Owner of Psycho Tattoo Studio, Deano Cook is no stranger to tattoo magazines. In fact, it seems that just about every other month now, there is a feature article on him somewhere. Deano and I got to hang out at my place a few Sundays back, along with our wives and all of our cumulative kids, to grill out, fish and talk shop.
Ok ... let's start with a little work history. How did you get into this biz?
I first got into the business when a friend of a friend saw a portfolio I was putting together at the time. He said, 'WOW, I know this guy who would love your work, and he owns a tattoo shop.' He continued to pursue me for a couple of months until I gave in and went to meet his friend. My reluctance came from my lack of knowledge in what is capable of being done on the skin. I felt as if I was capable of doing much nicer work than what I was exposed to at the time. Because of this, I did not even want to become a tattooist at first. My family wanted me to work for Disney or some kind of art-oriented corporation. I'm not sure that it would not have gone that way had it not been for my lack of "formal" art training, (most employers want certain college credentials that were not an option for me at that time). So because of this I began tattooing at Club Tattoo in Marietta in the spring of '93. The building I trained in was later destroyed by a tornado, but not before I had completed my first year. Let me tell you, I paid my dues that year. An apprenticeship in this biz is not easy. Eventually, differences in opinions on how a tattoo shop should look and run quickly emerged and caused us to part ways.
When did you open Psycho Tattoo?
I left Club Tattoo in the spring of 1994 and by the summer of that same year, I was starting Psycho Tattoo.
You really have some good guys working for you. Give a little history of your main guys and how you ended up with this crew.
Psycho's first location was above American Thunder Motorcycles in Marietta. This is when Jeff Harp first came to apprentice under me (we are still happily working together today, he is the manager of our Marietta location). After a year above American Thunder, Psycho Tattoo had outgrown its location, so Jeff and I moved it to its current location, still in Marietta (1289 Roswell Road) in the early summer of 1995. We quickly gained business so we needed more high quality artists. Well, I got what I was looking for. Over time we added Craig Foster, Mike Parsons, and Miami Burgess to our line up. Things "blew up" for us in early 1996 due to tons of exposure via NBC news, tattoo magazines, word of mouth, and countless other sources, we were really getting busy. Speaking of getting busy, around this time is also when my wife Simerly gave birth to our identical twin sons Tyson and Briston. Their birth and a new found relationship with God really focused me like never before.
You are also one of only about 12 other Christian tattoo artists I know of in this field. Do you ever feel uncomfortable being in a business that is seemingly so anti-God, in general, and anti-Christian in particular?
I've always considered myself a Christian, but God hasn't always been my number one priority until my boys where born. I've haven't felt "uncomfortable" as much as I have a bit saddened by all the anti-God stuff that goes on in this business. Seeing innocent kids walking around the conventions with "I laughed with Satan" balloons weighs heavy on your heart when you're a Christian. I take my industry and my artwork seriously, and having to be side-by-side with that sort of thing takes away from what we do as artists. People who are unfamiliar with the industry may get the wrong idea at first glance.
Yeah, or 2nd glance, or 3rd, and so on. Why do you think Christians are so sparse in the tattoo community?
I don't think Christians are sparse in particular, I think it's just not something people come out and say usually. I mean, you come in wearing your "I Love Satan" T-shirt and you blend right in, but put on that "Jesus Rocks" attire and you can feel a little lonely! I have been seeing more and more Jesus tattoos. I have people asking me about the Christian Tattoo Association. I think people in general go back to that little verse in the bible about making "marks on the skin." I just don't believe that can honestly translated into "NO TATTOOS."
You are also quite the committed family man ... Married with twin boys of 5, how do you juggle all that and still work 5 days a week, plus do the convention circuit every few weeks? Do they accompany you on the road?
