MacHammac

My name is Mac I'm 28, I like to consider myself an Artist. I live and breathe art, my inspiration is pain and pleasure. I've been lately pushing myself harder and harder to become the artist I see when I close my eyes. If you're interested in buying anything I have posted here or would be interested in a commission feel free to ask about anything! And if you're interested in a collaboration PLEASE get up with me, it would be incredibly fun! You can follow my artwork here as well as facebook, vine, instagram, twitter all @ MacHammac .... I also have a tumblr @ MacHammacdesigns

If you happen to be bored and want something to read or just to know more about me here it is,

I've been drawing since as long as I can remember I know that may sound cliche' but it's true hah. Most of my earliest memories are trying to draw things outside in Florida and Louisiana " New Orleans" like lizards frogs pretty much all the things most little boys love, and Sonic... I was obsessed with Sonic the hedgehog comics back in the day. My entire life since my earliest memories have all been drawing, playing guitar, and skateboarding.

Those things were everything I did all up until college. Along with the artwork my life from the age of 12-13 up to 19 was also filled with drugs... LOTS of drugs started using synthetic heroin at 13 and the real stuff by 16 I used all I could up to one night on October 5th 2005 at Pembroke University in North Carolina. I ended up getting my hands on a milk jug filled with mescaline. Guy didn't tell me what it was just that It'd mess me up good, when he wasn't looking I poured the beer out of my dixie cup and replaced it with the mescaline. Then I chugged it all.

He told me what it was eventually and after he left I looked it up since I hadn't heard of it. I freaked out and it kicked in. And stayed kicked in for about 2 1/2 years, I was a figurative inch away from being permanently trapped in a trip. I'd tripped before but this was different, I could literally feel "me" slipping away till it was gone and all that was left was fear.. with a few and far between brief moments of remembering what was going on and being conscious again. I got better eventually, I was very lucky but even today almost 10 years later I still have flashes/moments where I'm consumed by that same feeling of fear and almost feel as if I'm slipping away again.

I didn't draw or make any art from about 19 to 25 years old. I couldn't hold a pen without it almost shaking out of my hand every time I brought it to the paper. It was discouraging and heartbreaking and especially after quitting all the drugs I was left almost unable to even hold a pencil, couldn't play guitar anymore it felt exactly the same as it did the first time I picked one up when I was 11 years old. Couldn't skate anymore it was funny to watch but sad if you'd have known me before what happened and were watching it then.

I finally couldn't ignore the itch inside anymore and told myself to forget about how hard it was to draw "now" and just do it because it's what I know I'm meant to do. I've been off heroin and everything for 10 years now almost what you see here on my page is probably a few decent pieces of art that may stand out in a crowd but it's really me learning how to draw all over again at 24ish.

I got to the point where my artwork was decent enough to get a tattoo apprenticeship about 3 years ago and once that happened it felt like the universe put a big happy star on my life haha It was my dream job, it was what I wanted to do since I was like 14 years old! I did well, learned fast and within 4 months apprenticing I had my own booth at the shop and was taking customers. I was by no means a great tattoo artist but I was good enough to take simple things and I loved every moment of it.

Then about a month after getting my own booth it started getting seriously hard for me to walk, I wasn't sleeping good worse than normal and I have diagnosed insomnia already. Nothing was helping the pain, it was becoming unbearable, I started having to use a cane to go into work and then couldn't tattoo because I was to busy sitting in the client chair moaning in pain all day. The boss had me take time off till I got better. The doctors couldn't figure out what was wrong. It got worse, to the point I was screaming every time I had to get out of bed to do anything. The only way to explain the pain is to say, it felt like my pelvis was being folded in half and the heads of my femurs were being constantly grind-ed away with sandpaper and like my spine was suffocating.... I now, effectively could not walk anymore. I got a call and they said two things. I had Rock Mountain Spotted fever ( They think it had been untreated for about 6 months) , and they wanted to take some x-rays though because they noticed I have a specific protein or gene/something and it could mean I have some disease.

I was in so much pain I was just actually happy to know what was going on, they found out I have Ankylosing Spondylitis an auto immune disease similar to rheumatoid arthritis/lupus/chromes but it was specifically effecting my spine and hips and my EYES :( and that it would eventually cause my spine to fuze into one bone. From my hips to the base of my skull, they put me on meds to help slow it down there is no cure and I'm fine with all this. It is what it is I'm still alive and alright :) But I lost my job at the tattoo shop. That hurt a lot, finally getting where I had wanted to be for many years. It wouldn't be good for me to be a tattoo artist anymore because of my condition "dont wanna fuze hunched over ;) " So again I took life's bullshit with a grain of salt and remembered that there are many many people way worse off than me.

Now here we are and I've just been focusing all I can and practicing trying to get better and get my artwork out there so that I can try to still make a living off doing what I love. Making art!
I know this was a long post but that's my story, now you know it if ya read it :)

Current Residence: Carthage North Carolina


Personal Quote: I put my heart and soul into my work and have lost my mind in the process. - Vincent Van Gogh