St. Mary’s Arts Council Spotlight on the Arts: John Hudson

Our Highlight on the Arts is shining brightly on Tattoo Artist and small enterprise proprietor John Hudson!

We chosen John after coming throughout a most fascinating image captured of him taking a brief break throughout a  busy day with a full schedule of shoppers.  

This single picture, as portrayed in black and white by photographer Bert Hindman, sparked an curiosity in us to study extra and a need to share a small window’s view of Hudson’s life and an excerpt of his story.

As an artist with over 32 years of expertise in his commerce, John first began tattooing again in 1989. Simply 5 brief years later he opened his very first tattoo store situated in Huntingtown, Maryland. One store led to a different with subsequent previous possession of studios each in Prince George’s County in addition to in Calvert County.

Hudson’s present store opened in September of 2021 within the Wildewood Procuring Middle, tucked between Ulta and the Wildewood Bakery, but simply noticed by the massive and daring yellow “Tattoo” signal. The prior Ink Wizard location was additionally in St. Mary’s County, simply over a half-mile away on By the Mill Rd.

John’s innate ardour for his artwork kind instilled in him a deep fireplace to create paintings designed to final a lifetime for his shoppers. Lots of his clients are devoted long-time followers for whom he has offered tattoo work each small and huge, plus all sizes of labor in-between.

Hudson’s favourite types and specialty areas, each of which he’s well-known for and are sometimes mirrored in his intensive portfolio, together with influences from the realms of each Realism and conventional Japanese influences.

Within the tattoo world, “realism” refers to an inventive perspective that creates a tattoo much like {a photograph} or real-life 3D object in look. This fashion requires intensive expertise by the artist and produces an finish end result that’s finely tuned and intricately detailed, all areas during which John has confirmed to be masterful.

Conventional Japanese paintings typically consists of folkloric figures, dragons, waves, clouds, and different parts of nature. Hudson might inform you rather more about this matter because it encompasses one in every of his very favourite pursuits!

John comes from a protracted line of entrepreneurs – his relations have owned fuel stations, mechanic outlets, eating places, bowling alleys, bars, and towing corporations. His daughter Jessica works alongside him at Ink Wizard and his son Jeremy owns King of the Bay Tattoo throughout the bridge in Solomons.

Via many hours of lengthy days and nights spun into a longtime profession of properly over 30 years, John’s dedication to honing his craft and serving his shoppers has laid the inspiration for Ink Wizard to be acknowledged because the longest-running tattoo store within the space.

Our featured artist additionally credit his devoted group of colleagues who’ve joined him on his private {and professional} journey in offering the very best high quality of providers inside the scope of a clear, snug, and welcoming setting.

Though a lot of his working day is spent with the bodily tattoo course of, John additionally spends appreciable time on a person foundation planning the paintings and ensuring his shoppers obtain past distinctive care each earlier than and after their session. “You gained’t stroll away from our store sad” is a motto that Hudson adheres to for each one in every of his clients.

Outdoors of his life as an expert tattoo artist, John very a lot loves engaged on bikes, notably restoring vintage bikes. His creativity with restorations has even garnered a number of awards at numerous motorbike exhibits and conventions.

Thanks John for being a valued a part of our creative group and bringing a hard-to-match wealth of expertise and dedication to the tattoo business as an entire!

Study extra about our featured artist on the hyperlinks beneath:

Ink Wizard Tattoo (Tattoo & Physique Piercing)