He started his apprenticeship in Aldershot in 1979 under the watchful eye of Winnie Ayres, who was one of the few female tattooists at that time. Winnie herself had been taught by Jessie Knight, England’s first female tattoo artist.
Martin was a keen artist and approached Winnie in her studio in the High Street, Aldershot. He showed her some of his drawings and she gave him a Saturday job there and then. Within a few weeks, Martin had proven himself a good worker, and was offered a full time apprenticeship where he worked for a couple of years with Winnie and Pete Baker.
As Aldershot is a military town, the Falklands War had a big effect on custom and there wasn’t enough work to sustain three artists in the studio. Martin amicably left to set up his own studio in North Camp and has been there ever since.
Martin can turn his hand to any style, giving 100% to every piece. He enjoys the variety of work that the shop brings and has produced a huge collection of striking pieces in both colour and black and grey.
You can view more of Martin’s work on
Facebook and Instagram.