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From Aerospace to Ink: How Fort Collins Tattoo Artist Eric “EZ” Johnson Found His True Calling
- Aimee Heckel
- 5 days ago
- 6 min read
Updated: 2 days ago
Eric “EZ” Johnson could still be working in the aerospace field. For years, he worked on satellite components, docking and separation systems, and even the original Mars Rovers.
Or he could be putting his engineer brain to work on the ground, building motorcycles. He built and repaired his first one out of spare parts around the same time most kids are learning to ride a regular bicycle, and has since built more motorcycles than he could count.
A few years ago, EZ nearly became a pastor—a logical extension of his volunteer work with rehab centers, unhoused people, and others in need.
But today, he sits in his private room at Solana Tattoo Company, a top-rated tattoo studio in Fort Collins, with a tattoo machine in hand. It’s his tool for connection. His purpose. His calling. And also full circle to where he began.
If you saw EZ riding his motorcycle through town, you wouldn’t be surprised to learn he’s a tattoo artist. With tattoos face to feet, he looks the part.
But look closer. Those face tattoos? They’re all spiritual. He jokes he’s a walking bulletin board for Jesus.
He’s the artist who can and will tattoo just about anything, from fine-line tattoos to portraits to American traditional, and anything in between. Hands? Sure. Head, armpit, inner lip? It’s your body.
But no hateful ink will come from his hands. Gang signs and racist symbols are a no-no. EZ may look intimidating, but he says his mission is to spread hope and love to lives he wouldn’t normally cross, while helping people permanently mark essential moments in their lives and claim their bodies.
“That’s what wakes me up every day,” he says. “There are 100 million people way more deserving of life than I am for all the bad that I’ve done. There are people who have life a whole lot worse, too. But I am thankful to be able to do what I can to be a type of healer, someone to talk to, someone people can connect to in their own way.”
Growing Up in Tattoo Shops
EZ was raised in Colorado tattoo shops. His dad was a tattoo artist, and EZ got his first tattoo on his 13th birthday: a small star with angel wings on his shoulder, a tattoo he says he will never cover up. EZ always loved art classes, and he began tattooing under his dad’s mentorship at age 16. His first tattoo was an Old English letter “P” on a guy named Peter.
EZ tattooed friends (with their parents’ permission), his dad’s biker buddies, at Sturgis and biker parties. It was 1996, his third year tattooing at a Fourth of July biker event in Silverton, when another tattoo artist approached him, impressed by his talent at such a young age. On the spot, he offered him a job in his tattoo studio in Durango.
So EZ moved to Durango and made it official. Soon, he was tattooing at conventions, shaking hands with some of the best tattoo artists in the world. He relocated to California, chasing a bigger bite of the industry, and tattooed up and down the Pacific Coast, before returning to Colorado in 2000 to open his own studio in a shopping mall in Aurora.
Then came the news that changed that trajectory. His wife was expecting a baby. EZ decided to trade his art for a more stable job with health insurance and benefits.
A friend from his high school in Lyons had graduated from CU with an aerospace engineering degree and invented a satellite docking system that could double their length of service in space, reducing space garbage. His friend needed help with the mechanical side and reached out to EZ, who had been building engines his whole life.
That’s how EZ joined the aerospace industry. He worked there for 15 years, through company buy-outs and subcontracts with Lockheed Martin and Ball Aerospace. He continued tattooing on the side – just nights and weekends – through the birth of two more children.
After making other people a bunch of money, he says, he decided to pour his energy into his own dreams and he opened a motorcycle shop in Loveland. But a falling out with his partner a few years later left EZ back where he started.
He returned to tattooing full-time in 2019, but he just wasn’t happy at any of the shops he found. One slow day, with no appointments on the books and his bills piling up, he left work to get tattooed by another artist friend at a newer shop in town. He walked in and recognized JD, a tattoo artist he’d seen before at his gym.
JD offered EZ a job before the stencil even dried.
EZ moved into the Solana Tattoo Company the next day. It was busy, artist-forward, and different than anywhere else he’d worked.
The Artist’s Journey
EZ’s story is as real as it gets, and so is his art. While he mastered grit and creativity at an early age, his life didn’t always stay clean-lined. At one point, EZ spiraled into addiction, violence, and self-destruction, a life that took him in and out of jail and nearly cost him everything. His marriage fell apart, and he lost time with his children.
But rock bottom is a strong foundation to build upon. The turning point came five years ago, when a friend named Sara invited him to church. What started as a curious visit became a choice that changed everything.
Maybe his first tattoo at age 13 -- the angel wings -- was foreshadowing.
Standing waist-deep in a metal horse trough on a windy Wyoming field, surrounded by cattle and sunshine breaking through clouds, EZ was baptized. It was a cold and windy winter day at Sara’s family farm.
“It felt like I could see the light coming into me — or maybe the darkness leaving me,” he says. “It was just me, God, and the elements.”
That moment redefined his purpose. He saw tattooing through a different lens.
“God made it really clear that I could reach people through tattooing who would never set foot in a church,” he says.
Not to push his beliefs on others, but to listen, connect, and care, as a person who has been through just about everything you can imagine.
That friend who originally invited him to church? Sara. Now his fiance, helping him raise his children, who are back in his life. A second chance – at love, at being a father, and at using his gift of art to provide for his family. He knows many people don’t get a second chance.
“I thank God for waking me up every day and giving me another chance to do it again,” EZ says.
Artistic Style and Specialties
With nearly three decades of professional tattooing behind him, many clients consider EZ one of the best tattoo artists in Fort Collins, thanks to his versatility and range. He’s as comfortable doing a crisp fine-line piece as he is a full-color sleeve, an American traditional design, or a custom cover-up.
“I came from street shops where you have to be versatile. Your specialty is whatever comes in the door,” he says. “I like that variability. You don’t paint yourself into a corner.”
He enjoys doing tattoos that carry meaning: memorial pieces, faith-based designs, and cover-ups that give clients a fresh start. EZ knows all about new starts firsthand.
What It’s Like to Get Tattooed by EZ
If you’re booking a tattoo or tattoo consultation in Fort Collins with EZ, expect your session to be relaxed, direct, and honest. He listens first, before putting the needle to the skin.
“Everybody has a different story,” he says. “Why are you getting this tattoo? There are a million different reasons. I like the personal connection of helping somebody fulfill that dream, or have closure, or bridge that gap.”
Whether you’re getting your first piece or a finishing touch on a sleeve, EZ’s approach centers on safety, communication, and collaboration.
His private room at his tattoo studio in Fort Collins is clean, personable, and welcoming. The process is straightforward: a thoughtful consultation, careful stencil placement, and steady execution. EZ values comfort and clarity, so clients leave knowing what to expect and feeling respected throughout the session.
Book With Fort Collins Tattoo Artist EZ Johnson
Eric “EZ” Johnson is more than a talented Fort Collins tattoo artist; he’s a craftsman, a listener, and someone who’s turned his past into purpose. Whether you’re looking for custom tattoos in Fort Collins or want a pre-drawn design of nearly any style, EZ brings decades of experience, empathy, and technical skill to every appointment.
Check out EZ’s portfolio and book your consultation to see why so many people call him one of their favorite tattoo artists.