Meet Durb Morrison of Ohio

Today we’d like to introduce you to Durb Morrison.

Hi Durb, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I’m Durb Morrison, a tattoo artist with over 36 years of professional experience, beginning my tattoo career in 1990. I’m the owner of RedTree Tattoo Gallery and the organizer of the Hell City Tattoo Festival, which has grown into one of the tattoo industry’s favorite conventions. I’m also the inventor and innovator behind True Tubes and True Grips, products that helped influence modern tattooing standards and artist comfort. As someone who has dedicated my entire life to tattooing, I’ve always worked hard and continue striving to give back to the industry. When I’m not working, I enjoy painting, writing, designing, training jiujitsu and spending time with family and friends. My passion for art extends far beyond tattooing into wood sculpture, metal sculpture, watercolor, oil painting, acrylic painting, and graphic design.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
The road to become a Tattoo Artist and to be taken, seriously is not an easy road, especially nowadays, with how big tattooing has become, and the amount of incredible Tattoo Artists out there creating new works of art every day. Some of the struggles along the way of becoming a Tattoo Artist would be finding someone that takes you serious and sees potential in your artwork to become their apprentice and then to work on those skills to become a recognized Tattoo artist.

Some of the struggles back in the day were dirty looks and comments that came from the stigmatic view that people had of tattooing back in the day, nowadays we do not see that as much as many minds have been opened up to the incredible art of tattooing and why people wear collections of tattoos. Opening my first tattoo studio was also one of the struggles, trying to learn business while originally just being an artist and Tattoo artist. Another struggle was inventing and developing my first tattoo products with True Tattoo Supply like True Tubes and True grips.

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
From a young age, I was always fascinated by art & started to create my art as an escape & expression! My art is a colorful and bold escape! I like to make art that creates a visual emotion with colorful, abstract imagery that gives the viewer a sense of mystery and the unknown. My newest work is a controlled art done with liquid acrylic pour paint creating images that flow and textures that are layered into one creative painting. Keeping an abstract edge to the art I create is a unique feature while giving the viewer an escape with their imagination with each piece. I find a lot of inspiration from nature as well as bio organic shapes. I also like to include a variety of skulls and abstract faces into my art as well as organic shapes that leave the viewer with a sense of flowing organic abstract imagery!

Any big plans?
My future plans as a Painter and Tattoo artist are to have more art shows at galleries where people can purchase and collect original paintings of mine. My tattoo goals are to continue making nice American traditional and Japanese influenced tattoos, as well as continuing to give back to the tattoo industry through education and knowledge. I am currently painting more than I am tattooing at the moment and I’m absolutely loving it as I’m having some incredible results with my new painting style. I have worked to develop over the last three years that is gaining a lot of attention from collectors. I’ve been selling a lot of my paintings as well, which is a nice realization that my artwork is being appreciated and collected nowadays.

Pricing:

• I tattoo at $200 an hour

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.durbmorrison.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/durbmorrison/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/durbmorrison/
• Twitter: https://x.com/durbmorrison
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@DurbMorrison