Tattoo Creepers *Illustrators Edition \\ Gina Jo

Our Tattoo Creeper project is a way to collaborate with talented artists to add their spin on our creepers. We love working with creatives in any capacity & we want to see the world from their lens. To check out more of Gina's work head to their Instagram 

Tell us about yourself & the shoes that you customized:

My name is Gina Jo. I am a spooky artist from the Midwest. I’m a lover of all things strange and unusual, which is why I chose to make some oddity themed shoes. I of course had to pick the chunky platform boots to satisfy my little gothic soul. I love the fact that they have screws in the soles for an added edge. 

How would you describe your art style?

My art is a little whimsical, a little weird. I love using darker imagery but instead of making it scary, I try to show the beauty I see in it. I am always exploring the balance of light with the dark. I can sometimes get lost in the details, but I usually like to make textured and dreamy looking art reminiscent of old story book illustrations. 

Who or what is your biggest inspiration?

Nature is definitely the most significant inspiration in my life. I feel deeply connected to it. If I ever feel burnt out, a little forest bathing helps me recharge my brain. I am endlessly fascinated with death and the macabre. I am a Halloween every day kind of person so that’s a big influence as well. I also get inspiration from horror films, music, old books with etching illustrations, anatomy. The list goes on.

What’s your typical process of coming up with a new design?

I will be honest and say my process is a little chaotic. I kind of just wing it! I’ll have ideas or themes in mind but I let it flow when I’m sketching. I do always sketch everything out first though. I try to let the art decide where it’s going. Each piece is a little whirlwind that I get lost in until I finish it.

What piece of yours is your all-time favorite and why?

My favorite piece is my painting “Entwined”. I have an attachment to it because I actually started it years ago and got to a point where I was too scared to continue in fear of “ruining it”. I let it sit for years and eventually went back to finish it and now I love it. It’s my reminder that art is art and you can’t really ruin it, so you just have to keep going and not give in to the fear. Which I guess is a good lesson for a lot of things. Also it depicts the balance and connection of nature, life, and death so it holds a special place in my heart.

What is your favorite thing about being an artist?

There really are so many things to love about being an artist. But I will say that the connection it creates with others is so wonderfully special. Being a part of a community where I get to hopefully inspire others as well as getting to be inspired by others on a daily basis is pretty amazing. I am forever grateful to be a part of it.