Meet Savanna Hamilton | Tattoo Artist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Savanna Hamilton and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Savanna, how has your work-life balance changed over time?
Trying to be a good Mom to 3 kids and wife and trying to be a full time tattoo artist that is growing is difficult and sometimes feels like an impossible balancing act. The loudest thing tends to win out, haha. The demands of learning to tattoo better; being creative, making art, answering emails, scheduling, social media, maintaining good physical and mental health and learning new approaches while trying to be present for your family requires a lot of mental fortitude. Having an honest partner, real friends and family relationships help to keep me from veering too far one way or the other. It is important to set realistic and healthy boundaries and invite accountability.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
Growing up in the Sonoran Desert surrounded by it’s beauty, eclectic culture, hot rods and pin-ups nurtured my love for creating art. I enjoy color realism and illustrative botanical art the most. I am a self taught artist and that comes with many struggles and small victories. My 3 sons keep me on my toes. I enjoy working with clients to achieve an artistic interpretation of their ideas. I love tattooing, oil painting also experimenting and using multiple art mediums. Never stop learning. I tried multiple avenues of apprenticeship and none of them were conducive to being a mother and wife at the time. Thankfully I had some friends in the industry to help me along my journey. I had to find a way to teach myself and learn from each failure. I jumped head first into every book, magazine and tutorial available to me. (Very little was available on the internet back then compared to today) I asked as many questions as possible when given the opportunity. I was unrelenting in my pursuit and still am.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
All of my friends and clients from out of state are immediately directed to our glorious Sonoran Hot dog dives. (El Sinaloese on Alvernon is our fave or EL Guero Canelo) I would take them to Mount Lemmon and get a giant cookie (The Rachael is our fave) at the Cookie Cabin in Summerhaven. Then go hike around for a while.
Or go to the Bi0sphere 2 if it were a week long trip. Eeggee’s is always on the menu for visitors.
Arizona Pizza Company accross the street from our shop on Sabino Canyon Highway, is a place I constantly recommend.
The Pima Air and Space Museum, The airplane boneyard and the top of Gates Pass at sunset are highly recommended. I LOVE TUCSON! Also, nothing beats a bbq with friends to catch up on life.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I would not be where I am today without the support of my partner Jake. I have had the great opportunity of working with Jim Quinn and Roman Casillas from Istari Studios. They pushed me and encouraged me, helped me learn to clean up my work and go the extra mile. They wouldn’t let me give up on myself and allowed me to grow as a person and an artist. They are inspiring and wonderful people I have the honor of calling my friends. Too many amazing people to list. I am grateful for Aaron Slachter at 7 Falls Tattoo Studio for letting me join the team a few years ago. The environment and shop atmosphere , encouragement and support is more than I could ever imagine.

Website: 7fallstattoo.com

Instagram: @savanna_hamiltime

Facebook: Savanna Hamilton