We have this huge wall in the lobby of Safe House Tattoo. This main wall has given me headaches since we got this space in 2019. The wall is so long, and tall, that it’s hard to find enough art to cover it. The art we could cover it with blended in too much with what we had elsewhere in the shop, so it didn’t feel like we were making the most of such a main spot. After painting a smaller mural at my kids school, I got the idea to go bigger, and do one in Safe House. Then began the many weeks process of designing it.

Thankfully, I have other fantastic artists that I work with here on a daily basis that I could get constructive feedback from. “Do her eyes look right?”, “Is this hand in the right position?”. After many iterations, I landed on a design.

Then the work began. I projected my design on the wall. Of course, being inexperienced at murals, I made a few aspects harder than they probably needed to be. After a few adjustments, and corrections, I got in the groove. Originally, I had hoped to get it somewhat laid out, and then have a sort of “paint by numbers” approach to executing the rest. I had plenty of volunteer offers from my other Safe House compatriots, but every time I got to a color block, I realized I had to pretty much make it up and adjust as I went.

What I thought would take me two weeks, took me about two months to get finished. Mostly because I was working on it an hour or two at a time, here and there. Like any art project, when I got about 1/3 into it, I was convinced I totally screwed it up and debated painting over it and starting over. Thankfully I did not. I leaned in, trusted the process, and didn’t let any one thing be too “precious”. I stacked small victories up to a final result of an approximately 16 ft tall by 20 ft wide mural painting that I am incredibly proud of. I have since then painted a line work skull on a door and am now in the process of a very elaborate hallway piece involving a huge skull, three flowers, and two giant snakes. I will most likely do a write up about that once it is completed as well. Please pop in and see our lobby mural any time. I do love to show it off.

I have to thank a few folks in this whole process. My co-workers who gave me great feedback and encouragement as I fuddled through this. Amanda at Jerry’s Art Or Rama in East Nashville for your help in choosing the right supplies. Shelby Roddefer who helped me quite a bit with sharing her knowledge and experience as a professional sign painter and muralist. And of course my wife (and business partner), Lindsay, for encouraging me and being so supportive even when it meant some evenings of cutting out right after dinner.

Thanks for taking the time to read this. Please feel free to pop in the studio sometime to see this in person.

Ian White.

Owner/Artist - Safe House Tattoo Studio