WORKING -- Will Thompson

--Story by Deirdre Newman; photo by

HE IS

Making you squirm for the sake of art

NOT YOUR EVERYDAY OFFICE

With a heavy metal band screaming out incendiary lyrics in the

background, Will Thompson delicately pierces the back of Monica Clodio’s

skin.

Thompson is a tattoo artist who considers the head-banging music the

ideal ambience to practice his craft.

It was as he honed his talent as a teenager that he discovered the

creative potential of using human skin as a canvas. Adorned with a

psychedelic, multicolored montage of fanciful creatures, his arms and

legs are a testament to his passion.

While Thompson responds to his customers’ desires for popular images,

he prefers to draw on his imagination to create custom designs.

“I want to adapt my painting to my tattoos so people come to me for my

style,” Thompson said.

ANSWERING THE CALL

Thompson, 25, spends most of his time working at Orange County Ink in

Costa Mesa. He started experimenting with tattoo art on himself when he

was 15.

Since both of his parents are artists -- his mom is a painter and his

dad paints and works with metal -- Thompson said tattooing was his

destiny. Convincing his parents to accept his life-calling was another

story.

“I heard, ‘no more tattoos’ at least 20 times,” Thompson said.

“Eventually my mom supported me and bought me a tattoo supplies kit for

Christmas. Now she’s proud of me that I’m supporting myself with my art.

She never could because she had to support me and my sister.”

EVERY DESIGN’S A CHALLENGE

On a recent afternoon in Costa Mesa, Thompson was immersed in the

challenging task of replacing a tattoo on Clodio’s back.

The 24-year-old had impetuously gotten a tattoo four years ago in the

shape of a heart surrounded by flames after breaking up with her

boyfriend.

“He broke my heart and stomped it out with his foot,” Clodio said.

Clodio wanted to change the tattoo into a lion’s head to represent her

new outlook on life.

Thompson found a picture of a lion in a magazine and traced over it to

make a stencil. After cleaning Clodio’s lower back area, he placed the

stencil over her skin to make an imprint. Then he started the

time-intensive task of outlining and coloring the design.

“We’re about to stomp your [old] tattoo into the ground,” Thompson

said.

ONCE IT’S DONE, IT’S GONE

Thompson remains committed to his craft and to the personal

fulfillment such creative expression evokes.

“The most rewarding part is to have [someone] so excited about

something they never thought could be done,” he said “I love it when

people hug me.”

The hardest part, he says, is watching his artwork walk away from him

-- moving monuments to his artistic talent.