Krista (she/her) has been tattooing for four years and is one of the co-founders of Witch of the West. She grew up in Fort Collins and learned to tattoo in Oregon before moving back to her home state. Krista’s tattoo brand is named “SunHound Ink,” which reflects her love for the desert, the sun, and her doggie, Cassie ♡
She is an INFP, an Aquarius (sun and moon, RIP), and an Enneagram type 4. When she’s not tattooing, Krista enjoys spending time along the dusty backroads of the Southwest in her converted van - an old Beaver Creek ski shuttle. Krista lives with chronic illness and disability, which has created a unique journey for her as a tattooer and in life. She believes that tattoos can be transformative, and a powerful way to reclaim our bodies.
Krista loves to tattoo desert and western-themed pieces, animals and birds of all kinds, large-scale botanical pieces, and ornamental/folk art pieces. She works primarily in black/gray, but loves to add a pop of color!
Krista prioritizes creating a safe and inclusive tattoo environment, minimizing pain, and making the whole tattoo process as comfortable as possible.
Born and raised amidst the rugged landscapes of Montana, Maddi discovered their passion for art at an early age under the wing of her Nana, who was often found practicing Rosemaling– a traditional Norwegian folk art/painting technique that is often used to decorate ordinary spaces with intricate and colorful floral designs.
She spent several long weekends on her grandparent’s ranch in rural Montana, gathering river rocks and old, decayed cow skulls and bones to paint on with her Nana. This is likely what inspired Maddi’s fascination with the immersion of the ordinary with that of the natural world and the cyclical rhythms of life and death that are so often portrayed through her artwork.
Maddi specializes in highly-detailed black and gray fineline and illustrative tattoos, with the occasional folk art or neotraditional influence. Her work is unique in that she is an entirely self-taught tattoo artist– a rarity in Western tattooing, where apprenticeships are often the norm. As a self-taught artist, her work challenges traditional boundaries, advocating for inclusivity within the industry and striving to redefine conventional standards. Every piece Maddi creates is an intentional, collaborative effort, blending their artistic vision with the unique stories and personalities of their clients.
Kenzie (she/her) is a Colorado native who has been tattooing since 2022. Kenzie’s love for art and fascination with tattoos started from a very young age, which led to her eventual journey of becoming a tattoo artist. Kenzie’s illustrative black and grey style is inspired by nature, whimsy, and surrealism, with a particular interest in animals, insects, botanicals/flora, and anything macabre or witchy.
When she’s not tattooing, Kenzie enjoys cooking, music and concerts, and binge-watching reality television at home with her partner, Collin, and their small zoo of animals (Tonks, Arya, Evey, and Luna).
Kenzie is incredibly grateful to be a part of the Witch of the West team and is dedicated to creating a safe space for all bodies and walks of life to share/create art.
Ariel 麟 Lee (she/they) is a Taiwanese American Queer artist, born and raised in the dirty Jerz. Brought up by her non-English speaking grandparents and first-gen immigrant parents, Ariel's inspiration is heavily based on reconnecting with her Chinese culture while also recognizing the duality of being raised American. She takes inspiration from traditional Chinese painting, Asian-American experiences, and things she thinks are pretty :)
Her father, who had a Master's degree in Fine Art, was her first teacher and taught her to appreciate the catharsis of creating. After his death, Ariel got a number of tattoos to memorialize his legacy. It was through this that she experienced the immense power of tattoos as a way of bookmarking one’s life. She decided to try tattooing to give others that same feeling and tattooed her first person in September 2022. Since then, she has joined the humans at Witch of the West and has guested all over the country and even internationally! Ariel is so proud to be pursuing a career as a tattoo artist and fully recognizes the degree of trust and safety that is needed to honor this special practice.
Thavy (she/her) is a Colorado native and first-year tattoo artist. Thavy has always enjoyed art ever since she was a little girl and grew up drawing with her mom and painting with her nana. She had considered tattooing for awhile but finally made the leap and began apprenticing under Maddi and Krista at Witch of the West in 2023.
Her favorite thing about tattooing is being able to create a safe and inclusive experience for all bodies and helping people feel comfortable in their own skin by adorning them in beautiful art. Although it can be really challenging at times, tattooing is a very fulfilling career and she couldn’t imagine herself doing anything else.
She most enjoys tattooing flora and fauna, vintage trinkets, ornamentals, and any and all things witchy of course! Aside from tattooing, she likes to create nature-inspired art and jewelry as well as spend time with her friends, family, partner, and pets.
Thavy is so grateful for the support of the wonderful community at Witch of the West Tattoo Collective and eager to keep learning and growing along her tattoo journey.
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