Meet Pym Avery | Artist, Tattooer and Pirate

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

Hi Pym, do you have a favorite quote or affirmation?
I’d say that my favorite (paraphrased) affirmation which was a huge motivation for me in the early stages of my working career came from a book named Jonathan Livingston Seagull, “There are no limits”. It pushed me through a time when I faced many obstacles being a female in an excessively male dominated trade.
It was also an inspiration to take the art of tattooing to new levels and present it to an unconvinced public as an actual art form.
I believe that the actual quote is
“Don’t believe what your eyes are telling you. All they show is limitation”.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I started tattooing in the South of Spain in the late 1980s and traveled with the street fairs and carnivals of the Mediterranean and South of France,literally practicing until I could figure everything out . It was almost impossible to apprentice as a female in those days and just as difficult to get information on anything trade related,including supplies. There was no internet,no Amazon,no Chinese suppliers. It was,as a friend of mine said after reading the first chapters of my upcoming book, like ‘Life of Pi’. It was a great adventure, an undying urge to learn and massively character building. I would.literally go to the few existing tattoo shops and ask for information, get kicked out routinely and endlessly until they finally gave up and asked if I’d go away if they told me what I needed to know…it was a fairly successful approach! Eventually in 1995 I opened my own shop in the South of Germany and worked at many of the early tattoo conventions and motorcycle rallies and other shows, there were very few women tattooers on the circuit. (It’s nice to see many more now.)
I moved to the US in 2001 and have based out of several states including Hawaii and California, owning several shops and again,working the convention circuit. I am now in Tucson,AZ.
Recently, due to health reasons, I started doing a lot more art on objects like surfboards and furniture pieces, paintings and murals and also sailboat transoms. I also own and sail a Morgan 43 sloop in the Sea of Cortes, and escape there to write.
The trade of tattooing has become a huge industry, and I am happy to be able to say that I knew it before it was an industry. It has become very different from when I started, mostly in a positive direction. I’m glad to have been a part of the formative transitions to art on skin.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I always use the excuse of having a visitor to go check out new places to be honest. There are amazing places in every corner of this State.
I love the mural works everywhere in Tucson and Nature’s displays in the desert from the majestic Saguaros to the ever changing light and shadows on the mountain ranges.
There are great food places on every corner, and amazing fairs and farmers markets.
I enjoy Bisbee as a place to visit, and Bisbee Breakfast Club definitely has my food vote!!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
My shout out goes to all my tattoo clients first and foremost, thankyou for the trust that you have in letting me turn your dreams into real form and your skin into art. Without you I would never have made it 35 years in this trade. In the beginning,I was a traveling artist and self taught. I’d also like to thank all of the tattooers and shops that helped me along the way, and the Spanish Carnival that I rode along with in the early days!
My tattoo ‘family’ is huge and my heart is full!

Website: Www.seawitch.me (blog)

Instagram: @pymtattoo

Facebook: @pymtattoo

Youtube: Under construction

Other: Pymtattoo@gmail.com