meet the artist

kayla

My name is Kayla. I have been tattooing since 2017 and drawing since I was young. When I was 14 years old I decided I wanted to be a tattoo artist and focused most of my time to drawing tattoo styles and now 10 years later I do it full time at Outlaw Ink. I've documented my journey of the years on Instagram, including all my recent work, all the way back to the first couple of tattoo designs I ever drew.

Instagram

tattooing

My first ever experience as a client in a shop was not a pleasant one. I was 16 years old going in for a belly button piercing and the entire time I was there, I was given the impression that I was wasting their time and they didn't seem enthusiastic to do my piercing. Maybe it was an off day for them, maybe they were tired but that day I knew that as a tattoo artist I would never want any of my clients to feel that way. Every client I meet I do everything I can to make them feel comfortable and welcomed in the shop. The experience you have in shop during your appointment is just as important as the outcome of the tattoo.

when i'm not tattooing

Not only am I a tattoo artist, but I'm also a motorcycle instructor. Once I learned to ride a motorcycle I fell in love with everything about it now I help new motorists learn to ride a motorcycle as well as teach them about motorcycle safety at Motorcycle Training Solutions Inc. ((I also give my previous students tattoo discounts))

In the last 4 years I've put over 10,000 miles on my motorcycles. My most intense motorcycle ride has been New York to the ass end of Delaware in a day, then back two days later which was almost 600 miles in total.

more of my various hobbies

I never know what to say when people ask about what other hobbies because I have so many that I rotate through every couple of weeks. While I do a lot of digital artwork, I also work in many different mediums such watercolors, acrylic paints, charcoal, colored pencil, markers and just about any other 2D medium I can get my hands on. My favorite is to gather up a few friends and do Bob Ross paintings with them. It's always a joyful experience and getting friends who say they're not artistic to paint is always a fun experience, especially getting them to see that they're more capable than they give themselves credit for.

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Going out isn't something I do often, but when I do it's going out to see a local band. My favorites are Rubixx, Junket, Round One Fight! and DNA Emo Night as well as events hosted by Sonic Spin Media. These shows always bring in an amazing crowd with so many sweet and kind people that make the shows feel like one big happy family. Not only is the music amazing, but the amount of love and passion that is put into their performances can be seen a mile away every time they play. It's always a treat when Nikoma, a local photographer, makes an appearance to capture pictures of an amazing experience.

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Some of my other hobbies include crocheting, playing guitar, doing different puzzle games such as Chess or sudoku, carving designs into random objects with a Dremel, weight lifting, cross-stitch, and any other craft that piques my interest. While I am horrible at being constant with each of these hobbies, every few weeks I'll switch which one of them I'm currently hyperfixated on. While they may not be the most exciting hobbies, they're hobbies I enjoy that bring me peace.

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I also enjoy doing a photoshoot about once a year with Erika. I originally saw Erika in December of 2020 for a boudoir photoshoot. Since our first shoot was such an intimate one, she became someone I am very comfortable working with one on one. She has done multiple shoots for me, including some of the pictures on the site and most recently a horror/Halloween shoot she wanted to do as a passion project where I absolutely love the results. She's done an amazing job at making me feel beautiful and confident in my own body which I am forever grateful for!

fur momma

I don't have any children, however I do have a puggle as well as two cats. I grew up with three huskies and a puggle. Once I got settled in living on my own, I stole the family puggle, Bailey, from my mom. While I told her I was going to steal her, she thought I was bluffing, but she's been living with me for almost 3 years now and she's my little princess. She coexists with my two cats, Tipsy and Dickins. My pets are a big part of my life and I adore them, even when they're hogging my bed at night.

where i've been and where i want to go

Tattooing has been such an amazing opportunity and it's something I'm grateful to be able to do each day. When I first learned to tattoo, I relied heavily on walk ins while establishing my clientelle base. During that time I learned how to draw tattoos in various styles and spent a couple years finding which styles I enjoy. Now that I am more established and have an idea of the styles I enjoy tattooing, I want to refine and develop the styles I enjoy. Neotraditional and American Traditional style tattoos are definitely my favorite, but I always love the challenge of taking on realism or mandalas.

I've been tattooing at my current shop, Outlaw Ink, since the end of 2019, and became shop manager in 2020. I work for an amazing man, Charley Lewis, who gives me full control of the shop and do as I see fit which is more than I could ever ask for. Since then I started planting roots in Orange County NY as it's a shop I plan to be with for a long time.

Over the next few years my current goal is to take on more tattoos in my preferred style, as well as continue improving the shop to make it a welcoming environment.