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Nov 21, 2023

Mountain Rose Tattoo: Providing Ink to a Community

Subscribe Getting a tattoo has the potential to be a meaningful experience;

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Getting a tattoo has the potential to be a meaningful experience; after all, you’re putting something on your body permanently, so why shouldn't the experience around that match the weightiness of such a decision? I’ve experienced great tattoo artists and shops, like the beautiful Manhattan one that did a large piece for me, customizing the art several times until I liked it and then allowing my friend to come sit with me for the two hours it took, feeding me French fries throughout. And I’ve had less-than-great ones, like the guy who kept getting so distracted by the conspiracy theory radio he was listening to and spouting to me about it that what should have been an hour-long tattoo ended up taking three.

Leading the charge for creating your tattoo experience in Hailey is Mountain Rose Tattoo (though there is another tattoo shop in Hailey as well at the moment, a rarity in a small town that hardly warrants the need for more than one). Opened in March 2019 by Matthew Crow, Mountain Rose has spent the last three years cultivating its own community and culture around tattooing in its small Hailey shop. Guest artists come through the shop periodically, and Crow has recently brought on a new resident artist, Becky Randall, as well as an apprentice, Nathan Payne. "When I moved here, I definitely realized that I was going to have to build my own tattooing community and culture," says Crow.

It wasn't opening a tattoo shop that brought Crow to Hailey, but rather a job offer to his wife, Mandy, at the time a CPA and now working for the school district. Crow had retired from 22 years in the Coast Guard and after following him to various areas he was stationed for 15 of those years, Mandy decided it was her turn to pick the locale. The couple fell in love with Hailey and moved in June of 2018. "We were looking to be part of a community."

As Crow explains, tattooing has a lineage similar to martial arts where that lineage is comprised of the instructors and teachers who have passed down the knowledge you are studying. While stationed in San Francisco in his time in the Coast Guard, Crow did an apprenticeship in 2006 for two years with renowned tattooer Henry Goldfield of Goldfield's Tattoo, an impressive lineage to call one's own considering the North Beach shop has been in operation since 1978. When it came to designing his own shop, Crow says, "I wanted my shop to be somewhat of a representation of my tattooing style — what I like, the tattoo family I came up in. I’ve always liked tons of shit on the wall and stuff to look at." It's true that the walls are, indeed, covered in "tons of shit," from flash art and stenciled drawings yet to be placed on a body to masks, and framed art, photos and mirrors.

The lineage that Crow is now a part of is extending its line to shop apprentice Nathan Payne. A Hailey native, Payne began his apprenticeship in May of this year after failing to find one in Boise, where he was living at the time. He attributes this to tattoo shops wanting someone with experience post-Covid, rather than taking on someone who had never tattooed. "Matt offered me the opportunity, and I decided to work with someone I want to work with," says Payne. "Matt and I are friends, which definitely helps." While Payne won't be handling a needle for a few months, there's still plenty to learn, like how to run a shop, set up and take down for tattoos, and practicing his art. The shop is closed on Tuesdays which is when Crow and Payne spend the day drawing and painting, a practice that seems quaint on the surface but is ultimately a core part of being an apprentice.

"A big part of it is the art you’re doing, practicing your flash," says Payne. "To me, one of the main parts of becoming a good tattoo artist is being able to do the line work, putting it on them, and then shading as you tattoo; if you drew every single part of the drawing before putting it on someone, you wouldn't have time. So eventually you get so good you can visualize exactly what that looks like. That's why practicing flash, learning how to shade, looking at something is really important."

Crow recently brought on another artist, Becky Randall, who was living in Twin Falls with her husband but wasn't interested in working in the shops there. After looking at her work, Crow offered her a resident artist position and she made the move. Crow is happy to take on anyone with a good portfolio, whether that's in the long- or short-term, though it can be hard to recruit to such an out-of-the-way spot. At the moment, guest artists are slated for this coming April and next summer.

So should you find yourself up in the mountains in Hailey and longing for some ink, head to Mountain Rose. They specialize in American Traditional, black and grey, black work, dot work, and Japanese Traditional. They are available only for walk-ins on Wednesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.