Today we’d like to introduce you to Matt Howse.
So, before we jump into specific questions about what you do, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I was born in Sydney, Australia in 1969, my parents brought us to the San Francisco Bay Area shortly thereafter. I grew up drawing a lot, playing music, being a terrible student – usual artsy kid sort of things… I originally fell in love with tattoos and tattooing when I first got tattooed in 1987. I was 18, and I found the vibe of the shop, – the sounds, the smells, the conversation, the old flash on the walls – so intoxicating. I spent a few years in the Army, stationed at Fort Drum NY, and was drawing tattoos for my buddies; really straight forward traditional pieces like eagles, skulls, crossed cannons, etc. It would be another 10+ years before I found myself actually learning to tattoo; after my time in the Army, I’d been in the printing industry, doing graphic design, web design work in the late ’90s.. and in 2001, I met someone through a friend who agreed to show me some things, and after a VERY abbreviated apprenticeship, I found myself at a not-so-awesome shop… then another one, then another one… all the while, my good friend Ms. Mikki mentored me (unofficially), helped me put together, better-executed tattoos. I finally landing a job at Sacred Tattoo (with Ms. Mikki) in Oakland, and since I’ve been fortunate enough to work at the shops, I’d always thought the world of; Spider Murphy’s in San Rafael, Seventh Son in San Francisco, and lastly, Idle Hand, also in San Francisco- with friends I’ll always be close with, and who are some of the best tattooers I’ve ever known.
After getting married in August 2017, my wife and I started making frequent trips down here from San Francisco, and we made the move to San Diego in April 2019. I now work at Flying Panther Tattoo in Golden Hill, and really love where life has taken me. My wife, Brigid is a hairstylist at Goldline in South Park, and my 30-year-old son Travis lives in NYC, where he’s a bartender.
I will continue to produce work that is meaningful to me, traveling all over the world to work at shops and conventions, and I feel so lucky the life has taken me on the road I’ve been traveling thus far, with many more adventures to come!
My website is matthowse.com and can be found on Instagram @matthowse.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Well, since I started later than most people do in my trade, it was a bit more uphill than ideal; plus the fact I didn’t have a proper traditional apprenticeship meant information, reference, etc. weren’t exactly laid out for me. I also didn’t experience many open doors those first years, and I felt at the time, I was taking the difficult path to get where I wanted to go. The only advice I could give anyone would be to never give up, and if it’s worth it, you’ll persevere and you won’t regret the effort at all. Whenever someone in your life offers negative input on what you’re doing, and you feel they don’t understand what it is you’re trying to accomplish in YOUR life, you need to do your best in ignoring, and not let the negative thing into your headspace. The people who love you, support you, who want to see you happy, they’ll always be in your corner. It’ll make a person question friendships and even family relationships when someone who you confide in, who you respect, who you trust – isn’t supported with something that’s super important to you. What I’ve learned is that this thing called life is a quick ride, and if you don’t do something that you really want to, it’s a huge misstep. In the end, we don’t regret the things we DO, we regret the things we DON’T DO.
Please tell us about your business.
I specialize in traditional American tattoos, with my own take, own style… but always at their core, they’re bold traditional that leans on more than 100 years of history. Tattoos that look good and strong in 20, 30, 40 years – that’s what I always strive for. I like using old stories, secret society vibe and imagery in my drawings and flash, always with a nod to the history and where our style came from. We stand on the shoulders of giants, and if it weren’t for those who did what they do right up to this moment; we would have nothing. I also do a good amount of traditional Japanese tattooing, with illustrative sort of black/grey work as well. I’ve had painted works published in galleries, as well as several books – most recently, I was honored to be part of a collaborative book of tattoo flash with Derick Montez, Paul Dobleman, Mary Joy and Mike Giant, aptly titled “The Breakfast Club Book.”
Are there any apps, books, podcasts or other resources that you’ve benefited from using?
My favorite podcast is Mysterious Universe, which is put out by my fellow countrymen and is about stories of alien abduction, UFO sightings and the events surrounding them, Bigfoot, weird hauntings and the like. I also like Joe Rogan, Gossipmongers, Down to Film (my son is one of the hosts of that one), and Last Podcast on the Left. I don’t do much with apps other than Instagram, some utilities… but I’m not into games, etc. so I don’t really have an opinion on that!
Contact Info:
- Address: 2323 Broadway, suite 101
San Diego, CA 92102 - Website: www.matthowse.com
- Phone: 619-238-5713
- Email: matthowse.sf@gmail.com
- Instagram: @matthowse
Image Credit:
Matt Howse, Brigid Howse
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