you to be working at Mystic Tattoo?

Nick Sharratt: I’m ecstatic — I couldn’t ask for a better situation. Miro is an awesome boss, he really takes care of everybody and all he asks in return is to see good art. One day, I overheard him talking to a guy he used to work with. The guy was trying to give him some business advice, telling him to work longer hours or open up another shop and Miro said “I’m an artist, not a moneymaker.” I think that pretty much sums up why he’s a good boss. It’s just a really good environment.

Dave Muller: How did you decide that you wanted to be a tattoo artist?

Nick Sharratt: When I was in high school, I was trying to figure out something I could do for a living and still have full sleeves and lots of tattoos. I wasn’t really cut out for school, if I’m not interested in something it doesn’t get my full attention. On the other hand, I really get into the stuff I’m into, like skateboarding, tattooing and music. I was thinking about opening a pool hall or bartending, and tattooing just kind of happened. As my drawing skills developed, I started noticing the esthetics of tattoos, and by the end of school, I could draw in all of the styles that I liked.

Dave Muller: How did you break into the business then?

Nick Sharratt: Well, as I mentioned, throughout high school I pretty much just slept and drew pictures. I had put together a decent portfolio, and I had started looking for an apprenticeship. While I was working at the mall, I designed a couple of tattoos for my boss, and she went to her half-sister’s shop in Lafayette Indiana and they said if I was interested in becoming an apprentice, to bring in more drawings and go and meet them. It just kinda worked out, and I started two months later.

Dave Muller: How would you describe your style?

Nick Sharratt: It’s definitely traditional. I got turned on to it during my apprenticeship, when I started understanding the history of it and where it came from. I pretty much developed my style from there. Skulls, crossbones, and really obscure stuff. My brother’s going to be getting a three headed, flying dog that I’ll be doing — stuff like that. I also like doing dead gypsy girls. Things that most people look at and ask, “Who gets this kind of stuff?”

Dave Muller: Who does?

Nick Sharratt: There’s really no set type of person, sometimes it surprises me. My friends younger brother doesn’t have any tattoos and for his first one we’re going to do a full chest piece of rotten lungs and crossbones. Lots of greens, yellows, and bleeding. I seem to enjoy stuff like that.

Dave Muller: What trends have you noticed in the tattoo industry lately?

Nick Sharratt: People are putting a lot more thought into what they’re getting and who they’re getting it from. Everyone is starting to accept tattooing as an art form, it’s not just for bikers and sluts anymore. Then again, motorcycles aren’t just for tattooed people anymore, either. Everyone’s more knowledgeable about everything now as well, including sterilization, and that’s a good thing. Plus, we have things like your magazine, that’s a big part of it. I think it’s cool that people can check out different artists and see what they have to offer. It’s cool that people can pick up your magazine and that there is enough interest in it for you to do it. It wasn’t like that five years ago.

Dave Muller: What do you have planned for your future?

Nick Sharratt: Down the line, I’d love to be doing more custom stuff. I’d like to be able to travel and eventually do some guest spots and conventions. I’d love to tattoo in some different cities, like London for instance. But whatever happens, I’ll always be back. Mystic Tattoo is my home. I’ll be here till I get fat.

Dave Muller: From the looks of you, that’s going to be a while.

Written by: Dave Muller
Photos courtesy of: Mystic Tattoo

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