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

Hi Matt, why did you decide to pursue a creative path?
Since my earliest memories, I’ve been drawing, playing music, painting, sculpting, welding, playing music – making things.. obsessively. What was a the center of it all though, was the drawing and painting. My entire childhood was art classes, ceramics, lapidary, metal and wood shop, band, and pretty much anything they had a weirdo class for -I was there. After high school, and after a few years in the Army, all I could think about was tattooing, with every TERRIBLE job I had, every bloated boss who explained how important my efforts were to the health of this company… when the company lays everyone off at their “healthiest”- I wanted OUT. I had no place to fit in here. When I finally had an opportunity in 2001, at the age of 32… I didn’t hesitate. And I couldn’t ever be any other way honestly. By the seats of our pants, we have to create to exist.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
Well, my background, and the way I fell in love with tattooing -was all built on the images in my head I had of these tattoos I’d see in the 1970’s and 80’s; on bikers, Veterans, cops, trashmen… ohh, so cool. Intoxicating. Growing up when I did, I loved monster movies, sci-fi, kung-fu smashing, poorly-dubbed greatness! So this, the military, playing in bands – as I’ve continuously pushed in a direction.. it’s turning into what I’m tattooing, painting, drawing now.. That’s more rooted to my head than the natural world by any stretch. I’ve learned to trust my instincts, and only listen to those who know really what they’re talking about, and that they’re always on YOUR side. My brand, if it’s a thing -lives in a world where things may remind you a lot of things in this physical world, but it isn’t. The tattooing is deeply rooted in in American and Japanese traditional tattooing, and will often by fully in that specific world.. but the right idea make for something unpredictable. That’s the magic.

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?
Well, since I’m vegan – I like Giving Tree Cafe, Green New American Vegetarian, killer food.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
For me, my hero and absolute saint is my Mom, Flat-out, hands down. My wife, my son, my brother and family, my dear friends, the ones who always were in my corner. In tattooing terms, my two main mentors and the people who did more for my work than I could have ever asked, were Ms Mikki, who owns Fortune Tattoo in Portland. Without her guidance, I wouldn’t have had the tools, wouldn’t have connected to tattooing properly maybe. Mik has been tattooing for nearly 40 years, and still is a huge part of it. Next is Theo Mindell, who owns Spider Murphy’s Tattoo, where I worked from 2006-2013. He made me look in the direction I needed to if I was going to find MY voice, made me look at art, tattooing, flash, being a tattooer – in such a connected-to-the good-stuff way.

Website: https://www.matthowse.com

Instagram: @matthowse

Image Credits
All photos property of, and shot by Matt Howse.

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