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His passion stems from a love of creating custom artwork that will be with the client wherever they go. “It’s an honor as an artist to be chosen to leave a permanent mark.” Though he describes his style as illustrative realism, he enjoys working with everything from more traditional types to realistic portraits. As with many artists, he works in more than one medium, “I used to do a lot of painting. More recently, I’ve been working with graphite. I have a series of ghost story illustrations I’ve been playing with. I’ve also been carving custom rings and casting them in silver. There’s something really satisfying about wearing your own designs. One of a kind.”
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The mark of a great custom artist is not only dedication but a lust for growth. Though Kurt’s probably tattooed everything on patrons that he has ever wanted to, he enjoys every opportunity to revisit ideas that he’s worked with previously.“There is always something I want to improve in the art. I think a lot of the images people get are icons somehow rooted in the human subconscious....cultural symbols, spiritual, or maybe just ideas that are tied to our unique view of the world.” “When I started tattooing, I was working in a busy street shop. I did flash designs all day. I dreamed of being a strictly custom artist. There is a great sense of pride that comes with being a custom artist. And honestly, I made more money doing flash. As a custom artist I put hours and hours into drawings in preparation for a tattoo. I don’t get paid for time spent drawing, and my hourly rate is the same as any good street shop.