This is my husband from many moons ago.
This is him today.I find both of these photos of Sebastian equally endearing. The one of him as a babes is, I mean come on, just freaking insanely adorable. His grandfather was a photographer and did a series of black and white shots with both him and his brother. I can't get past the perfection of that face (and he had crazy orange red hair- which you're missing out on with the black and white, but I'm still incredibly fond of the photo). The second is Sebastian in his element as a tattooist in his shop (and the guy under the machine is Nathan).
Sebastian gets this feature because he deserves any bit of recognition he gets for his amazing skill and artistry (a combination rarely found with such precision in the tattoo world). In an industry that's been bombarded with horrid sensationalized reality shows that entice 14 year old girls with braces to stop into his shop (with her parents, no less) to try to get a tattoo (FYI: He did NOT tattoo her.), I think he's kept a pretty clear and balanced head on his shoulders.
Having been tattooing for 20 years, Sebastian has evolved into a tattoo artist who is sought after and, I'm just going to say it, is booking into next year with a waiting list of 50+ people. Do you know why I had to share that? Because he has worked his ass off to get where he is and, not for a second by crushing others to get there. His mind is expansive and highly intelligent and , though he has the sense of humor of a twelve year old boy sometimes, has incredible wit, insight and a balanced understanding into people and the workings of the world. Also his art is excellent. also I love him... but don't mistake that love for bias. No way I could love and admire him if he was a talentless jackass.
His shop, Otherworld Tattoo, is a striking stylistic combination of traditional Japanese and modern Americana tattoo parlor, thanks to the personality dynamic of all three of the tattooists there (J and Derek being the other two great guys). It's an awesome second home for all of us and I love stopping in and witnessing the simultaneous hum of all three tattoo machines going at once with a lobby full of curious peeps and long time clients. I am beyond proud of who my husband is as an artist, tattooist and businessman, yes. But I adore who he is as a person and how much he has helped me to appreciate the vastness of life. And I especially can't wait until he finally finishes his book so the general public can experience the same understanding of his creative output and smarty pants brain at work. No doubt you'd love him too.
