SACRAMENTO COUNTY AT A GLANCE
Population: 1,546,174 (597*)
cation too. “Tattooing is a dream job,”
he says. “It is a lot of fun getting to meet
new people with cool ideas and then to
help them bring those ideas to life.”
Median Age: 36.3 (50.7*)
Median Income: $63,045 ($39,063*)
County Seat: Sacramento
WHY ISLETON?
Zahna, 38, and Harley, 34, moved from
Colorado to California in February 2018
because they wanted to be closer to
family and friends affected by the Tubbs
Fire the previous year, then the most
destructive wildfire in California his-
tory. “We decided Sacramento County
was our best bet, after seeing the cost of
living had increased so dramatically in
Sonoma County," Zahna says. They saw
an advertisement for an apartment in Is-
leton and decided to take a look. “From
the first time I saw the Sacramento River
as we crossed the Rio Vista Bridge, I was
taken aback by the beauty of the Delta.
I felt an instant connection, and I think
Harley did too.” They rented the apart-
ment and later decided to rent the va-
cant space in front of the apartment to
house their studio.
WHAT’S IT LIKE ON MAIN STREET?
Zahna says the most important thing for
her business and others in Isleton is to
promote the Delta and convince more
people to visit Isleton’s Main Street,
which has been struggling in recent
years and has several vacant stores. “We
revitalize the economy here, not just one
business, so everyone wins,” says Zahna,
who works with the Isleton Chamber of
Commerce, where Harley serves on the
volunteer board of directors. “We do
that by changing people’s perspective
of Isleton. A facelift is coming, with new
signage, walking tours and lots of little
plans to encourage growth and com-
munity pride.” Harley agrees Isleton
has been a good choice for their family,
including daughter Lilla, 4. “I love the
small-town mindset with the big-town
accessibility,” says Harley, who also
cooks at a restaurant in Stockton four or
THE 10-COUNTY
CAPITAL REGION
Biggest Cities: Sacramento (508,172),
Elk Grove (174,025), Citrus Heights
(88,095), Folsom (79,835), Rancho
Cordova (74,471)
*Isleton data
SOURCE: SACCOUNTY.NET, ECONOMIC.SACCOUNTY.NET, DATAUSA.IO
five days a week. “It is a safe and healthy
environment for our daughter. I love
knowing my clientele on a first-name
basis and seeing them around town.”
WHAT ABOUT THAT NAME?
Zahna and Harley say they first regis-
tered Wandering Gypsy Artistry when
they lived in Colorado, and they brought
the name with them to Isleton. “The
gypsy theme has been around since the
beginning of our relationship,” Zahna
says. “When Harley moved up to So-
noma to be with me, he came by train
with one bag and no real belongings
other than his tattoo equipment.” Zahna
says the name comes from their love of
travel, beautiful landscapes and “our
bohemian lifestyle that influences our
creative aspirations.” The term gypsy is
considered derogatory, and Zahna says,
“Every now and then I get someone who
takes a jab at our name, but it doesn’t
bother me. I have always loved the cul-
ture of gypsies around the world.”
HOW DID YOU MEET?
Before meeting Harley, Zahna had a son,
Patrick (now 19 and a recent Marines
boot camp graduate), and her part-
ner at the time, Derek Revette, died in
2012. She says she became withdrawn
and didn’t give Patrick the attention he
needed, especially since Revette was his
first role model, so Patrick moved to San
Diego to live with his father. Later that
year, she met Harley when she was in
San Diego. “Meeting Harley was not ex-
pected,” Zahna says. “I was still pretty
conflicted with grief. We met at an old
dive bar. … It was closing time when we
started talking. I gave him my number,
not thinking anything would come of
(it) because I was on vacation.” After fre-
quent phone calls and visits in San Di-
ego and Sonoma, Harley moved in with
Zahna in Sonoma. “We could not ignore
… the shared passion for art, food and
travel. … Meeting Harley was a turning
point, an exciting new chapter of adven-
ture and creative pursuit.” n
Tom Couzens is executive editor of
Comstock's. On Twitter @tomcouzens.
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October 2019 | comstocksmag.com
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