Today we’d like to introduce you to Mandylyn Jaye Strong.
Hi Mandylyn Jaye, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I have always loved drawing since I was a little kid and dreamed of making art a career. Just out of high school, my friend asked me to give him a hand poked tattoo for fun. It turned out pretty good and all my friends started asking me to give them some. I was posting them on Instagram and strangers started asking me to give them tattoos! I couldn’t believe it. I really fell in love with the craft and when I moved to California soon after, I found a tattoo shop that I really liked and started hanging out there a lot, watching, cleaning up, etc. Eventually they asked if I wanted an apprenticeship, so of course I accepted and have been tattooing ever since! It has been about 10 years since I started my apprenticeship, so I have been professionally tattooing for about 7 years now.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I want to say it’s been decently smooth? Of course I had difficulties and hardships along the way, and things I wish would have been different, but I feel blessed with how it’s all come together and how much I’ve overcome and accomplished on my own. I started as the only female at a street shop in a tourist town, so I’m sure you can imagine some things I went through. I was thrown into doing constant walk ins all day every day, on top of cleaning the shop, and doing whatever else for the other artists there. Days were long and exhausting, but it was helpful in the sense that I learned and progressed fast and got comfortable with the chaos. I used to be extremely shy so it also helped bring me out of that! Most tattoo artists you ask (especially women) will say that their apprenticeships weren’t great. It’s been a male dominated industry for a very long time so unfortunately sexism and abuse has been heavily prevalent. Luckily this seems to be changing as more women enter the industry and these things are talked about more. I would say that area was the most difficult to navigate through, but I have become stronger and learned how to stick up for myself because of it. Also, I really wasn’t taught a lot in my apprenticeship so I had to figure a lot out on my own through trial and error. I say I was thrown in because I really was just thrown in. I watched the other artists tattoo, but things weren’t often explained to me unless I had the right questions to ask. I was taught pretty much the bare minimum and figured out the rest on my own.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I am a tattoo artist that specializes in fine line illustrative realism/surrealism. I would say I’m most proud of my unique designs, clean line work, and all the detail I am able to achieve in my pieces regardless of size. I would say those are also the things I am most known for. I also love doing heavy blackwork, ornamental, and abstract designs. I can do a lot of different styles!
One of the reasons I started tattooing was to be able to give people exactly what they wanted. My first few tattoos that I received, I was unhappy with. The designs were changed, made much bigger than I wanted them, details were left out, the artist was rude, etc. So I said you know what? I’m going to tattoo and give people what they want (of course to a certain extent because some things just won’t work) and not make them feel bad for what they are wanting. I think that is what sets me apart. I listen and care about it the piece you are wanting and what it means to you. I want you to be 100% happy with it since it will live with you forever and I want you to be happy with the experience you have with me while getting tattooed! I love to get personal with my clients and talk about anything and everything during our appointments. I am an open book and I love when my clients are comfortable enough to be open with me as well!
What’s next?
My plans for the near future are to travel a lot more for work. I have clients scattered across the states so I would love to visit them and meet and tattoo others all around as well. Eventually I would love to travel to work in other countries too.
A long term goal of mine is to open my own shop that is completely eco friendly and eco conscious. I just have to figure out where I want to do that, and it’s the most difficult part because I just love so many places hahah.
Pricing:
- My minimum pricing is $200 that gives you an hour of work.
- I currently charge $200 per hour.
- I offer full day sessions for $1,200 which gives you 9 hours of work (10am-7pm)which saves you $600.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://Www.mandylynjaye.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mandylynjaye.tattoo?igsh=dDdqeDVoanY4ZXRk&utm_source=qr
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/16hsR38uGw/?mibextid=wwXIfr
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@mandylynjaye.tattoo?_r=1&_t=ZP-94AML67d69X
