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Tasha Tonks Talks Life On The East Coast, Her New Shop and Her Crazy Cool Banners...
Point to Point takes you behind the needle to share the personal journeys of tattoo artists like you. Drawing inspiration, spreading respect and love… This time we’re talking with Halifax model, shop owner, and artist Tasha Tonks.
Name: Tasha Tonks
Year tattooing: 4.5 years
Years actually good at it? hah: Ooof, that’s a hard one to answer! I was pretty lucky that I had an early introduction to the industry and worked in shops before starting to tattoo. A lot of those years were spent learning about tattooing and painting. I have a hard time looking at my work and thinking it’s good to this day, but I definitely feel a lot more confident in my abilities in the past 2 years. 😅
Place of business: I own Three of Swords, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
Instagram: @tashaterror
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PC: Good day Tasha! It’s been a while since I came up and visited you last fall. Seems like a lot has happened, even though we’re confined you’re quite active!!! How have you been? Let's start over from the beginning of 2020...
TT: Hey Pat! So nice to catch up, I wish we could do this in person! 2020 has been a pretty exciting year for me so far. I had spent the first few months this year opening my new shop, Three of Swords Tattoo Parlour.
Finding the shop location was like the stars aligned, and I met a wonderful businesswoman who had a location just a block away from my home. I signed a lease with her and got to work on the renos - we had a ton of work to do! The space had been a music store for the past 25 years so there were a lot of things to take out, and we basically gutted the shop before we got to work on the new build. Everything was going great, and I was set to open for April - but obviously with the pandemic the shop opening has been put on hold until it’s safe to resume operations.
There were a few convention plans I had as well and some really amazing guest artists that were lined up to come through, but we’ll just have to reassess the situation and reschedule. It’s a bit of a bummer, but it will make the day we can actually open the doors to clients all that much sweeter.
PC: Yess, I heard that! Congratulations, you did a nice virtual opening too! :) How was it for you?
TT: Thanks! It was really fun! I’d toyed with the idea of an Instagram live video, but settled on a photo journey to show the work that went into designing the space. It really gives a better idea of how much love went into making Three of Swords when you can see the whole process. I had an overwhelming amount of positive feedback and messages, so I’d say it was a great success!
PC: You clearly love traditional tattooing, and you rock at it! What made you come to love the traditional tattoos so much?
TT: I think being interested in tattoo history drew me to traditional tattooing initially. There’s just something about that bold classic design that really strikes a chord with me.
PC: You've been doing some crazy banners lately!! Sort of a job these days eh? But really, you've been doing those for a while right?
TT: I’ve made a few banners for myself in the past, and always wanted to make something that would be a little smaller scale and work better for home decor. Luckily all this time off has allowed me to play around with those ideas, and the response has been unreal! The first batch sold out in 10 minutes, and the second went just as well. I’ve been keeping busy with my online shop, and I have some really fancy new stuff coming out soon...and more banners too, of course!
PC: Tasha, we're gonna get there soon and I hope you can get to work as well. I want to see all those crazy traditional tattoos... Good luck with your shop! Make sure you say “hi!” to Alex for me, and I hope to see you next September for another great vacation!!
TT: Thanks Pat! Come sleep over in our van again soon! Until then, stay safe! Xo
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Follow Tasha: https://www.instagram.com/tashaterror
