Deathmau Studios

Trissa Tilson, initially a Wyoming native who settled in New Hampshire, is not only a prolific illustrator but a successful tattoo artist as well. It surprises many to learn that Tilson is a self-taught artist, given the breathtaking detail in her work. Hailing from a family of artists and musicians, Tilson’s entire life has been steeped in creativity, and she has been drawing and illustrating since she developed the fine motor skills to hold the tools. Her family jokes that she was born with a crayon in each fist. Tilson states, “I draw because I have to. Art is a compulsion, a drive that I cannot shake. It has been this way since as far back as I can remember.” Initially inspired by a comic book collection gifted to her as a child, she began illustrating in earnest during her teen years. After a lifetime of honing her craft, Tilson now creates highly detailed watercolor illustrations inspired by botany and biology. Her current body of work focuses on surrealist and naturalist influences. Tilson’s work seamlessly fuses the beautiful and the grotesque, catching many people off guard. She says, “My latest inspiration for my works is the stark balancing act that is life and nature. Nature and the human condition are at once beautiful and horrifying. I’d like people to realize that to be beautiful, art doesn’t need to be pretty.” In 2017, New Hampshire Magazine featured Tilson as one of the state’s “Remarkable Women Artists to Watch.” Her work has been featured at 42 Maple Contemporary Art Center and WREN in Bethlehem, NH, Kelly Stelling Contemporary in Manchester, NH, the Always April Gallery in Baltimore, Maryland, and the well-loved annual “Damned Show” in Detroit, Michigan.