Cherie Johnson chats comfortably in the waiting area of Sleeping Dragon Tattoo with the high-pitched whirring of a tattoo gun in the background. This is where she feels at home.

The MHC alumna graduated from the visual communications program in 1991 and held a number of positions before evolving into a tattoo artist. Johnson has been a photographer, owned a sign business, taught graphic design to inmates in a women’s prison and worked in a newspaper advertising department.

But 12 years ago, a birthday gift from her husband changed her life path. He bought her her first tattoo.

When she told the tattoo artist that she had completed an art program in college,
he suggested she become a tattoo artist.

“I had never thought of it before but it was an exciting idea,” she said.

For her next birthday, her husband surprised her with a tattoo set-up and after much practice and research she opened her own studio two years later.

“Did I ever think in a million years I would be doing this in life? No. I never thought I’d be what I am today.”

You would never know she wasn’t destined for a life in the tattoo industry. Johnson now has 60 tattoos, slightly lagging behind her husband.

“I’m the cool mom,” she joked.

Tattooing has its challenges. Every client is a different person with different skin and a different pain tolerance - and there’s no eraser.

“You can’t make a mistake. It’s odd because you can be a great sketch artist but not good at tattooing or you can be a great tattoo artist and not be able to paint a picture. You definitely need an art background but you would think the two canvases would be more related.”

Now Johnson and her husband are taking their show, Cherrie Red Tattoos, on the road. The pair worked closely with Alberta Health Services to ensure their mobile tattoo studio was health-board approved. The unit has been a hit with small communities without a tattoo artist and at concerts and festivals.

At Boonstock, Johnson’s trailer attracted a large number of the 40,000 in attendance and at Big Valley Jamboree, the “even wilder” country crowd thought the mobile studio was a novel idea.

“It’s so much fun to travel around and meet really cool people. At festivals you get to know the people around you, other artists and the people you tattoo and you hear so many stories. A lot of times I feel like I’m a psychiatrist.”

This spring the Johnsons are back on the road with their mobile studio in Alberta and if time and luck are on their side, they hope to venture into other provinces. Plans for next winter include heading to Central America with the trailer.

Throughout her travels, Johnson notices tattoos on people she passes and noted Canadians are, in her opinion, the most tattooed country in the world. She attributes that to a laid back way of life in the Great White North.

“We do things the way we want to in Canada. Tattoos are very, very popular here.
A few decades ago the people with tattoos were the minority but now it’s more rare to see people without a tattoo. But it’s also a generational thing and I’m sure the next generation will fixate on something different.”

For those looking to get their first ink, Johnson suggested doing research. Look for a studio that is health-board approved with high standards and an atmosphere you feel comfortable in.

Look at the artist’s portfolio; weigh your options in terms of design and tattoo placement and consider the long-term impact of a tattoo.

“There is still a certain stigma attached to tattoos,” said Johnson. “Don’t put anything stupid somewhere just because you can. Think of your goals and a potential career someday. Will they hire you if you have a tattoo running up your neck or on your hands?”

Johnson holds herself to personal standards of ethics when it comes to her clients and her work. Each tattoo she completes is a walking portfolio so she steers clear of offensive or racist tattoos and advises clients on potential future pitfalls associated with design or placement.
“It’s ultimately my name on the line so I stick to my values and I know where to draw the line.”

For the remainder of her time in Medicine Hat, Johnson and her husband are working out of Sleeping Dragon Tattoos. She is offering a 15 per cent discount to individuals presenting an MHC student or staff ID. Also, budding artists can create a tattoo design to display in the studio. If the design is chosen by a client, the artist will receive a portion of the profits.

Visit www.cherriered-tattooaddictions.com for more information and to view Cherie’s portfolio.