In the heart of the Canadian Rockies, where snow-capped peaks rise above turquoise lakes and wildlife is part of everyday life, Electric Grizzly Tattoo has found its home.
Located in Canmore, Alberta, the studio over the years has developed its own identity: a relaxed, welcoming environment where different tattooing styles coexist, artists exchange ideas and the focus remains firmly on the craft.
“Welcome to Electric Grizzly Tattoo!” That’s how Derek, one of the founders, opens the door to the shop to discover the story behind the studio, the town that inspired it and the international team that today brings the space to life.
Step outside and the landscape immediately takes over. To one side are the Three Sisters mountains; to the other, Grotto Mountain. Canmore is a small mountain town, but its surroundings are anything but ordinary. Skiing, climbing, hiking and mountain biking are part of everyday life, while bright blue lakes, snowy peaks and wildlife create a constant connection with nature.
Coyotes, elk and deer can be spotted around town, and occasionally even bears make an appearance. It is a place where people often arrive for a weekend and end up staying for years. Canmore attracts locals, artists, athletes, guides, business owners and travelers from all over the world. Many share the same adventurous spirit and a desire to build their lives around the mountains. For Derek, this environment inevitably finds its way into the creative process. The landscape never really gets old.
Eleven years of Electric Grizzly
Electric Grizzly was born around eleven years ago, when Derek and his friend Brito decided to create the kind of tattoo shop they themselves would have wanted to work in. The idea was never to build the biggest studio possible. Instead, they wanted a place centered around strong artwork, quality tattoos and, just as importantly, a positive experience for both artists and clients.
Over time, Brito moved farther west, while Derek continued developing the original vision. The team that exists today came together naturally. There was no particular ambition to create a large collective; the priority was to build a comfortable environment where artists could concentrate on their work and continue to grow.
The result is a group of artists with very different approaches, united by the same respect for tattooing and the desire to keep learning. Realism, Illustrative work, bold colour, Black and Grey and Neo Traditional approaches coexist under the same roof. Rather than creating a uniform aesthetic, the studio gives each artist space to develop their own visual language. The exchange between different styles and experiences is part of what makes Electric Grizzly such an interesting creative environment.
Electric Grizzly Tattoo team:
Felipe Santo — @felipexsanto
Dooks — @cougar.ink
Paul Tougas — @paultougas
The studio also regularly welcomes guest artists and friends from Canada and around the world, adding new perspectives to the shop throughout the year. Guest artists have also become an important part of the studio’s identity. Friends and tattooers from across Canada and around the world regularly pass through Electric Grizzly, adding new influences and making the shop a constantly evolving creative space.
The personality of Electric Grizzly is easy to understand once you spend some time inside. The atmosphere is relaxed. There is music playing, a hockey game on TV, conversations and plenty of laughter. At the same time, the artists are deeply serious about their work. Plants, taxidermy and a fireplace that becomes particularly welcome during the long Canadian winters give the studio a distinctive character. The open-plan layout allows the artists to work together, creating an environment that feels more like a shared creative space than a series of isolated workstations.
On quiet days, there may be only one or two artists working. During the summer or around convention season, the shop can host as many as seven tattooers at once. The balance is what makes the space work: relaxed without being distracted, social without losing focus.
“We spend a lot of time here,” Derek explains, “so we think it’s important that it feels like a place people genuinely enjoy being in.”
For a visitor, stepping into Electric Grizzly means entering a space that feels unmistakably Canadian, but at the same time open to the wider tattoo community. A creative home in the mountains, built around good artwork, good people and a shared love for the craft.
