MISSION STATEMENT
Our objective at Wanderlust Tattoo Company is to create beautiful, memorable artwork that will withhold the test of time. We want your next tattoo to be something you love for life. Our shop is a safe, clean environment and everyone here strives to deliver an enjoyable experience for each person who visits us.
There aren’t many rules here, but we do have two:
1. We do not tattoo anyone under the age of 18. No exceptions.
2. We do not tattoo anything that is derogatory or hateful, meaning sexist, racist, transphobic or homophobic.
We believe in the power of wandering – of living and experiencing the world. In order to never forget who we are and where we came from, we have chosen to catalogue our experiences through tattoos and hope to help others who want to do the same. As we’ve grown and changed, adventuring across the world and searching for our purposes, it was only natural we would eventually set down roots.
THESE ARE OUR ROOTS. THIS IS OUR JOURNEY.
And we are excited for our path to cross with yours.
ARTISTS
MARK JANSEN
He may be the owner, but he would never say he is the boss. Mark is a casual gent with a penchant for cleanliness, a passion for good stories, and knack for avoiding uncomfortable conversations. Having invested over two decades of his life to tattooing, there’s nothing he’d rather be doing, except maybe building Lego with his son or brewing the perfect cup of coffee.
Artistically speaking, Mark has been honing his skills ever since his days in diapers and credits his passion for art to his father, who first inspired him to pick up a pencil. Well-versed in most areas of tattooing, he excels at American Traditional, Japanese, and has a flare for illustrative pieces, especially those which incorporate flora and fauna. Be prepared, though, as things will most likely get nerdy since Mark intentionally directs all conversations to such highbrow subjects as Star Wars, the wonderful sport of hockey, and any episode of the Office as he’s seen it 782 times.
After living in many towns and cities across British Columbia, Mark was surprised to find a desire to settle down on Vancouver Island, the place he grew up. By opening Wanderlust Tattoo Company, he put to bed his nomadic tendencies and is excited about his journey here. He is proud that his shop is a place where clients and other artists alike love to visit and find inspiration. When he’s not toiling over your next tattoo, he spends his time hanging out with Timber, standing in line at Starbucks, and laughing at cat memes.
ANDREW SMITH
So, this is Andrew and to say he is a pretty friendly guy would be an understatement! If you’re looking for a rad tattoo, good conversation, and the vibes of a best friend this is your man. He is a wanderer, who grew up in Ontario and, for some unbeknownst reason, moved to Calgary. In 2010, he decided to do the one thing harder than living with all those Flames fans, he joined the military!
Things took a more minimalistic turn in 2017 when Andrew sold all his worldly possessions except for Mystique, his old Chevy G20 van, which became his home and some say best friend. Was this a cry for help? A Marie Kondo exercise gone wrong? Or a reboot of the Simple Life? Actually, none of the above. This is when he decided to do the only thing harder than being in the military – become a tattoo artist.
His apprenticeship became his mistress as he entered the world of bold lines and spicy whip shades. And he’s been tattooing ever since. While you may notice he showcases some crispy, clean traditional tattoos, he is also know to do some dapper dot work and sexy script pieces. At the core of what he does is the desire to give you a tattoo you’ll be stoked to wear for life. Colour or black and grey, you pick your poison – this guy can do both.
When he isn’t doing this artsy stuff, he loves hiking with his family while hunting for mushrooms to take macro photos of, fine-tuning his relationship with coffee, and moonlighting as a ramen connoisseur. If you want to get spacey, this is the artist for you. He’s super into ufology and is determined to figure out if the truth really is out there.
LAUREN CARR
It is never easy being the new kid, but Lauren eased her way into the Wanderlust family with sneak attack guest spots and casual pop-bys when visiting her Rents on the Island. An art-nerd through and through, Lauren has a BFA from Emily Carr to prove how serious she is about paints and canvas and such. Thankfully, she also has a knack for pestering people and through sheer stubbornness she was able to put her degree to work by acquiring an illusive tattooing apprenticeship. Yay!
With five years of experience under her belt, she has left the mean streets of East Vancouver behind for the much slower pace of Vancouver Island. She is here to share her unique illustrative style with our lucky clients and create tattoos full of whimsy, magic, and joy.
