We were lucky to catch up with Patrick Cat recently and have shared our conversation below.
Patrick, so excited to have you with us today. So much we can chat about, but one of the questions we are most interested in is how you have managed to keep your creativity alive.
I keep my creativity alive by traveling to other cities and countries, visiting museums, always learning new things, reading, and watching movies. All of this constantly helps to nourish my imagination. Breaking the monotony helps new ideas to emerge that keep me interested in creating.
Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?
My artist pseudonym is Patrick Cat. My story began in New York, the city where I was born. From a very young age, I was interested in painting and sculpture. I would wake up and start drawing the cartoon characters I saw on television. At school, my teachers gave me drawing books and nibs to continue learning to draw.
Painting has always been a very important part of my life; without painting, my life wouldn’t be the same.
I lived many years in Mexico, and in my adolescence, after finishing high school, I decided to move to New York. At that time, my idea was to make a living from art and painting. But without experience in the academic art world, everything was very complicated for me.
It was then, in 2012, that I thought of tattooing as a form of art and a tool that would help me make a living from creating.
At that time, I was living with an aunt of mine. She was the one who supported me and gave me my first tattoo kit.
I returned to Mexico, and with that kit, I began tattooing my friends. There were many years of practice. There were also moments of desperation in which I left tattooing for months and got other jobs. That was the case until 2016, when I decided to dedicate my life to tattooing and perfect what I was doing. I began to do it, and then I met my wife, Yuskadd
That was a moment that completely changed my life. Because she is also an artist, and her vision and our joint work helped to build something incredible and that I’ve never imagined was possible. None of what we have achieved now would exist if it were not for her work, her dedication, and time to our project.
In the tattoo part I started to develop a new style. Inspired by watercolor art, realism, and abstract figures. I wanted to invent something new in tattooing, and my experience as an artist gave me the necessary tools to do it. My current tattoo style is nothing more than the evolution of what I had been doing in painting before. Now I do something I call Organic Neo Watercolor and Color Out.
Organic Neo Watercolor is a very colorful style, almost psychedelic, full of flowers and plants, and it is also a mix of realism and abstract figures.
The “Color Out” is a project that I started in 2022. It is a tattoo style in which I apply a complete saturation of mixed colors in abstract and organic shapes that cover large parts of the body.
The idea emerged as a demonstration of the capabilities of color on the skin and its limits.
It aims to break stigmas and allow people to display and create new identities.
Color Out, in individual terms, is a form of expression, to the tangible world, of identities and feelings. It is also open to collective and individual interpretation and appropriation.
Tattoo is a form of art and I’m always looking to create something new, either with tattooing, painting or sculpting.
I’m currently working on a project I call “EE” and is a beautiful being that I’m representing in all mediums possible. Painting, tattoo, sculpture, animation and digital. I want “EE” to be able to cross all the mediums and become something unique an interesting.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
The most important qualities in my life, I believe, have been my patience and determination. Without a doubt, this has led me to develop a discipline that has helped me build something. To create something, consistency and patience are needed. To keep trying and looking for something new. To improve skills through daily and constant practice.
I think the best way to improve skills or techniques is through constant practice, discipline, and determination. Eventually, the skills improve and are perfected with all of this. I believe that is the secret of success.
What do you do when you feel overwhelmed? Any advice or strategies?
When I feel overwhelmed, I try to take a few days or moments to relax. I watch a movie with my wife, read a book, get a massage, or go to acupuncture. Above all, I try not to worry too much; I think it is necessary to have moments of relaxation and de-stressing in order to continue creating beautiful and interesting things.
My recommendation is to specifically organize yourself to have days of rest and relaxation. This will help prevent burnout and allow you to continue producing or creating things of the highest quality.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/Patrick_cat_tattoo
- Facebook: www.Facebook.com/Patrick.cat.tattoo
