Meet the Maker: Bee Hill

By Ashley Morken, Owner, Unglued

From the permanent art of tattooing to creating prints of “mushroom brains,” we are obsessed with the crazy talent of Bee Hill! We are forever inspired by this creative community in the FM area and love learning about artists’ evolution and inspiration each month. You’ll find Bee both tattooing at Fever Dream and creating a variety of art you’ll find at pop-up markets and beyond— check out Bee’s story and Meet The inspo below!

Tell us a bit about yourself.

I am a professional tattoo artist and co-owner of Fever Dream Tattoo in Fargo. I am originally from Saint Paul, MN, but have lived in ND since 2011. I have a bachelors in art from NDSU.

I am neurodivergent and dabble in a wide array of hyperfixations. I love shopping at antique stores and collecting a variety of strange objects such as Furbys and other haunted toys. I am a maximalist and will buy something solely because it is the weirdest thing I have ever seen. Because I cannot sit still, I listen to a lot of audiobooks. Fantasy romance is currently my favorite genre. Sarah J. Maas books are my Roman Empire. If you tell me you like them, I will scream (in a good way).

At home, I love spending time with my fur babies and watching terrible reality TV. I occasionally play video games (mostly openworld) when time permits. The Fallout series is my all-time favorite. I also enjoy not looking or acting my age. I am fooling all of you.

Describe what type of products you make under Bee Hill Tattoo.

I primarily make prints and stickers out of my original digital drawings. They are all hand-drawn on my iPad and take a lot of time. I like experimenting with new brushes and digital techniques. For markets and vendor shows, I bring a lot of other random things as well. I make buttons out of art scraps, paint on canvases, and casually dabble in glass mosaics.

Tell us how you got started with your businesses.

I have been in the tattoo industry for a total of four years. It has come to consume my whole life. Tattooing is probably only 30% art and the rest is client communication and business operation (ordering, cleaning, social media, taxes, etc). I no longer have a nine-to-five, it’s a 24/7 lifestyle. It’s a lot, but I couldn’t imagine doing anything else for work at this point. So, as weird as it sounds, being a tattoo artist sometimes makes it more difficult to focus on my own personal art. The art I primarily create is custom work for my clients. The collaboration aspect of the job is one of my favorite parts. The relationships I have developed with my clients are very special to me.

That being said, I was craving an outlet for my creativity that was outside of my job. Designing a tattoo is a much different process than other art mediums. Branching out into working on my own art and creating products has given me a better sense of individuality and freedom. It also helps me to reach a different audience than I would if I was only a tattooer.

What is the most popular item you specifically sell? Or your favorite you’ve created?

Same answer for both! I love my mushroom brain print and stickers. I originally sketched the design many years ago for an “Inktober” prompt, “Mindless.” I felt inspired by the expression, “mush for brains” and that led me to think that a brain made of mushrooms would be a fun spin on that idea. It wasn’t until relatively recently that I learned that mushrooms are actually intelligent.

How do you find inspiration and choose what you make or what styles you lean towards?

My style has kept evolving as I get more in touch with myself. My art education taught me that what I create should be driven by a meaning or a concept. However, even though I love conceptual art, I have realized that overthinking tends to hinder my creative process. So now I make art that makes me feel genuinely happy. It’s colorful, silly, and juvenile but I like it. I create these things for me and I hope others will like it as well. I keep a running list of all the goofy ideas that come into my head. Most may never get made into art, but it helps when I’m brainstorming my next project.

As a tattoo artist, how does this influence the artwork you make and sell?

Acclimating to being a tattooer has increased my work ethic for creating art. No matter what kind of day I’m having, when I am tattooing someone, I have to push myself to do the best job I can. I still have to keep drawing and composing designs even if I’m burnt out. This has helped rewire my brain to be able to complete my personal drawings even when they are challenging.

My job also allows me to be around creative people every day that I can bounce ideas off of and gain inspiration from. Interacting with my clients sparks ideas as well. Some of my designs are directly related to my tattoo work. I’ve been working on repurposing my older flash designs into new stickers. Sometimes people really like a design but don’t want to commit to it being on their body forever. So instead of tossing away my idea into an art graveyard, it can be reincarnated as a sticker or a print.

What is something you’ve enjoyed the most about doing this handcrafted business?

Making art to sell is a lot less pressure than tattooing. Putting permanent things on people’s bodies can be a mental game. This helps me to keep creating, try new things, and take more risks. It has helped motivate me to finish old projects and not take it too seriously. Selling products has helped me to hone in on my own personal branding. That part of a small business has always been exciting for me.

What is a word that best describes you?

I am determined. My friends say I am the powerhouse of the cell, which is the funniest thing to me.

Where can people find your work?

Primarily, I sell things at Unglued and pop-up markets.

Website/social to stay in touch:
feverdreamtattoo.com
Instagram | @beehilltattoo

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