Simerly and I have been married going on four years in June. She helps me in every way, shape and form. We work together and that's part of how we keep everything running smoothly. And as far as the twins, well - you should know Crash [having 5-year-old twins: one boy,one girl, and a 10 year old daughter], there's never really anything smooth about them! There's always something going on for all of us. Sim comes to some of the conventions, but she loves to stay home with the boys as much as possible to keep things as stable as possible. We plan trips with the boys and trips with just us. We've taken the boys on the road in the past , but there's just not a whole lot to entertain them so to be fair to them we only take them if it's someplace with other attractions. As far as juggling everything, you just do. I really have to take time to plan and organize, and I'll be the first to admit, I'm not perfect. My work schedule often conflicts with my family time, but I'm slowly working it all out.
Tattoo Art by Deano Cook.
Your forte' is obviously photo-realism, but not limited to only B&W portraits as most realism tattoo artists are. Your skills are equally impressive in full color portraits, female pinups, photo-realistic animal pieces, and under water scenes. That is quite a large area of notoriety in an industry where an artist is commonly sought after for only one particular style. What do you attribute this diversity to?
I've only wanted to improve myself from day one of learning to tattoo. For me, the desire to learn never ends. I try to give people what they want, and people certainly want very different things, so I've learned to accommodate. When you broaden your horizons you can only improve. I've also found that when I learn in different mediums and forms of art, I can almost always apply these findings to my
tattooing.
What do you find most challenging, or what pushes you the furthest artistically?
It truly depends on what sort of mood I am in as far as my preferences in tattooing go. I love to do portraits because they come easily for me now. I enjoy doing underwater scenes tremendously because they take me somewhere else. As for the most challenging, it would be getting a piece exactly where I want it to be. I like to work many sessions, with repeat appointments, so the challenge is actually in getting the client booked repeatedly and perfecting a piece, fine-tuning it, etc. Artistically I am driven by the art around me, from tattoos to paintings to photography...you name it!
In the last several years you have had, what, four or five magazine articles showcase your work. How would you characterize your recent rise to fame within the tattoo business?
My recent "rise to fame" can definitely be attributed to the tattoo magazines. After my first article was printed, things just sort of took off from there. I try to take clients to conventions and urge them to get photographed for the magazines. In this industry, the magazine coverage is truly the way to get your artwork out there, seen by millions of people worldwide. I appreciate what the publicity has done for me and for my career.
Who have been your main art and tattoo influences since starting Psycho?
I'd have to say my main tattoo influences have really been Tom Renshaw and Guy Aitchison. As well as local artists like Tony Olivas and Cap Szumski.
Now, you spend a lot of time with Guy, right?
I took Guy's seminar in the beginning and bought his books - and recently I've been able to spend some time with him tattooing and getting tattooed. It's interesting enough seeing things through "artist eyes." but seeing things through a different artist's eyes can be quite an informative learning experience.
Recently, I've had the pleasure of visiting Wyland's art gallery in Destin, Florida. My wife and I were on a mini-vacation and just happened to pass by this gallery, we went in and stayed there for at least 2 hours. (Wyland is a famous underwater/sealife painter incase you were wondering) I was inspired to a whole new level. I'd also have to say one of my biggest influences and inspirations has come from my diving and traveling experiences. From sunsets to underwater coral formations and different fish. . . I guess you could call it "God's art."
What do you do with your free time,
if you have any?
I enjoy spending time with my boys, swimming, camping, etc. I have two salt-water fish tanks at my house that have definitely become a new hobby. I enjoy the scuba diving thing. I've taken up underwater photography and certainly found a new passion there.
How long have you been doing that?
The underwater photography started a couple of years ago, just after Simerly and I learned to dive. I had to take plenty of pictures that didn't exactly turn out the way I planned before I finally started taking some worth framing.
Any chance of dropping tattooing in pursuit of a photography career?
I don't think I'd ever stop tattooing all together. But if I had the chance to incorporate underwater photography into my life on a regular basis, I would jump at the chance.
If you had to pick the most significant tip you learned in the last several years, what would it be?
The most significant tip . . .hhmmmm. . .that's a hard one. I'd have to say that pertains to my schedule lately. My wife has encouraged me to take a little more time for myself and my family. If I let tattooing take over my life it would do just that, and in record time! I've had to slow down just a little, and not take on so many new projects. A little more time planning things way ahead of time, makes a lot more time in the long run.
