Papillion Family Studios in Sayulita has always had a reputation for having highly skilled and creative tattoo artists. People from all over the world come to Sayulita to get tattooed at Papillion family studios, and to meet the infamous owner, Chops. Now, with two new amazing artists as part of the Papillion Family Studios team, there is even more talent ready to create and design the beautiful, customized tattoos that you’ve always wanted! Read more to learn about tattoo artists Nose & Martin.
Hi guys! Can you introduce yourselves to our readers-- where are you both originally from, and/or what brought you to Sayulita?
Martin: I'm originally from Northern California. What brought me to Sayulita was the beach!
Nose: I am originally from León, Guanajuato Mexico. I started coming to Sayulita by chance -- I was on vacation in San Pancho and some friends invited me to spend a few days here in Sayulita. I ended up coming back every 2 months to tattoo until I decided to come live here permanently.
What is your background experience in art and tattooing?
Martin: I apprenticed in Hong Kong under world famous tattoo artist and legend, Jimmy Ho.
Nose: Well, I studied fashion and footwear design, to which I dedicated myself for ten years. Aside from the truncated career in art and cultural management, tattooing had always been for me like a game between friends. I also devoted a lot of time to marble and metal engravings, as well as graffiti, and large format painting, so my experience in art in general is vast and diverse.
What is your favorite type of style of tattoo, or do you have your own “signature” style/look?
Martin: My favorite type of tattoos are traditional as well as tribal. I think my style of tattooing would be loose and folky.
Nose: I love traditional Japanese style as well as working with lines and dots. I think getting to the basics of a black point is what I like the most. My work is characterized by the attempt of perfection on straight lines, or basic curves.
Why is being a tattoo artist a passion of yours, or when did you first know this was something you wanted to pursue as a career?
Martin: It's the only "job" I've ever had that doesn't feel like actual work. I spent all my time and money in tattoo shops before actually becoming a tattooer, and I just knew that I had to find a way to get myself in the tattoo world full-time as a career.
Nose: Well, I've always liked new and different things, and tattooing is the most difficult and complex art technique I've ever learned. It keeps me so busy, and I am always continuing to learn and improve, to which I no longer have anxiety about learning more. I decided to make a career out of this art form when I understood that tattooing was the only way to evolve. Tattooing is definitely not a hobby; it is the most complex type of art activity I have known so far.
What do you love the most about your job?
Martin: What I love most is that no two days are the same.
Nose: My job doesn’t feel like work; I don’t think of it as “work” because I just get to draw all day long!
What tattoo of your own do you like the most and why?
Martin: I have a coverup of my left arm that I love the most out of all my tattoos; I tattooed it myself solid black.
Nose: I have a special one that was made for my ex-wife’s daughter when she was 6 years old; she’s a special person to me, like her tattoo.
What do you think is the best thing about having a tattoo on a person's body?
Martin: I love that no two tattoos are ever exactly the same; any imperfections will add to its beauty.
Nose: I believe that any tattoo can change the perception of others about who you are. It is a way of choosing how you want to be seen among others. I like that it is a very economical way that requires some commitment to change something about yourself that you do not like or want to enhance, or to project something to the world. It is so easy -- a little ink, a little blood, a little money, a little pain, and you're another version of you.
*The first four photos are examples of Martin's work, and the rest are examples of Nose's.
For more information about Papillion Family Studios, or to schedule your tattoo appointment, visit their Sayulita Life Web Page.
*Written by: Aanya Sheikh-Taheri