Samantha Van Slyke, Aspiring Tattoo Artist

Grown up in Syracuse, NY, born in March 1996, I am an aspiring tattoo artist. My plans over the years have very much so changed. 

​

The other day, I was going through some old chests at my house and I found this book that I made back in first grade with the help of my mother. I looked through the pages and giggled to myself as I saw the badly drawn drawings, while trying to figure out if it was a slide or a swing that I drew and why I colored in the sky between the ropes of the swing red. I then came across the page of what I wanted to grow up to be; an art teacher. Even as a child, I wanted to pursue something within the art field. 

​

Today, I don't want to be an art teacher, but instead I want to be a tattoo artist. Throughout high school, I wanted to be an interior designer and I even went to OCC and chose interior design as my major. I even won a scholarship my senior year for interior design, but I realized after a few classes that interior design wasn't for me. I changed my major to "ART", applied to Syracuse University for theatre and set design and completed a semester there, while waiting to hear back. With zero experience in theatre, besides me being in band, I was accepted with open arms. I attended SU the next semester, but unfortunately I had to return to OCC the next year. I now have an associates degree in Art, which a specialization in multimedia design. I also have some experience with photography now as well. 

​

With the spare time I have, I design tattoos for friends and family and draw as well. Some of the tattoos that I have designed have now actually become tattoos. I'm very excited to put my artwork and designs onto others myself.