Today we’d like to introduce you to Tony Kelly.
Tony, we’d love to hear your story and how you got to where you are today both personally and as an artist.
I have been tattooing for 27 years and have been an artist as long as I can remember. I own my shop Hybrid Art Studios in East Peoria but I moved up to the Chicago for a bit to work out of Dark Water Studio to broaden my talent. I am always on the quest for knowledge and sometimes you have to step out of your comfort zone to really humble yourself and learn. Being around great artists help push you to different heights and then you can find out what you are capable of. Staying in your comfort zone can make you lazy at times.
We’d love to hear more about your art. What do you do you do and why and what do you hope others will take away from your work?
I prefer to do all my tattoos freehand using little to no references. It needs to flow with the body and sometimes using photos, the tattoos can feel very stiff with how they work with the body. I like doing darker, fantasy type of work mostly because there are no boundaries. It’s a wide open platform to create anything you want with no rules. When it comes to my artwork or paintings I don’t use or stick to one medium. I feel it is better to be spontaneous and use what surrounds you at the moment to create. Life is different everyday and I think art should mimic that. Whether I am drawing, painting, or doing digital art, I want it to be fun and a creative experience. That is why tattooing is great because it is different everyday and you have to be creative to stay on top of your game.
What do you think it takes to be successful as an artist?
Success as an artist isn’t about how much money you can make or how many likes you can get on social media. it’s about creating things that people can feel, things that may move people, creating things that most people haven’t seen done in a certain way. But mostly for me I think its about getting out the ideas you may wrestle with like an emotion you are going through or a time period in your life that is worth remembering. Be spontaneous and live in that moment. capture it and people will see your passion and see something in it that touches them. Its like when you hear someone sing a song and read the lyrics compared to someone singing that same song with their eyes closed and coming from the heart, from their soul. You feel it and it will move you. Art is the same way. People will see your passion. So to me being successful as an artist is how you can touch people with the work you create.
Do you have any events or exhibitions coming up? Where would one go to see more of your work? How can people support you and your artwork?
I have only done a few gallery showings with my paintings but some are on display at Dark Water Studio. I post most of my work on Instagram and Facebook. My Instagram is @tonykellytats and my Facebook is www.facebook.com/tonykellytattoos
Contact Info:
- Address: Dark Water Studio
501 Willow Blvd
unit 102
Willow Springs, IL
60480 - Website: www.darkwaterstudio.com
- Phone: 309-453-7070
- Email: hybridartstudios@gmail.com
- Instagram: @tonykellytats
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/tonykellytattoos
Image Credit:
all photos are taken by me
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