The Artist
Raised in Reno, shaped by painting, murals, and a lifelong pull toward art.
From Bay Area roots to a Reno-raised creative life, Sarah McGraw's path has moved through fine art,
commissioned work, murals, and tattooing with the same instinct for texture, balance, and storytelling.
Biography
Painting, murals, and a self-taught creative foundation.
Sarah McGraw was born in the Bay Area and moved to Reno with her parents at a young age. Reno raised,
she was directed more toward education and sports in her youth, but in 2008 after the birth of her daughter
she took up painting. Her early work began in acrylic, and as a self-taught artist inspired by the exploding
art and tattoo culture around her, she moved into oil painting and quickly became consumed by it.
Surrounded by artists working across different genres, she also embraced spray paint and developed a love for
graffiti and mural work. Over the years she has sold paintings at local art shows and now has an art gallery
in Sparks, Nevada where she showcases her latest pieces.
Tattoo Career
A painter first, with tattooing as a close second passion.
Sarah began her tattoo career in 2007, first learning permanent makeup before quickly evolving into tattooing
body art. Her painting style overlapped naturally into tattooing and shaped the artistic voice she carries into
each piece today.
A fast-moving apprenticeship and a deep commitment to the craft pushed her into opening tattoo studios in the
Reno and Sparks area. As owner of Pulsing Canvas Art & Tattoo Studio for eight years, she created a home for herself and
several artists in Sparks while continuing to push both her own work and the work of her colleagues forward.
Over time she has also tattooed at conventions and through guest spots in shops across the West Coast.
