The Permanence of Art: Story of a Tattoo Artist
Ananda War laid the stencil on the client’s bare stretch of arm. The correct placement was crucial to the tattoo’s success. Artist and client came together in collaboration; the creative energy in the air was palpable as they talked about the art piece with excitement and passion in their voices. Ananda had a calm presence, one that made the sterile environment feel like home. Once everything had aligned, the quiet hum of the tattoo gun began to mix with the soft music notes that rang through the air. After an hour, the astronaut that was nestled in a blooming flower was no longer a figment of the imagination. He was as real as the body that he laid upon.
Ananda was born as Amanda Lynn Paul, but she changed the name she goes by professionally in order to express her beliefs in happiness and peace. “I go by Ananda War now because Ananda means joy and bliss which is what I want to focus on no matter if there is conflict or war,” she said.
Art had always been a prominent part of Ananda’s life. “When I was in elementary, kids would pay me a dollar to draw their favorite pokemon and all through school and my young life I was either drawing or reading,” she reflected. “I used it as a coping mechanism really because I was very anxious and depressed for most of my life, so whenever I felt uncomfortable in a situation, I would just draw.” Family also played a big role in her creative influence. “Art and music has always been a part of my family. My dad is a musician, my grandpa was an architect, and my aunt is a graphic designer,” she said with fondness. Art was a constant in her life, and it was something she could always count on when she felt down or out of the ordinary. Tattooing, however, was a career path that she didn’t foresee.
“My goal was to make a living making art. That was a pretty intimidating goal. Plenty of people tried to talk me out of it; they told me “It’s only one in a million” and “Better marry rich”,” she said. “I took whatever jobs were available.” Ananda sought out jobs that had anything to do with art. She painted Toms shoes, she painted houses for her uncle, who was a contractor, and she painted sets for the Florida Repertory Theater. She didn’t think of becoming a tattoo artist until she accepted a front desk job at Howl Tattoo & Piercing in Fort Myers, Florida.
Ananda talked about her journey of becoming a tattoo artist with a slight smile. “I originally started working there at the front desk to gain the experience of working in a gallery,” she said. “After I was there for about six months, Andy Howl, the lead tattooer and one of the owners of Howl asked me if I wanted to apprentice. I said ‘Oh, yeah. That makes a living making art, I’ll do that.’” The opportunity from Andy introduced her to a new world of art and a new community that would help her flourish as an artist and tattooer.
Ananda’s experience with being an apprentice for a skilled tattoo artist was a positive one. She reflected on her times working for Andy Howl with positivity and warmth. “It was really great, Andy was very respectful, I was never hazed like a lot of other apprentices, as far as you want to learn how to tattoo but they make you pick up their laundry and you do a lot of extra things to prove you are committed, Andy never did any of that stuff,” she said. “It was all business.” Her apprenticeship was a work trade. She would work part-time at the front desk for an hourly wage and would work as an apprentice for the studio with the time that remained.
She chuckled warmly when she talked about how Andy would teach her. “He was not a hand holder by any means, but if I had a specific question that I wanted to ask then he would answer it,” she explained. “In my second tattoo that I ever did on somebody else, he stuck around for about five minutes and then he was like ‘Let me know if you need anything!’ and then he just left.” She mentioned how grateful she was for the opportunity to enter the field, and it showed. “It’s a very special thing to be able to make tattoos,” she smiled.
Bob Grenier, a client of Ananda’s, expressed his gratefulness for her energy and artwork. “I met Ananda almost two years ago at a cacao ceremony in Cape Coral and immediately connected with her vibe,” Grenier said. “I liked her energy.” After finding out that Ananda was a tattoo artist, Grenier knew he wanted her to give new meaning to an older tattoo of his. “I got a dead tree of life tattoo when my girlfriend passed away,” Grenier revealed. “Her (Ananda) bringing it to life was a signal that I was ready to move on.” His favorite part of the process was watching his tattoo come alive. “She changed a dead tree of life into something more living; she opened it up,” Grenier said.
Ananda described the tattoo making process as meditation. The end result, being the finished tattoo, stuck out as her favorite part. “When somebody looks at it, and they finally have something that they’ve wanted for a really long time. That’s definitely at the top for me,” she said. She sat with her electronic drawing pad in hand and created seamlessly; it was evident that art permeated her life. The words came to her just as easily.
Ananda talked excitedly about her hopes of what the future holds and establishing herself at her own studio, Light Hand Tattoo & Healing Arts, in Fort Myers, Florida. “I have a lot left to learn as a tattooer, and I’m looking forward to producing more fine art and writing,” she said. She talked about the importance of art and tattooing in her life while soothing classical music poured from the speakers; it created an inspiring atmosphere. The passion was evident. “Art is bringing me into a deeper understanding of connection and security and safety, and that it is safe to express myself and share my deep thoughts with others.”
She thought about the most rewarding part of her job and her reply echoed between the walls of her well-lit tattoo studio. “Bringing dreams to life.”
