A simple rule for trying psychedelics is that mushroom epiphanies should normally be taken with a grain of salt. What seems like a great idea at the height of a trip might not look so awesome in daylight. Justin Sandelli is an exception to the rule when he found serious clarity through his psychedelic experience. The very next day, he decided to leave behind a college football scholarship to pursue tattooing. Now he’s a leading black-and-grey artist with a dedicated clientele and talent in abundance.
When did you first develop an interest in art?
For as long as I can remember I have been interested in art. My grandma made dresses, my mother decorated cakes and my aunt drew and sang, so I was always surrounded by art growing up. I was always drawing cartoons, doodling, or making little crafts. I can’t remember exactly when, but that interest slowly turned into an obsession when I discovered graffiti. And that’s probably where my true love for art comes from.
How did you come to be a tattoo artist?
Long story short, I hated school. I didn’t really plan on going to college during my senior year of high school, but eventually I was recruited to play soccer. I loved soccer and college life, I just hated the whole school part of it.
In the summer after my freshman year, I had about two weeks before I went back to college. I was with a friend and we decided to eat some mushrooms. We ended up stumbling for about six hours and during that time I thought about what made me really happy in life – it definitely wasn’t school. Art and graffiti were my way out so why not give it a try and see if I could make a career out of it. The next day I went to my local tattoo shop, where I’ve been getting tattoos for a few years, showed the owner my not-so-great work, and he decided he’d give me a shot.
What drew you to black and gray realism?
When I first started taking art seriously, I was drawn to pencil and graphite work – portraiture in particular. I think it was a natural transition for me to transition my tattoos into a black and gray realism once my technical application was where it needed to be. I tried a little bit of everything while studying, but always came back to black and gray.
What have you not tattooed often that you would like to do more of?
I would love to tattoo more original designs. Usually this consists of some kind of movie character or musician with my little touch. These are the tracks that usually get the best feedback and people really enjoy looking at. Also, these are usually the pieces I enjoy the most.
Would you consider using color in the future?
I would definitely consider using color in the future, but probably not realistically and probably not any time soon. I think it’s important to try new things and push your art, so I don’t like closing anything and saying never. But I’m content to keep learning and moving on with my black and gray work for the moment. If I were to do color I would probably end up trying something along the lines of Neo-Traditional as I’m quite infatuated with that style.
Despite tattooing in black and gray realism, many of your own tattoos are neo-traditional in color. What made you start collecting pieces in this style?
I’ve always loved the look of traditional and neo-traditional tattoos, even before I started tattooing. The legibility is second to none, and since it holds up over time I felt like I couldn’t go wrong wearing it. As much as I liked traditional stuff, I really enjoy the flow, composition, and color palette possibilities that Neo-Tradition offers, so I really fell in love with it.
If you could tattoo a celebrity, who would it be?
Jeff Goldblum or Joe Rogan. I think both would make for amazing conversations and overall experiences. I’m also not sure what I would tattoo on, although I’m sure they would both come up with some fantastically weird ideas.
Who is your favorite tattoo artist to listen to?
Who I listen to really depends on the mood I’m in that day. I listen to many different types of music – everything from Movements, Thousand Below and Capstan to Denzel Curry, Vince Staples and Lil Tecca. The only thing I can’t stand is country music. Music is one of the most important things in my life and I listen to music while doing pretty much everything. I find it super important to have the right playlist for the right mood, especially when tattooing.
If you weren’t tattooing, what would you like to do for a living?
I would probably do some sort of woodworking or gardening. Before I started tattooing, I did custom cabinetry and pyrography. I really enjoyed it and was pretty good at it, so I wouldn’t mind doing that every day. I also find gardening very therapeutic and relaxing. I feel like they would both give me the same sense of achievement as tattooing.