Today we’d like to introduce you to José “Mota” Ortega.
José, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
My interest in tattooing started at a young age. I was born with a passion for art, so I had already dabbled in graphic design, street art, and other mediums when I discovered tattooing at the age of seventeen. I got to have my first real machine upon meeting a really close friend of mine, Richie. I remember how exhilarating it felt to use it for the first time! After that, I tattooed friends here and there after work. Eventually, I bought my own machine and materials, and what started as a fun hobby suddenly transformed into my career.
I was able to purchase my own professional equipment with the money I was earning at the time, which was a huge step toward my future as a tattoo artist. I even got offered a job working full time! I remember the shop being a mix of a barbershop and a private studio. The knowledge I gained while working there was incredibly enriching. Soon after, in the late 1990’s I moved to another shop in Bayamon, Puerto Rico, and continued growth as an artist for a decade. Cutting Edge really helped delineate the path I wanted to follow as an artist. With that in mind, Richie and I decided to go solo. A year later, I opened my own private studio!
It was a prosperous business for 6 years and that prepared me not only to be an Invitational Judge in several Tattoo Conventions but also to be sponsored by: Radiant Colors, Electrum Tattoo Supply, and Mummy Tattoo Products, amongst others. And most of all it gave my wife and me the confidence to expand to new horizons. That’s when we took a leap of faith and we relocated to San Antonio, TX back in 2013. I was traveling back and forth between Puerto Rico’s Shop, Sponsored Tattoo Conventions in the USA, and around the world, and getting my name out there.
One Convention after the other for a good 5 years, until hurricane Maria. The impact it had on everyone, including myself, was life-changing. I realized that if anything ever happened, I wanted it to be with my family by my side. So I settled in San Antonio, Texas, and opened my own private studio! Thankfully, it has grown, and now we are a full-functioning family business.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
The road has been anything but smooth. At the time, no one took the time to teach you. Becoming an apprentice meant going through hazing, and uncomfortable, belittling situations. People wouldn’t want to sell us (new tattoo artists) materials or give us work; we had to learn to build our own needles and mix our own pigments. It wasn’t until I reached the top that recognition and praise were awarded.
On the upside, through those experiences, I expanded my knowledge to depths that I didn’t expect to find. I have made a lot of mistakes, and have fallen many more times than I care to count, but there were always caring people there to help me and pick me up, never excluding the seminars I began to take when I visited the USA Tattoo Conventions. So, within the uphill battle that was learning to tattoo, I also remember many beautiful, fond moments.
As you know, we’re big fans of NFC Tattoo Studio. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
With dreams of creating a safe, inclusive, and inviting environment, I established NFC Tattoo Studio. An elegant space for tattoo lovers that are discouraged to have a nice piece done because they don’t align with the regular tattoo culture. As an all-Latino, family-owned, and operated business, we are prideful in the sazón we bring to the community. NFC Tattoo Studio has been officially open to the public since June 2021, slowly building up following the effects of the global pandemic.
Our mission is to establish a welcoming environment for artists and customers alike where we can all embrace each other as individuals, and create lasting relationships with the people who walk in through our doors. Our hope is that as artists we can promote collaboration as opposed to competition, so we can encourage each other to grow in knowledge and deepen our passion for tattooing as an art form.
I specialized in Realism with a twist, Black and Gray, Color, and Fusion. Now, for the areas in that, I lack expertise, I have created an amazing team of individuals with versatile styles and skills such as Embroidery, Watercolor, Glitter Tattoo, Traditional, Neo Traditional, Freehand Tattoo, Lettering, etc. To simply compliment each other!
I believe that one of the things that sets me apart and what I am most proud of is that I, and the team, foster a respectful and honest relationship with each of our customers that in time prospers into a nice friendship.
We’d love to hear about any fond memories you have from when you were growing up.
My favorite childhood memory is laying on a gigantic pillow of pine trees, just listening to the crackling of the wind against the branches. Behind my uncle Luis’ house there was a farm that had a mountain full of pine trees and further down was a lake.
I remember how peaceful I felt there. I also remember trips to the river very fondly. We would swim, jump, and play for hours! We would take advantage of the playground nature gave us.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.nfctattoosanantonio.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nfctattoostudio/
