Dane Ritchie of 13th Moon Tattoo Celebrates One Year in Business!

May 30, 2022

6 minutes read

For those of us who don’t know you, could you tell us a little bit about yourself?

My name is Dane Ritchie. I grew up in Wilcox, Saskatchewan and graduated from Athol Murray College of Notre Dame, class of 2004. I have always been drawn to travel and therefore have never stayed in one location for too long. A couple years here and a couple years there kinda thing until I met my wife and we created a home life setting in Edmonton. It was on a beach somewhere in Vietnam that we decided we were ready to start a family when we came home and knew we didn’t want to raise our child in the city. With both my wife and I having been born and raised in rural Saskatchewan, we wanted our little boy to have those core values that small-town life provided us as kids while also having an understanding of the vast world around us. To be well-rounded is a foundation of self that was instilled from an early age and is something I strive for daily.

How did you get into tattooing?

I actually got invited into the tattoo world and helped build the shop that I ended up learning out of. It was proposed to me to take up an understudy and leave my construction business to do so. After careful consideration, I decided to take the plunge and have never looked back. I’ve been tattooing for 10+ years now. I got my start in Saskatoon and have worked out the vast majority of my career in Edmonton, Alberta. I cut my teeth at Eye Of The Lotus, which at the time, was one of the highest-rated shops in Edmonton. Eventually moving over to The Fountainhead Tattoo, an exceptionally rated and respected private studio within the tattoo community. I have had the opportunity and privilege of learning from amazing artists from around the world and continue to do so through travel, guest spots and through my own personal tattoo collection. It’s important to me to continue to learn from as many as I can so I am able to bring this knowledge back to my home studio, here in Kindersley, with the goal of creating world class tattoos for those who walk through my doors. The act of tattooing predates written human history and is steeped in tradition and ceremony. It means something different through time, era and culture and the sheer amount of knowledge that lives within is astounding so to dedicate my life to it was an easy choice though the path is not an easy one to walk at times.

Have you always been ‘drawn’ to art?

Pun…intended yes, haha. I’ve always had an artistic eye but it has taken a lot of years to hone that skill through studying not only books, writings and seminars but other artists that I’ve had the opportunity to work with and for. Art is absolutely a passion and I take it very seriously. Countless hours, days, months and years have gone into this and I am fully invested in becoming the best artist I can be. It’s something that will continue to grow throughout my life through study and experience.

Could you tell us a little bit about your tattooing shop, 13th Moon Tattoo

13th Moon Tattoo is a studio developed to create custom tattoos that are as unique as the wearer. I did the first tattoo out of Kindersley on April 21 of 2021, which was an exciting and proud day for me. 13th Moon Tattoo is a private studio that is open by appointment only which allows me to give my full and undivided attention to each person that walks through my door, be it for consultation or tattoo appointment. Every person is unique, as are their ideas and vision for a final product and it is my job to pluck that idea out of their words and imagination to create in physical form the end result which is marked permanently in the skin.

The first step is to reach out and say hi! Then I book you in for a consultation on a day that works best for both you and I, which is usually within a week or two of me receiving the initial message. Consultations are free and there is never any pressure to book in. My work is permanent and I want us both clear on the path forward before setting a date for the actual tattoo. You come in with your ideas and I throw a lot of information at you in terms of conceptual design, and it isn’t a rare occurrence to have a client take a few days to mull over our conversation before finalizing the concept. I do my best to not overwhelm you with ideas but there are so many ways to look at any specific idea to ensure that it’s a proper representation of you and unique within the same breath.

Once you’ve booked in with the deposit down, your file goes to the bottom of the drawing pile as the freight train of ideas and art trudges forward. I usually stay ahead by two weeks in design with the final draft being done the night before the tattoo to ensure that it is fresh in my mind and hand. Each piece is unique and will require as few as three revisions (and as many as 10 or more) before I present the work to you on the day of the appointment. This ensures that each piece is done to my most current knowledge base and capability. Always growing. It’s not often advertised but I do take on commissioned paintings as well as doing my best to create new up for grabs drawings, stickers, prints, banners and clothing.

I have based my business model and direction forward on the lessons learned through my experiences and by the guidance and leadership of some serious tattoo powerhouses. We are a representation of where we come from and our individual paths walked in life and I have the responsibility and duty to those who I’ve learned from to carry this forward.

If you weren’t doing this profession, what else would you be doing?

I have a background in construction that includes, but is very much not limited to residential home building. Home exterior finishing was my first love and tattooing was the only thing that could possibly take me away from that life. I loved the idea of building a home that people would be happy to live in. Much like a tattoo, it’s a big thing and something people have to live with so it better be exactly what they’re asking for. Essentially every house became a piece of artwork for me and I took great enjoyment from doing things in a way that wasn’t like the neighbours, such as a different style of cut, colour combination or pattern. Subdivisions were a bleak workplace in the city at times and slipping things under (but within) HOA specs was something I had a lot of fun with. We are not cookie-cutter people and we do not fit in a singular category.

Could you tell me about the recent giveaway you held?

I have held two giveaways since opening my doors. The first being a donation for auction to the Kindersley Ladies Night with proceeds going towards the Kindersley and District Health and Wellness Foundation Equipment Fund for our local hospital with a total value of just under $900. It was auctioned off to the highest bidder and the tattoo is well underway with one seriously happy client. The second and most recent giveaway was done as a thank you to anyone willing to get involved, those who have already come in for tattoos or art and to this town for allowing me to make this dream a reality. The giveaway winnings totalled just over $400 and resulted in over 1500 entries, 6000 views locally and was viewed again over 10,000 times across 14 countries. The studio gained 150 new followers within a week and I’ve spoken to many since the winner was announced who have expressed interest in getting work done. I can’t make this work without people coming to me with their ideas and it’s my responsibility to make their ideas a reality with longevity, safety and respect at the forefront of my business. I felt it was absolutely the right thing to do by thanking the town that’s taken my family and I in by giving my time and effort to someone at random. Tattooing is extremely personal for all parties involved and this business adheres to this fact.