Today we’d like to introduce you to Dean Fleischmann.
Dean, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I first started hanging out in tattoo shops when I was a kid, and my dad would get tattooed and bring me along. The artist that did his first tattoo would go on to eventually make my first tattoo for me, and then eventually make me his apprentice and bring me into the fold, so to speak.
By the time I started to seriously pursue tattooing, though I had lived quite a bit, working many different jobs and traveling whenever possible. I even tried to apprentice once, and it fell apart, only to later find myself working in documentary films that focused on tattooers. So I guess in many ways I was bound to find myself back in the fold, picking up pieces of the craft, learning its history, meeting people that had helped build the ship we tattooers now sail on.
By this time, I was getting more heavily tattooed and had even started to tattoo mostly friends at my house in Austin, Texas. I got offered an apprenticeship again and moved to San Diego, where it quickly fell apart due to unforeseen circumstances. I found myself basically back at square one, only this time I had much more experience, momentum, and a small but strong network of talented artists who were willing to take a chance on me and help further my education in the craft.
After working my way through a couple of shops in town as a front helper, I was able to tattoo enough on the side to build a small portfolio that got me a job down in the Gaslamp Quarter at Superfly Tattoos under Dominic Vasquez. At that shop and with the help of Dominic and certain co-workers, I was able to continue to grow my skills and confidence as time went on.
Eventually, I felt it was time to push myself even further, and with persistence and a little good fortune, I was able to land a seat at Bill Canales’ Full Circle Tattoo, where you can find me now. For me, this was a dream come true. The idea of working at a shop of such high caliber had always been a fantasy, and I have to almost pinch myself sometimes now because it still doesn’t feel quite real.
The talented crew working there along with Bill have already pushed me and helped me to develop my tattooing tremendously, and I am genuinely excited not only to go to work everyday but to see what the future holds. I am so fortunate to work alongside people who are passionate, intuitive, inspired, and all around good human beings. To sum things up, I love tattooing, and I love my job!!
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
The path to tattooing professionally is never a straight or smooth road. In my experience things always work themselves out, but almost never in the way, I thought they would. Like I said, I had two attempts at an apprenticeship that fell apart.
The second time I had relocated to San Diego, without the ways and means to move back to Texas even if I had wanted to. So I had to make due. I was working the door at a bar, as a bike mechanic, as a front helper at another tattoo shop in town, and even making illustrations for television shows on the side.
On average, I would have a 60-80 hour work week. All the while, I was also tattooing on the side (mostly before or after hours in a shop) in order to build up my portfolio. This went on for two years before I was noticed by an artist I had worked for in the past, who now owned a tattoo shop downtown in the Gaslamp District and was able to give me my break.
Soon after making the move to tattooing full time I was able to quit my other jobs, and things started to smooth out a bit. Tattooing full time and as my only job was a huge relief, it gave me not only a sense of great accomplishment but allowed to me to throw myself fully into tattooing and focus on bettering my skills as an artist and a craftsman.
I have an incredible appreciation for where I am now thanks to what happened in the past and being able to look back on how far I’ve come. Everything happens for a reason, and the universe has a funny way of working things out. While it may not have been a direct path like I had originally intended, it helped shape who I am today, and I wouldn’t trade it for the world.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
Almost every day I am at work I get asked, “what are your favorite types or styles of tattoos to d0?” and my answer is always the same, FUN tattoos. I really enjoy traditional American and Japanese style tattoos, as well as black and grey fine line work.
I am attracted to any sort of imagery that depicts epic struggles or graphic symbols. I also love to tattoo any and all insects, animals, plants and flowers!! Even though there are certain images and styles I personally enjoy tattooing, at the end of the day if the client has a good attitude, is open to the tattoo process, and generally stoked to be in a tattoo shop and getting tattooed, I’m having fun!!!
I consider myself very lucky to make tattoos for people for a living, which means you don’t always get to tattoo the things you want to tattoo. Everyone is different and has their own preferences for images and styles, so whenever I get to do something that is akin to the particular things that I like, it’s just a bonus!! I definitely think that this mentality is something shared by my coworkers as well, which sets us apart from other places.
Everyone I work with is very supportive of one another. If I can’t do the tattoo you want for whatever reason, I will be honest and guide you towards the person who can. The owner of Full Circle Tattoos is Bill Canales, who has been tattooing in San Diego for two decades now and has hand-picked the diverse and talented crew at both of our shops to meet the needs of anyone who comes in the door.
Whether it is your first tattoo or your newest addition, traditional or custom, we strive to give you the best quality possible from a little walk in tattoos to full body suits! We are all fully dedicated to meeting the needs of our clients with creativity and professionalism and are always open to new ideas and projects.
What were you like growing up?
I was always a pretty independent and adventurous kid. A new father myself, I feel very fortunate to have grown up in an era where supervision and structure were not of the utmost importance. I think it’s important for kids to learn how to occupy and govern themselves and interact with one another apart from adults.
If I wasn’t in my room reading comic books or fantasy novels, my sister and I were always running around playing with each other and various neighborhood characters, getting into whatever was interesting, trying to stay entertained and have some fun along the way, occasionally getting into trouble as well. I was born on a working farm in rural New Hampshire with a forest as my backyard, so I’ve always been attracted to any activity outdoors.
It also taught me the value of hard work at an early age, doing chores like picking vegetables and helping my parents with various projects on the property. I vividly recall helping my mother hold a chicken down before she chopped its head off. We had raised it from a chick, and later as I watched her prep it so that she could cook our family dinner, I realized how much time and energy had gone into what ended up becoming just a single meal.
My parents met playing music in college, and my mother ended up becoming an art teacher and my father was a carpenter for many years, so as the child of two creative personalities there was always an abundance of arts and crafts to do. They say that busy hands are happy hands, and I find that true for myself as well. I’m always at home doing anything where I can get my hands dirty and make something out of nothing.
I’ve spent far more hours than I’m willing to admit working on Halloween costumes that I only wore for a single night. I think that is one of the things that draws me to tattooing as well, not just making something with your own two hands, but the process, the time it takes to go from an idea to an image, to an indelible mark on the skin.
Pricing:
- $100 Shop Minimum
- $180/hourly rate
Contact Info:
- Address: 2312 30th St. San Diego CA 92104
- Website: www.fullcircletattoos.com
- Phone: 619-226-6575
- Email: deanflashmantattoos@gmail.com
- Instagram: @dean_flash_man
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/deanflashmantattoos
- Other: www.deanflashman.com
Image Credit:
Jordan Goetz
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