Becky Jones swapped her 18-year career in retail to become a full-time tattoo artist.
I sat down with her in Electric Chair Tattoo in Cwmbran town centre and heard her inspirational story of completing an apprenticeship in tattooing before handing in her notice.
The 34-year-old started working in retail at 16. While working for fashion brand Pep&Co, she traveled to countries including Ireland and Spain. Her last employer, Sainsbury’s, saw her as a manager in stores from Bristol to Pontypridd to Newport.
But her lifelong love of art and drawing “wasn’t enough” and she decided to change careers.
She said: “I was really lucky enough to be offered an apprenticeship at a studio in Gloucester. It was a studio with six artists, including myself, and two of us started our apprenticeships at the same time.”
An ‘old school’ apprenticeship
Becky was taught by Von, her mentor at the Two Magpies studio: “She’s a fantastic artist both outside of tattooing and tattooing. She taught me how to tattoo, she taught me the ins and outs. I had a really ‘old school’ apprenticeship.
‘The first couple of months it was just cleaning and dealing with customers. And then she was like ‘you can get a machine, but you’re only doing lines.’
“For me the right thing to do was a traditional apprenticeship because I was going from one career that I was really successful in, and needed to start again.
“There is so much customer service that goes into it. It’s changed my art style completely and I guess my apprenticeship was part of that. I can’t praise apprenticeships enough.
“She [Von] really built me up slowly. As I was getting busier I knew I wanted to do that full-time. I could make this work. But travelling back and forth to Gloucester was really tough.”
Electric Chair Tattoo
She joked how after completing her training she “bombarded” Nick Chaney, the owner of Electric Chair Tattoo, with photos of her work and started there last September.
She said: “It’s gone from strength to strength really. I’ve got a client base and Nick is really supportive. We do a lot of bouncing ideas off each other. It is like a real artist community which I feel I’m so lucky to be part of because when you’re a kid and envisage being an artist, that’s what I’ve got now.
“I feel with tattooing, other people push you. I love that tattooing is different every day but you have to pour your heart and soul into that every day.
“It constantly pushes me as an artist. You can almost reinvent your style every single day. It’s so cool, everyone’s style, and no one can take that from you. I love it.
“When you do it, you realise how much it’s your whole life.”
Support from retail colleagues
She praised the support of her colleagues in her last role at Sainsbury’s while she was training and working two jobs. She said they understood that tattooing was where her “heart was”.
This interview was set up after an email from one of Becky’s friends landed in my inbox and grabbed my attention.
Helen told me: “Becky and I have been friends since we were four years old, 30 years ago now. I’ve had the privilege of watching her journey from working full-time as a retail manager to pursuing her dream of becoming a tattoo artist. Becky completed a two-year tattoo apprenticeship in Gloucester, commuting from Cwmbran three times a week while also working full-time as a manager. Her hard work paid off. I thought this could be a great opportunity to showcase the talent of a local artist right in the heart of Cwmbran. Of course, I might be a little biased, but it would be wonderful to see some recognition for the industry in our town.”
Thanks Helen🙂
🎨 Check out Becky’s Instagram account @beckyjonestattoo
🗺️ Electric Chair Tattoo is at 29 The Parade, Cwmbran town centre.