2021 has been a year of challenges for local businesses but Sault entrepreneur Katrina Thibodeau has a good news story to tell from the last 12 months.
Thibodeau added two apprentice tattoo artists to her Discover The Canvas studio on Wellington Street West – Senga-Jean Cormier and Madison Delfgou.
“I brought them on four months ago and they’ve been going through their training,” Thibodeau said, sharing the additions to her team as a year-end good news announcement.
That brings her shop’s number of staff members to six at a time when so many other Sault small businesses have lost staff or have had to close their doors due to COVID-19 lockdowns and restrictions.
“I just never let the pandemic get in the way of our success,” Thibodeau said.
“I’m not going to say it was easy to be closed down for nine months in total, but Sault Ste. Marie is great. Our clientele is very loyal.”
“A lot of people were eager to get tattoos done. Even people, who maybe before the pandemic wouldn’t have gotten tattoos, I feel the pandemic sparked them to go and do something that maybe they wouldn't have done before,” Thibodeau said.
“We’ve never been hurting for work but it’s definitely booming more than it ever has. We’re here to expand and grow in Sault Ste. Marie.”
Currently, due to public health guidelines, piercings may be performed on a customer’s ears, eyebrows and navel, but none on a customer’s nose or mouth, Thibodeau said.
“In terms of tattooing, we’re good to go. We definitely keep our numbers down in terms of how many people we have in the studio at once but we have a large space so it’s definitely safe and we take all the precautions as always.”
Of her two new apprentice tattoo artists, Thibodeau said, “I think Madison and Senga are very talented. They really surprise me every day. I learn from them as well. I think that they’re going to hit the ground running when they start tattooing and to see how far they've come in such a short time, I think that the sky’s the limit for them. They’re very bright and personable. They fit into our professional family so well right off the bat.”
“I really see the fire in their eyes about tattooing.”
Each of the Discover The Canvas artists brings her own strength to tattooing, Thibodeau said.
“With tattooing there are so many different ways and directions that you can go in. It’s just like any other medium of art.”
“Madison really excels in realism. She’s blossoming and I see her going with the small, daintier feminine type of work.”
Delfgou’s self portrait, along with those of other young artists, was the subject of an earlier story when she was a Grade 12 St. Mary’s College art student in the 2020-21 school year.
“Senga, my other apprentice, her illustration in traditional American style is very good. She’s very whimsical and her style is quite unique.”
Because a level of artistic comfort cannot be rushed, apprenticeships for new tattoo artists can last anywhere from seven months to a year and a half, Thibodeau said.
“Katlyn (Foisy), who’s been with me a few years, does American traditional, soft realism and some Asian styles. She has an array of what she offers.”
“Angela (Duncan) is our piercer and she’s starting to learn how to do specific script and line work tattoos.”
“Riley (Wilson) is our shop manager and is an artist too. She’s a photographer and does videography. We’re all artists who inspire each other and we’re growing together.”
Thibodeau stated she prefers portraying realism in her own work as a tattoo artist.
As a fine artist, her realistic large canvas paintings, as reported earlier, were on display at the Art Gallery of Algoma (AGA) from March to September and, earlier this month, in London, England. She hopes to travel to Milan where her paintings will be displayed Jan. 15 to 29.
Thibodeau is also waiting to find out if her paintings will be displayed in art galleries in New York and Spain.
“We do love that we’re a rocking all female studio,” Thibodeau stated.
“We’re very grateful,” she said, reiterating her appreciation of the local support her studio has received.
“We’re super fortunate and I think being in a small city really saved us. With all the support that we had we were able to stay afloat during those times of closure (lockdowns) whereas had we been in a big city I don't know if I would’ve been able to do that.”
Apart from the hope (that we all have) that COVID will go away or lessen in severity, Thibodeau’s desire for 2022 is for the Sault to be strong and “don’t let the pandemic hold you back.”
“I really see things going in an upward trajectory. I think we’re really blessed to be in the city that we’re in, and we need to stay on the positive side.”
Thibodeau said Discover The Canvas is currently closed for the Christmas and New Year's break, but will reopen Jan. 3.