Tattoo artists displays his work at Station Arts Centre

Artist Dave Schultz kneels next to part of his paintings that will be on display at the Station Arts Centre until April 6. The artist hosted an official opening for the exhibit on Saturday. (Jeff Helsdon Photo)

Jeff Helsdon, Editor

Tattoo artist by day, artist by night, Londoner Dave Schultz is displaying his work as the Station Arts Centre’s latest exhibit.

Working in liquid acrylic and India ink, Schultz termed his work as fantasy art.

“I would put it into pop culture based,” he said. “I take from comic books, movies, and my own ideas.

Pointing to a work with a predator's mouth, he said the inspiration was from the movie Predator.

Schutz recalled in school, he didn’t like many subjects, but loved art.

“I was always told you have to do this work or you won’t have a job or career,” he related of his school experiences in the mainstream subjects. “It turns out all my doodling turned into something. My art teacher was my biggest supporter when I was young.”

In fact, his art teacher helped Schultz get a part-time job at a tattoo parlour when he was 16. He worked for three years as an apprentice tattoo artist and has been a professional for the past 21 years. Schultz is now co-owner of Hangar 18 studio in London.

He finds his art is a creative outlet.

“As a tattoo artist, I do a lot of commission work and people dictate what they want,” he said. “This is where I get creative freedom.”

In a way, Schultz’s art is similar to tattoos.

“A lot of what I do artistically is very transferable to tattoos,” he said. “That’s why I work with bold outlines and poppy colours.”

This isn’t Schultz’s first exhibit – actually, he’s a veteran, and it’s his seventh show. The Station Arts exhibit has 10 pieces that have not been shown before. He was unwavering that his painting is a hobby, though, and tattoos are his living.

“I don’t paint with the goal of selling,” he said. “The reality is it’s piling up, and I have to put prices on it sooner or later.”

Schultz did admit people have seen his paintings, though, and requested a tattoo of one.

Station Arts Centre executive director and curator Tabitha Verbuyst commented on the change from a display last month by the Stationhouse Quilters and Fibre Artists to Schultz’s bold, colourful work.

“It’s a great way to show the diversity of art,” she said. “It’s interesting to see the difference between how people express themselves.”

The show runs from March 6 to April 6.