Today we’d like to introduce you to Westley Pariah.
Hi Westley, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
My mom was starting to get tattooed when I was very young, and I remember being in tattoo shops in the Midwest at age 5 or 6. I was too young to remember any of the shop names, but I was fond of the atmosphere, the smells, the music, and I wanted to know everything about what was going on everywhere I looked. I went with her a few times throughout my younger years before I started getting piercings as a teenager in Richmond at River City Tattoo and Lucky 13. Once I reached adulthood and was on my own, I met Keith Wells at Hellbent Tattoo in Arlington, and he started what would become my left sleeve. As the years went on, I got tattooed by Jamie English (r.i.p.), Chance Webb (who now owns Fade to Black in Fort Worth), Ryan 9-One before getting a couple pieces from Nick Huff over on Berry Street at Fort Worth Tattoo Company. The owner of that shop was Jon Hill, who I met while working next door at The Aardvark. I was probably 24- 25 at that point. He would eventually take me under his wing as his apprentice, teaching me the ins and outs of the tattoo industry (and what not to do!). I spent the next few years with him, first at Fort Worth Tattoo Company, next at Night Owl Artistic Studios, then finally finishing at Bonehead Tattoo, where I currently am the senior artist. After my apprenticeship, I spent a year working at a few other shops before calling up Cody in 2020 to come back to work for him. The rest is history!
We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Textured, maybe, but definitely not smooth! Balancing work and my apprenticeship was tough in itself, and that’s most of the reason it took so long. Taking the time to learn the proper techniques, the history, and stigma of tattooing was very important to me, and I had too much respect for the industry before I was even a real part of it to NOT go about it the right way, no matter what. In the time after that, figuring out my footing was difficult the first 7-8 months. Not only did I dislike where I physically was at the time, I didn’t see very much room to grow as an artist. There were new techniques I was learning and employing in my tattooing, but a lot of it was monkey-see-monkey-do behavior, not actual instruction. It was definitely a slower time in my career, but that didn’t last long! Once I branched out a little more and met more people, I started to see my growth. When I came back to Bonehead, I felt like I had a lot more to offer as an artist than when I left there a year prior.
There are always obstacles in this business, whether it be designing a tattoo, making time for the tattoo, DOING the tattoo, or even finding someone TO tattoo on! I always try to remember that tattoos are a luxury, not a necessity. That and time of year are the two biggest outside contributing factors to being a successful tattooer. The rest is solely on me.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I do a mix of everything, I suppose. I’m a sucker for any tattoo with lines. Linework creates the best foundation for a tattoo. Just like when constructing a building, you need the best foundation possible to sustain it. So naturally, I try to design all of my tattoos to have solid outlines, smooth shading, and bold colors. I am most proud of some of my black and gray tattoos. I love doing color, and it has its place for me, but nothing is more satisfying to me than to see some perfect fades and nice solid black within a tattoo of mine. I wish that more people would ask me for tribal/blackout/splatter tattoos! They are my favorite to do, and it is so much fun giving someone a massive, one-of-a-kind tattoo- tailored to them and drawn to fit. The experience will make or break even the best-looking tattoo, so I always make sure to be kind and thoughtful and make sure the person in my chair is as happy as they can be with me and what I do for them.
Can you talk to us about how you think about risk?
What is life but one big risk? I view risks as a thrill and welcome them in my life. I think one of the biggest risks I ever took was my apprenticeship. At the time, I was working full time as a floorguy/bouncer, and my life was pretty predictable and comfortable. When I first started under Jon, I was told by the guys in the shop that I was going to say goodbye to most of my family, pretty much all of my friends, my significant other if I had one- the whole nine yards. I had NO idea what to think at first, but I was still gung-ho about it and wanted to change my life. I’m glad he hung onto me; regardless of how many messed up burritos I brought him or beers, I didn’t leave him when I should have. Even when I have failed at something in life, I always remember- the difference between Winners and Losers is not the amount of failures, but rather that Winners never give up. So, when risk prevents itself, I view it as a win. Even if I fail, I am presented with an opportunity to better myself, and that is still winning!
Contact Info:
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/pariahtattooist
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/boneheadtatt2
