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Jan 15, 2024

Brush tattoo artist finds her passion and a lifelong career

Timeless Tattos artist Jessica Sanchez gives two thumbs up about starting her

Timeless Tattos artist Jessica Sanchez gives two thumbs up about starting her career at the Brush shop located at 112 Clayton St. (Photo by Zant Reyez/The Fort Morgan Times)

Some of the tattoos done by Jessica Sanchez. The 19-year old started her apprenticeship at the shop at the end of last year. (Photo from Jessica Sanchez's Instagram/Special to the Times)

Some of the tattoos done by Jessica Sanchez. The 19-year old started her apprenticeship at the shop at the end of last year. (Photo from Jessica Sanchez's Instagram/Special to the Times)

On Wednesday at Timeless Tattoos in Brush, Jessica Sanchez finished the day by sweeping and taking out the last trash bag. It was a typical day for her as she busily went about the other duties a tattoo apprentice is tasked with. She tended to them with poise because she knows, in the long run, it is a small price to pay for the bigger dreams she has in mind.

One day, taking out the trash will be a cherished memory for the 19-year-old as she hopes to someday open her own shop to be called Lovie's Tattoo Shop, which is a nickname her aunt bestowed on her.

However, creating permanent art on the human body wasn't something she grew up dreaming of. It wasn't something she yearned for. The career path she's on now started not even a year ago, but she quickly learned that being a tattoo artist isn't a career to take lightly. You have to immerse yourself in it.

"It's a lifestyle," Sanchez said. "You can't think that ‘OK, yeah, I’m just going to be tattooing for a couple of days and see how that goes.’ It's no, you have to dedicate a lot of work. It's not a hobby. You have to put a lot of time in it."

Sanchez has been an apprentice at the shop for six months, but it took more confidence than getting a first tattoo to walk into the shop and ask about starting there. After taking her drawing portfolio to a few local shops that didn't yield employment results, it was a suggestion from her mother that led her to the shop.

Her mother, Nicole Rodriguez, had gotten a tattoo at the shop last fall. While getting it done, she told her artist, Quinn Parrish, that her daughter was a great artist. Parrish told her to encourage Sanchez to come in to showcase her work.

"Once I got the news from my mom, I was like thanking her so bad," Sanchez recalled.

The news came at a pivotal time as Sanchez said she didn't want to commute to shops in the Front Range or Brighton but would have if another opportunity hadn't arisen.

"Jessica always talked about and said she was gonna become a tattoo artist after high school was done," Rodriguez said. "She is doing what she said she would do; as an apprentice making her way to her reality."

Sanchez said she drew and traced during her younger years, however, it wasn't until high school that her creativity took off. As a sophomore, she said Fort Morgan High School art teacher Carol Boodakian expanded her view on art — and even got her into pottery.

"I didn't even know I could sculpt," Sanchez admitted.

Sanchez said she wasn't fond of going to school and, by the time she was a senior, she may or may not have ditched a lot, which she said led to teachers giving her the label of a troublemaker. Even though she didn't know what she wanted to do post-high school, she knew going to college wasn't for her. She toured the University of Colorado and looked into art programs at Morgan Community College, but even after that, she knew college wasn't the path she was on.

With a blank post-high school life canvas facing her, the inspiration for tattooing as a lifestyle came from her best friend, Allie Holdcroft. It was at 2 a.m. one morning when the topic of tattoos came up. Those talks led to Holdcroft suggesting that Sanchez become a tattoo artist. That led to Sanchez hitting Amazon to buy a tattoo machine for under $200.

"It was all off-brand stuff," Sanchez said. "I thought I was all set."

But she's come a long way in a short span since that 2 a.m. moment of clarity.

"She talks now," said Timeless Tattoos owner Guy Dove. "She used to be really quiet. I think it's kind of an intimidating situation to get into, but she's done really well."

Sanchez recalled when she first walked into the shop with her portfolio, she was nervous, to say the least.

"I was scared at first," she said. "I come in and at first they thought I was wanting a tattoo."

Dove, Parrish, and all the other artists, Sanchez said, foster a welcoming atmosphere that has allowed her to grow and feel safe.

As a part of her apprenticeship, Sanchez will be at the shop for two years and has already amassed a hearty amount of clients. As Dove said, the lifestyle they lead is one of constant creativity, no matter the hour. Sanchez said she watched Jon Nelson's YouTube Channel and his podcast to soak in as much knowledge about the lifestyle as possible. She said she wants to start her own podcast as well as continue growing her social media platforms.

She credits Dove and Parrish for taking her under their wings and teaching her various skills including how to interact with clients to what needle lengths work best for certain projects.

Even though the traditional path of college was never what she wanted, she said her parents and family never wavered in their support of her. Years from now, when the prospective Lovie's is booming, Sanchez can reflect on how it all started.

She's well aware that sometimes life takes its time to unveil what we’re meant to do, and she is no exception. From buying a $200 tattoo kit to spending countless hours learning at Timeless Tattoo, she knows it will be worth every effort.

"As a supportive mother during Jessica's journey and decisions about her career and future, I’ve always said to her ‘Work hard, accomplish your goals,'" Rodriguez said. "Accomplish your goals, make them your reality. With hard work and dedication, everything else will take its course and fall into place in its timing. Live your dreams. Do what makes you happy."

To book an appointment at Timeless Tattoos call 970-842-7186. Follow Sanchez on Instagram @ jessica__tattoos or like the shop's Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/p/Timeless-Tattoos-100054619441558/.

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