John Hill
📍Flint, MI

What was your process while making the work for this show?

I had a lot of fun making the panther ripping through the sky. I started with the panther head at the bottom and had no plan for the painting as a whole. Every day, I would sit down and do a chunk. It all would depend on how I was feeling at that moment. Staying loose in design leaves more possibilities. It’s fun to look back and relive those moments in each part of the painting. Hopefully I can remember that stuff forever.


What is your biggest inspiration at the moment?

My biggest inspiration right now is honestly the amount of painting I’ve seen from my peers. It makes me want to paint more and keep up. I take great pride in being a tattooer and painter from Michigan, and have been highly influenced by the greats from this area.

“It’s fun to look back and relive those moments in each part of the painting. Hopefully I can remember that stuff forever.”

As a tattooer, do you have different intent with your non-tattoo work?

With painting, it’s way more relaxed. There is nobody to step in and offer any suggestions.
In tattooing, I want to make the customer happy and give them a good experience.
While I’m painting, it’s just me and I only have to make myself happy…unless it’s a commission.