Meet Kay Thomas | Artist, Tattoo Apprentice, & Case Manager

We had the good fortune of connecting with Kay Thomas and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Kay, why did you pursue a creative career?
I started drawing from the time I could hold a pencil. In fact, the first time someone ever asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up, I told them that I wanted to be an artist. Growing up near Youngstown, Ohio, I spent most of my time drawing alone in my bedroom. Some of the first real subject matter I drew was what I saw on television and in video games: Pokémon, the Legend of Zelda, Studio Ghibli movies, and other media. My grandmother also taught me to cross-stitch over weekends and summer visits.

As a teenager, I started taking art more seriously and became enthralled by the Italian Renaissance era, the work of Gustave Doré, and the concept of portraiture. I bought a copy of Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain by Betty Edwards and worked through each lesson. I became addicted to the feeling of honing in on a drawing, almost like I’m peering through a lens, and letting the world around me dissolve. At the same time, I had discovered a love for macabre subject matter, human and animal anatomy, music, body modifications, and tattoos. I started entering art shows in high school, and found that my art didn’t look like any of the others in the room; mine was often more “gothic.” The attention my art attracted wasn’t always good, but my friends and classmates would come to think of me as the thing I always wanted to be: an artist.

With high school graduation around the corner, it became clear to me that I would have to find a way to be financially independent moving forward. I was scared of not being able to start a life on my own as an artist, so I chose a subject I was passionate about, politics, and went to college. I moved 3 hours from my hometown, lived off of school loans, and worked multiple jobs/internships at a time to pay rent while being a full-time student at the Ohio State University. But no matter how much my professional or academic life deviated, I always went back to art. I continued to draw, paint, and cross-stitch, and even started making articulated insect displays. With a full-time job in social services, I decided to show my portfolio to a few tattoo shops just to see how difficult getting an apprenticeship would truly be. When I was pointed in the direction of Aion Tattoo and offered an apprenticeship under Iggy Sweeney, it became clear to me that now is the time to make the leap into the art/tattooing world. Art has remained the love of my life, and I am thrilled to finally be in a position where I’m able to pursue it as a career through a medium that is new and exciting to me.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
My portfolio is unique by being diverse in media and subject matter from one piece to the next. I have experimented with everything from articulated insects, to pencil, to tattoo pen machine. Although I am most excited to build my tattooing skills, I have many plans for future artworks in more “traditional” media – of course, this doesn’t mean I won’t incorporate a bug or two.

My journey in pursuing art has been anything but easy. Throughout college, I was constantly grasping for any opportunity to practice my creative hobbies. Now, as someone working in social services, I have been fortunate enough to be able to split my time between my day job as a case manager and my tattoo apprenticeship. This means I work six days each week, and rarely have time to do anything other than take care of my dog and sleep. However, my apprenticeship has created new opportunities for me to be challenged in making art. This has sparked the motivation that keeps me going through the long days of work and nights of drawing.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I love taking family and friends to the Japan Marketplace off of Kenny and Old Henderson Road. Getting sushi at Tensuke Market, letting your food settle while perusing J-Avenue, and getting dessert at Belle’s Bread is always a good time. Of course, the Book Loft is another favorite for Columbus locals and tourists alike. Even if they’re not an avid reader, I’ve found others to love browsing all of the rooms of the Book Loft.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I would like to shoutout my mentor, Iggy Sweeney, and the artists at Aion Tattoo. The past eight months of my tattoo apprenticeship have been challenging at best, but the collective encouragement and tutelage of my mentor and coworkers have kept me motivated throughout all of the successes, learning curves, and failures of the experience.

Website: https://aiontattoo.com

Instagram: @kthulhu.tattoos