At first glance, tattoo artist Jimmy Coffin looks nothing like a savvy businessman. He looks more like the byproduct of a torrid love affair between a sea-worn sailor and a punk rock princess with a strange affection for cowboy hats.
But don’t judge Coffin based on his appearance, because beneath the straw-colored hat and ink-soaked skin is a highly talented artist-turned-entrepreneur.
Coffin, who is probably known best by the public for his work on the popular reality television show Miami Ink, recently opened his own tattoo shop right here in Santa Maria.
His new business, Copper Coffin, which opened in November of 2007, features the work of owner Coffin, Scott Osborne, and JC Card, as well as regular guest artists from around the world.
The shop, Coffin said, will “hopefully break down some of the stereotypes” swirling around the world of tattooing, and bring some more stylized ink to the Central Coast.
Located at 104 W. Chapel St., the shop exudes both exoticism and familiarity. Posted on its walls is a collection of Japanese prints and traditional American tattoos, peppered with the occasional sketch of a skull or piece of war memorabilia.
The smooth, painted floor is waxed to mirror-like perfection, and the machines at each artist’s station gleam like chrome on a mint-condition convertible. A rockabilly twang streams out of the speakers and mixes soothingly with the steady hum of a tattooing needle.
Creating a welcoming atmosphere for his customers is a high priority for Coffin, and is displayed in every aspect of the shop from the artists’ friendly greetings to the tunes that they play.
“The music is such an important part of the shop’s personality,” Coffin said. “We play everything from Fleetwood Mac to Hank Williams. Sometimes we play a little AC/DC, which is about as hardcore as we get.”
The eclectic mix of music, art, and accompanying dÈcor is also a representation of Coffin’s own experiences.
The son of a naval officer, Coffin and his five siblings grew up in a collection of American cities. From the age of three, Coffin expressed a passion for drawing, and continued cultivating his art throughout his formative years. Coffin spent his high school years on the Central Coast, graduating from Arroyo Grande High School in 1990.
“The Central Coast is the closest thing I could call a home,” he said, adding that that sense of home played a major part in bringing him to the Santa Maria area.
After graduation, Coffin joined the navy for a brief time, during which he managed to “get into plenty of trouble.” Coffin then began traveling the country as a tattoo artist.
“I kind of just fell into tattooing,” he said. “When I started out, it was just me and my friends. We didn’t have enough money so we [tattooed] each other.”
Coffin spent several years working under Clay Decker at True Tattoo in Los Angeles, where he developed a strong artistic and stylistic background.
From there, he began networking with his fellow tattoo artists, and went on to work in cities such as Chicago, New York, Austin, Phoenix, and Miami.
More recently, Coffin has begun working in Japan at the Tokyo-based tattoo shop Scratch Addiction. And his natural talent for creating Japanese and traditional American tattoos landed him a spread in the July issue of Tattoo Burst, one of Japan’s leading tattoo magazines.
Also, he sometimes travels back down to Los Angeles to build custom-made tattooing machines with long-time craftsman Dan Dringenberg.
Coffin said his drive to master so many different aspects of the business is what keeps him, and his art, viable.
“If you want to be successful in tattoo you have to be willing to travel. You have to spread yourself out,” he said.
Another way Coffin plans to keep Copper Coffin fresh is by bringing in regular guest artists.
“It’s what will set us apart from all the other tattoo shops on the Central Coast,” he said.
Coffin’s friend and co-worker Winston Binney agreed, stating: “You have to learn the right way—not just through one artist but through many.”
Binney, who lives in Orcutt, said he thinks Coffin and his store will help put Santa Maria on the map when it comes to tattooing.
“I think it’s pretty unusual to have a local artist who is world-renowned in tattooing who brings in so many other talented artists,” he said.
Contact Staff Writer Amy Asman at aasman@santamariasun.com
This article appears in Jun 26 – Jul 3, 2008.