Jetta Smith, 26, from Albany , New York is one of the most unique individuals I have ever come across.  She is loving, free spirited, a kind and caring friend, and most of all, a talented body piercer and a gifted tattoo artist.

Looking at Jetta, you can immediately tell that she has a love for body art.  She possesses several stylish piercings to her ears and face and both of her arms are covered in ink.  Her left arm displays an artistic dedication to her loved ones in black and white, with depictions of the Virgin Mary and other spiritual pieces.  Her right arm is a canvas of colorful and vibrant pieces that she has acquired over the years.  Although both arms are not officially completed, she hopes to have them both finished sometime in the near future.  All of her tattoos are near and dear to her heart and represent something meaningful, just as tattoos should.

At eleven years old while she was living in Florida , Jetta got her fingernail tattooed by her mother’s best friend who was an artist.  From that moment on, she knew that body art was going to be a huge part of her life.  Jetta first began her career as a body piercer at Ink Spot Tattoo in Huntsville , Alabama when she was only seventeen.  She decided to go the piercing route as an apprentice first because it was a better financial move for her at the time.  As an apprentice, you have to pay the person you’re shadowing for their time and expertise, which is required for at least a year to gain all of the necessary knowledge.

Before taking the next step to become a tattoo artist, Jetta enrolled herself in school and completed the requirements for her Associates Degree in Art from Hudson Valley Community College in Troy .  She currently plans to continue taking art classes in her free time for inspirational purposes.

Jetta isn’t the type of artist that will ink anything that is requested, especially if the person is unsure.  “I know my limits and if I don’t feel comfortable doing the piece, I will not do it. I have even talked customers out of tattoos because they are uncertain about what they want.  It’s not like it’s something that they can scrub off the following day, because tattoos are forever.” 

Most of Jetta’s work is originally drawn, unless a customer chooses something off of the wall.  She prefers at least one day to work on a drawing before she makes it permanent, and welcomes her customers to work with her to make sure they are happy before the tattooing begins. 

Jetta is currently stationed at True Tattoo Studio in Clifton Park , New York as the Piercing Manager.  She also has been tattooing there for about 4 years, and has clientele from all different areas of the Capitol Region.  “I love what I do, but sometimes it’s hard to have a life outside of being at the shop.  My hours are from 1-9P.M., and I never get any weekends off, but I really can’t complain because those are my real money making days.”

In the few years she has been with True Tattoo, Jetta has noticed the increase of college students coming into the shop, mostly from Siena College and HVCC.  Business has boomed due to word of mouth from satisfied customers, from all over the area, and the shop has proved to be a credible institution in the tattoo world.  The Clifton Park location was able to open due to success with its mother studio in Saratoga , New York .

Jetta is also at the point where she has a piercing apprentice of her own, named Keith Cromie, who has been working under her for about a year.  Keith is also apprenticing under the shop owner Boz for tattooing experience. 

The one thing I do know from being around Jetta is that she loves what she does for a living and would not trade it for anything in the world.  “I love my job, even though it can be stressful sometimes, and I love the fact that there is always room to grow here at True Tattoo.”

Jetta currently resides in Albany with her boyfriend of four years.  If you are interested in seeing pictures of Jetta’s work, please make sure to visit
www.truetattoostudio.com. ■