Honestly, her move to Parksville feels like kismet as Lauren is pretty much a mermaid with legs and the ocean her lady love. As you may notice, a lot of her artistic focus is that of the creatures that dwell beneath the surface of the sea. But not to worry, if you aren’t looking for an aquatic tattoo, she has a penchant for the natural world and celebrates the weird and wonder that awaits us all deep in the woods. Other areas of interest for Lauren include Japanese animation, video-games, and films of adventure from her youth.
When she isn’t cold water diving or poking around in tidal pools trying to make friends with sea urchins and jellyfish, you can find Lauren perusing thrift stores with a coffee in hand. Her downtime finds her riding one of her road bikes – Carrie or Madison, watching horror movies, or trying to kickstart her family dog Phoebe’s modelling career by taking copious amounts of photos of her precious face.
MIKEL JOHNSON
If you ask Mark, he will tell you he manifested Mikel joining the Wanderlust Team. While that might seem farfetched, the truth is, sometimes things just work out the way they are supposed. Having been a part of the tattoo industry for nearly thirty years, Mikel brings to the shop more than just experience – he brings wisdom – and the old school tenacity to help as many clients as he can reach their tattoo goals.
Speaking of tattooing, Mikel is passionate about incorporating into his work the sacred aspects of this art form from around the world. A Reiki Master, dedicated to spreading empathy wherever he roams, Mikel is striving for connection and showcasing that in his work and the time you spend with him. Although he has tattooed in many styles before, his area of expertise resides in tribal forms of tattooing, dot-work, black work, mandalas and geometric elements. This is great news for us because within the WTC family, he fills a specific role we have been on the lookout for – someone who doesn’t shy away from dots and lines. Plus, he might just be able to calm our chaos a little.
Having lived on Vanisle before, he is excited to slip back into the ways of this Island and introduce more balance to his life. Shaking off the grind of the big city, he is keen to reconnect with past clients and make new ones. His books are always open and so is his mind.
BRANDON KOOP
He may have once been the prettiest counter-girl in all the lands, but Brandon Koop is now our super awesome Apprentice with his eye on being a Junior Artist. As the longest running employee of Wanderlust, Koop has put in the time and done our crimes, now he isn’t just answering phones and saying ‘Hello’ to you upon arrival. He is doing set-ups and break-downs, creating his own tattoos, and trying to sneak in as much practice as possible between random requests from our artists.
He is a kind soul who has been an integral part of Wanderlust for so long we actually can’t remember what is was like without him – and we don’t want to!
You can find Koop laughing at inappropriate jokes, doing coffee runs, and painting at his station. When he isn’t changing songs or answering the phone, he spends his time perfecting his swagger, playing with his bulldog Ellie, and curating his weird meme collection. If you ever feel like no one loves you, rest assured it’s not true. Brandon Koop does.
SUPPORT TEAM
TEE TYSON
This little lady may not have an artistic bone in her body, but she’s really good at keeping things in order. When you contact the shop, it’s likely that you’re going to be talking with Tee. She spends her time sorting emails, fielding questions, responding to social media, and working to get you in as soon as possible. While she may not tattoo, she’s keen on keeping the ship sailing smoothly and hopes to create a welcoming environment for every visitor through the doors.
Thirteen years ago, she moved away from the mainland and has been enjoying island life ever since. In what little spare time she has, she likes to write, knit, and hang out with her boys, especially her son, Timber.
If you have any questions or concerns, Tee is the girl to talk to.
TIMBER JANSEN
Here he is, The MVP of Wanderlust Tattoo Company. As he learns the tricks of the trade, he is responsible for supplying countless jokes to clients, handing out aftercare packages, and making a mess for everyone else to clean up.
At any given time, you can find our little Timbit transforming into a semi-truck, eating French fries, or sitting on the couch watching Netflix. He is the King of the tattoo artist handshake and may just give you one, so be prepared.
Here he is in his first year apprenticing back in 2016.
THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS A SELF-MADE MAN. YOU WILL REACH YOUR GOALS ONLY WITH THE HELP OF OTHERS ~ GEORGE SHINN