Jason Ackerman was no stranger to chaos. Born into a nomadic family that zigzagged across the map, he’d seen more states than most people see in a lifetime.
My childhood was kind of messed up, but Texas was where I felt the most normal.
Art was Jason’s refuge—raw, jagged, and unapologetic. Paintings were like his children. He’d coax them into existence.
I am creating something that nobody else has done—literally cultivating it from just a tiny thought and watching it come to life.
While art was a part of Jason’s fiber, tattooing was never on his radar.
Growing up, the people I idolized were all covered in tattoos. But I never considered doing them myself.
But fate, that sly old trickster, led him in a different direction.
I didn’t find tattooing; tattooing found me. I was hanging out by a mall, and a guy and his wife came up and handed me a card. He told me to come check out a tattoo shop he was opening.
And so he did. By day Jason was building sea walls in South Florida. By night, he was hanging with his new-found crew at the tattoo shop, sweeping floors, answering phones, and watching the ink flow. Still, not giving a thought to becoming a tattoo artist
Never thought of tattooing. Blood grossed me out.
Months later, with a stronger stomach for blood, Jason had an epiphany.
I thought, I’m here all the time, I can draw. I could do this for a living.
Summoning all his courage, he approached the owner for an apprenticeship. The owner's response? "I knew you'd come around eventually.”
Jason spent a year and a half in that shop perfecting New School Tattoos.
Legends like Tony Ciavarro and Jime Litwalk drew me in. I became rather successful with New School style tattoos in South Florida.
Success in tow, he set out for the Big Apple, which proved to be a different beast.
Nobody got the New School style there, so I started from scratch, diving into black work and dot work.
Through the ups and downs, one thing remained—Jason’s gratitude for his career and his mentor.
I feel blessed. I get to draw on people for a living.
And, I feel really lucky to have had such a great apprenticeship. It was brutal but fun. In the tattoo world, you rarely stay where you learned, but I was taught old school, and so when I left, I made sure that parting ways didn’t interfere with their shop.
Destiny had another twist in store a few years later.
I opened my own shop in the same area, and my mentors ended up working for me because they had closed their shop. Full circle, man.
At Hart & Huntington, Jason will leave you with a killer piece of art that’s well-considered and expertly crafted.
My goal is perfection, whether it’s an infinity symbol or a backpiece. I push myself to be better with each piece. I’m not competing with anyone but myself.
H&H artists don’t simply exceed expectations, they have a hell of a lot of fun in the process.
Tattooing is therapeutic for a lot of people.
When they jump in the chair they’ll start talking to you about their life. They just want to get stuff off their chest and be heard. You become very friendly with them and build a rapport. Then it turns into a good time!
Everyone’s in it for the good time—from the clients to the artists.
Clients come nervous, but when they leave, they walk out saying goodbye to everybody in the shop. It's not just me interacting with my client, it’s everyone. We’re all talking, joking, and just having a good time!
It's a different kind of party here. It's not just about the tattoos; it's about the experience. It's about the vibe, the rapport, and the shared love for all things ink.
Hart and Huntington isn’t like other tattoo shops. It's very much a fun, family atmosphere where everybody is interacting. It’s refreshing, it really is!
Want to feel the buzz? Swing by, meet the crew. Schedule a consult with Jason and get ready for a great experience!
