Convention Connection: How Gabriella Nova Tattooed Her Way Across Europe and Asia for Seven Years
First, Gabriella Nova’s loft building caught fire. Then a moving truck gave her bedbugs. She’d already wanted to travel, and that was the push she needed. She decided she was done having stuff and hit the road. For the next seven years, she tattooed full-time as a nomad across Europe and Asia. Chico Cortez caught up with her in New York City for Convention Connection. She’s now based in Pittsburgh, guest spotting in Williamsburg, and building toward more U.S. conventions.
Key Takeaways
The push: A building fire and a bedbug-infested moving truck sent Gabriella from her Montreal loft onto the road for seven years.
Her system: She hustled 12-hour days in money-making cities, then spent winters in Asia doing conventions without money stress.
Asia taught her most: Seeing full bodysuits at Asian conventions pushed her to create bigger, better work.
Her style: Soft black and gray with smooth shading, drawn by hand on tracing paper, spanning realism, geometric, and neo-Japanese.
Her secret to long days: Daily yoga keeps her calm and protects her back so she can sit for eight hours.
Who is Gabriella Nova?
Gabriella Nova is a Tattoo Artist born in Montreal, Canada. She’s a dual citizen, and her dad is from New Jersey.
She spent seven years traveling full-time as a nomad in Europe and Asia. When COVID hit, she went back to Canada. About two and a half years later, she started traveling the U.S. on her American passport.
After two more years on the road, she finally settled in Pittsburgh, where she works with a team she calls wonderful. She also guest spots at Monolith in Williamsburg.
Her work is black and gray with very smooth, soft shading. She tattoos realism, geometric, and neo-Japanese. She draws her designs by hand on tracing paper. She learned to draw on paper and never felt comfortable drawing on an iPad. Instead, she uses it to build geometric elements, prepare stencils, and collage concepts.
What are tattoo conventions and why do they matter?
Tattoo conventions are multi-day events where Tattoo Artists tattoo live clients, show their work, and meet Tattoo Artists and clients from other places.
For Gabriella, conventions in Asia were where she learned the most. She saw incredible work there, including full bodysuits. That inspired her to want to make bigger and better tattoos.
She later worked alongside a friend who does full bodysuits. Watching that work up close, with every part of a client’s body to tattoo, convinced her she’s perfectly happy doing sleeves and legs.
Conventions also give her a way to enjoy the craft. During her winters in Asia, she could do conventions without worrying about money, work on her designs, and enjoy tattooing instead of needing it as a job.
Pro Tip: Conventions in other countries can show you what’s possible. Gabriella says the full bodysuits she saw in Asia pushed her to raise her own standards.
How did Gabriella break into the convention circuit?
Gabriella broke into the convention circuit by building a travel system that paid for her winters in Asia.
She got a working holiday visa
After the fire and the bedbugs, she got a working holiday visa for Germany. She spent a year there, then two years in the UK.
She built a system
By the end of those three years, she had a network of places to work, and she moved quickly. She’d spend four or five months hustling in money-making cities like Montreal, New York City, England, and Munich. She stayed with friends, slept on couches, and kept expenses low. She’d stay 10 days to two weeks in each city and work 12-hour days.
She spent winters in Asia
With what she saved, she’d spend the winter in Asia doing conventions. She didn’t stress about making money there. She worked on her designs and enjoyed tattooing.
Looking back, she says she has no idea how it worked. Her best guess is that she was very good at sleeping on couches.
How can you build a convention-ready career step by step?
You build a convention-ready career with strong skills, a clear plan, and the stamina to keep going.
Step 1: Get real training. Gabriella mostly taught herself, and she says traveling made learning even slower. A structured tattoo apprenticeship gives you Mentors from the start.
Step 2: Build clean habits early. Gabriella’s first walk-in tattoo shop had very high cleanliness standards, including a daily cleaning checklist. Learn the OSHA bloodborne pathogens standard and practice it every day.
Step 3: Develop your drawing skills. Gabriella still draws by hand on tracing paper. Strong drawing skills travel with you anywhere.
Step 4: Plan your finances. Gabriella’s system worked because she saved during her busiest months, then used that money to enjoy conventions.
Step 5: Take care of your body. Gabriella does yoga every day so she can sit for long sessions and avoid back problems.
Step 6: Make booking easy. Gabriella asks clients to email their ideas, photo references, placement, and location so she can find the fastest way to book them.
Before you start, read about the mistakes aspiring tattoo apprentices should avoid.
Why does traveling as a Tattoo Artist build your brand?
Traveling puts your work in front of new clients and exposes you to new ideas.
Gabriella’s travels took her through Germany, the UK, Asia, and across the U.S. She tattooed in Thailand for three months with a friend. That friend also tattooed her shoulders and her back piece.
