Trinity: Tell me about your style.

Derek: I guess anything bold and in colour, whether it’s to emulate realism, new school or illustrative, I am always trying to develop a new bold dynamic tattoo.

T: How does it feel to be an artist?

D: I am so grateful that I get to do something that I love every day. It’s a constant drive to always produce what the clients expect and what we have to expect from ourselves. Mostly it’s fun to be able to create and it’s still mind-blowing to me that people allow us the freedom to put something on their skin.

T: Did you ever doubt your career choice and why?

D: A few times in the early days when I was more motivated to paint than tattoo. I put down tattooing for a summer and started roofing for my brother’s company. It was then that I realized tattooing wasn’t such a bad career choice afterall.

T: What’s the hardest choice you’ve had to make as an artist and what happened?

D: Recently it’s been to go out on my own with my buddy Mike Brito to start our shop Electric Grizzly Tattoo. There were a lot of unknowns and it was tough to take that leap but it’s already made me happier as an artist and a person. Also learning the business side of things was hugely rewarding and a real learning experience.

T: Looking at your work, I guess that you love super heroes. If you were one, what would be your super hero name and what super power would you have and why?

D: I would be Spiderman. He’s still a pretty normal dude with normal life problems but he gets to web sling across the skyline.

T: What goal or vision do you pursue?

D: I just want to keep learning and progressing. We started an art collective that I would hope to see grow in the future, promoting art across Canada for artists by artists.

T: What’s your favorite artwork and why?

D: I love realism mixed with surreal psychedelic concepts.

T: Do you feel an artist’s life is lonely?

D: I am grateful to have an amazing wife and daughter. They make my life fulfilling and inspire me to try harder in my art career.

T: What makes you angry?

D: When I run out of paint in the middle of a project or run out of certain colours as I’m tattooing that I really rely on.

T: Favorite or most inspirational place?

D: There are a few, in Canada, there are the Rocky Mountains, in Africa, there’s the Serengeti and there’s Bali in Indonesia.

T: What couldn’t you do without?

D: I couldn’t live without my family, vacations, friends, painting, tattooing, snowboarding, golf and boxing.

T: Considering the number of interviews you have done, what is the question that no one ever asks but would have loved to answer?

D: What do you hope to someday tattoo?

T: And what would be the answer?

D: I hope to tattoo a set of themed bodysuits, whether based on comics, wildlife or movies. That would be a sense of accomplishment for the collector as well as very humbling to me.

T: If you had one question for one artist, what would it be and to whom?

D: I’d ask Dimitry Samhoin about his creative process and techniques to get his gloss like realistic tattoos and paintings.