Budding North Huntingdon artist takes talent to tattooing - TribLIVE

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Kayla Streussnig of North Huntingdon — a budding artist who started her own business while in high school — works on a variety of surfaces: not only canvas but on water bottles and shoes.

A 2020 Norwin High School graduate who started making resin art, digitizing photos and designing logos, Streussnig now is focusing her talent on a different medium — the skin.

Streussnig said she got a few tattoos once she turned 18 and that sparked a interest in tattooing. She landed a job in January as an apprentice tattoo artist with Nice Ink, which has shops along Route 30 in Hempfield and in Canonsburg.

She changed career paths because she said she realized it would difficult to earn a living in this area as a traditional artist. She’s done all the right things to promote her talents — marketing herself with a website, creating a Facebook page and Instagram account, and attending several arts and crafts shows.

“I wanted to use my artistic talents, but be able to make a living. It’s hard to do that just with painting,” Streussnig said.

She elevated her tattooing skills from simple words to creating “black and grey” works that require more skill, Streussnig said. She now has clients booked into April.

The passion for art might be in Kayla’s genes. Her mother, Jennifer Streussnig, is always doing something creative, usually related to home decorating and home improvements.

One of Kayla’s high school art teachers, Christine Satterfield, provided guidance during an AP art class in Streussnig’s senior year.

“She was really an inspiration to me to be a good artist. She taught me a lot,” Streussnig said.

Satterfield, who had taught Kayla in several art courses in high school career, said Kayla shined as an artist in the AP art class.

“Kayla had a strong eye for detail. Her craftsmanship was exceptionally neat and precise, which exhibited the details in her artwork. Determined is a word that I would use to describe Kayla,” Satterfield said.

Kayla’s always been artistic, “but her love of art and talent really came to light during her senior year,” Jennifer Streussnig said.

With an active web presence at kaystreusart.bigcartel.com, Kayla completes orders as they come in and takes commissions for projects. She recently finished a work for Gato Taco & Tequila in Irwin, painting colorful glasses, a woman with her back turned toward the artist and a sun with rays of blue and gold.

Streussnig hopes to open her own shop in 10 to 15 years, a place where women will be more comfortable getting a tattoo.

“There still is somewhat of a stigma to getting a tattoo,” Streussnig said.

Joe Napsha is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Joe at 724-836-5252, jnapsha@triblive.com or via Twitter .

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