Her last trip to Thailand made for quite a story. Last November, she visited a convention there and got additions to her back piece. Lying in that position was tough. Right after, she rode a scooter five hours north to visit temples, then rode back. The next day, she took a flight, a ferry, and a bus. She popped her eardrum on the flight, woke up at 4 a.m. vomiting, and two days later was getting tattooed again, this time on her hands. Lying on her stomach for that session felt much easier.
As Chico put it, that’s not recommended aftercare.
To build your own presence, see our list of platforms to help tattoo artists build their brand. A strong digital presence turns a single convention connection into a global following. Tattooing is also a human craft that can’t be automated, as we explain in why tattoo artists are still essential.
What foundation do you need before you travel?
Before you travel, you need strong skills, good habits, and a body that can handle the work.
Gabriella’s path was mostly self-taught, with help from people she met along the way. She worked alone from home for a year. Then she worked in a private tattoo studio, and then a street shop. After the fire, she started traveling.
That made learning even slower. She’d walk into tattoo shops in countries where she didn’t know anyone, carrying her book and looking for work, without even a smartphone.
She also learned to protect her body. She’s been through some difficult situations in life, and yoga became her way to stay calm and feel good physically. Her routine is simple: coffee, then yoga. After that, she feels awake and ready to sit for eight hours. She works four to five days a week, and she sees yoga as prevention so she doesn’t need back surgery someday.
How does Ink Different prepare you for a global career?
Ink Different prepares beginners through the Traditional Tattoo Apprenticeship, an 18 to 24 month, four-phase tattoo apprenticeship with hands-on training and licensing support.
Gabriella built her career through grit and years on the road. The Traditional Tattoo Apprenticeship gives you a structured path and experienced Mentors from day one.
Here’s what you can expect:
Hands-on training: You learn in person from experienced Mentors inside a working tattoo studio.
Beginner-friendly: No prior art experience required.
Licensing support: Guidance through your state’s requirements, like how to get your tattoo license in Texas or how long a tattoo license takes in Colorado.
A guaranteed job offer: You’ll receive a guaranteed job offer at one of Ink Different’s tattoo studios.
This is a career that comes with confidence. You’ll finish with job-ready skills, licensing support, and a guaranteed job offer at one of Ink Different’s own tattoo studios. Ink Different has trained Tattoo Artists for 15 years.
You’ll also join Ink Different’s “Good Humans” culture, a supportive community that has your back.
What is the Master Mentorship program?
Once you’ve built your foundation, Ink Different’s Master Mentorship connects you with Master Mentors, including Al Fliction, Liz Cook, Kyle Dunbar, Boneface, and Jordi Pla.
Gabriella learned by watching other Tattoo Artists work, especially at conventions in Asia. Learning directly from Master Mentors gives you that same kind of inspiration, with guidance built in.
Ink Different also offers Spanish-speaking locations in Denver, Orange County, NYC, Miami, San Antonio, and San Diego.
Ready to tattoo your way across the world?
Gabriella Nova turned a building fire and a bedbug disaster into seven years of tattooing across Europe and Asia. Now she’s building a client base in Pittsburgh and planning more U.S. conventions. Next on her list is the Golden State Tattoo Expo in California. She did it last year and has friends attending.
She keeps herself on a two- to three-month plan. Right now, that plan is all about starting fresh in the States.
Seats are limited, with only two apprentices per tattoo studio per Mentor.
Ready to become a Tattoo Artist? Apply now to Ink Different’s Traditional Tattoo Apprenticeship and start building an AI-proof career with licensing support and a guaranteed job offer. Not sure yet? Fill out our quick questionnaire to see if it’s right for you.
To book with Gabriella, email [email protected] with your idea, reference photos, placement, and location. Follow her on Instagram at @whitewindtattoo, and follow Chico at @m4l_chico.
Frequently Asked Questions
How did Gabriella Nova start traveling as a Tattoo Artist?
After a fire in her loft building and a moving truck that gave her bedbugs, she got a working holiday visa for Germany. She spent a year there and two years in the UK.
How did Gabriella afford seven years of travel?
She worked 12-hour days for four or five months in cities like Montreal, New York City, England, and Munich, staying with friends to save money. Then she spent winters in Asia doing conventions.
What style does Gabriella Nova tattoo?
Soft black and gray with smooth shading, including realism, geometric, and neo-Japanese work.
How can I book a tattoo with Gabriella Nova?
Email [email protected] with your idea, references, placement, and location, or follow her on Instagram at @whitewindtattoo.
How long does the Traditional Tattoo Apprenticeship take?
Ink Different’s Traditional Tattoo Apprenticeship takes 18 to 24 months across four phases, with licensing support and a guaranteed job offer.
Does Ink Different offer training in Spanish?
Yes. Ink Different has Spanish-speaking locations in Denver, Orange County, NYC, Miami, San Antonio, and San Diego.
