Blood Sweat & Tears

More than a tattoo artist, Fab Stella is an all-around social guy. The owner of Toronto’s Blood, Sweat & Tears Tattoo Parlour on St. Clair West Avenue is always up for making friends with new clients. “I love meeting people, listening to them and hearing their stories — almost as much as the art,” he says. It makes sense that he would take an interest in each client’s story, as the tattoos he creates are usually deeply connected to the subject’s personal history. “I try to customize my work for the individual,” says Fab. “What I’m giving them is forever.”

Fab can still remember his first tattoo. It was a cancer symbol, done by an artist at New Age, a parlour near Ossington and Dundas. Eventually Fab, a recently graduated student of multimedia design, got to chatting with the owner of the shop. The two struck a deal: Fab would design the shop’s business card in exchange for a free tattoo. The arrangement blossomed into friendship, and that friendship led to an apprenticeship at the shop. Though many beginner tattoo artists practice their craft on pigskin, Fab says finding volunteers in the early days was never hard. “There was usually a friend around who would let me tattoo them,” he says with a laugh.