Rosalie Hurr, Author at Things&Ink

August 27, 2019

Interview with Tattoo Artist: Amanda Rodriguez

Originally from New York, tattoo artist Amanda Rodriguez creates stunningly beautiful nature-inspired floral tattoos. Now based in Brixton, London, we welcomed Amanda to the city by catching up with her to chat all things tattooing…

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You mentioned that you were living in New York, what drew you to London? I grew up in NYC and lived there most of my life. It’s changed quite a bit and the hustle of it grew old for me. I’ve been in love with English culture since I was young. As a teenager I fell in love with Brit-pop. I identify better with English culture, with my sense of humour and interests. I’m also a huge football fan. I’ve visited many times and always wanted to live here but the timing was never right. Over the last year, it became something that had to happen and now I’m here and very happy to be here.

Where can people find you? I’m currently in Brixton but the best way to get tattooed by me is to email me via my website. I generally do all my consultations via email.

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How would you describe your style? I’m terrible with genres but I would say my style is illustrative. I am heavily influenced by both nature and traditional tattooing technique. I love bold linework and muted colours.

What do you love to tattoo and what would you like to do more of? I love tattooing roses and peonies because I’m a total flower nerd but I love anything in nature. I love bugs, especially moths. I’m actually terrified of bugs but I love to tattoo them. So I’d love to do more of that. I would also like to do more lady faces, I grew up drawing portraits and I think they make really lovely tattoos.

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What inspires you? Nature inspires me, which is kind of funny if you know me because I’m not too keen on being outdoors. I just love seeing all the amazing beautiful things that exist in the world. Like a completely black moth that is the size of your head but dies within a week because it has no mouth, and orchids that look like monkey’s faces. I’ve also always been interested in animal bones. I find them to be incredibly beautiful and fascinating objects and it’s amazing to think you only see them after death and decomposition. That’s the kind of stuff that interests me.

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Are there any artists that you admire? There are a ton of artists I admire, too many to really list in full, but in particular I love Tiny Miss Becca (@s6girl). I had the honour of having her tattoo my entire back and I love it immensely. She is so incredibly talented but on top of that she is really lovely and generous.

Have you noticed any differences between the tattoo scene in the UK and the US? Yes, and these are some of the things that made me want to move. For one, tattoo collectors here seem to understand that a tattoo is a luxury and if they want a big one they will take the day off work. Tattoo parlours here tend to have more normal working hours, and the tattoo artists themselves are very down to earth. In the US, I never felt like I fit in with the ‘scene’ as I don’t listen to metal and own a motorcycle or leather jacket. Also, and this may just be NYC culture, but everyone wants to be tattooed on nights and weekends. It got to the point where it completely drained me and I had to turn people down. Overall it’s more laid back here.

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Give Amanda a follow on Insta @amandatattoos and welcome her to London.

August 7, 2019September 4, 2019

Dreaming in gold

Alice Le Beau-Morley is a dreamy jewellery maker from London. I discovered Alice’s beautifully pastel Instagram feed sparkling with unique gold pieces one evening when I was scouring the social media platform for handmade earrings to upgrade my current piercings with. I was immediately drawn to Alice’s delicate, handmade earrings, rings and septum rings, that all looked so lovingly crafted and designed.

Words: Rosalie Hurr

How did you start hand making jewellery? I trained as a piercer when I was 22, as I love piercings (I have around 30!) I hadn’t really considered piercing as a career as its notoriously hard to get into so I just didn’t think it would be possible for me. But luckily I was offered an apprenticeship by an old friend and I jumped at the chance. I’ve always loved piercings, jewellery and styling peoples ears so it was ideal, plus working in a laid-back environment like that really suited me.

I ended up working in studios around London for four years, before I enrolled onto an evening class at the Working Men’s College in Camden to learn the basics of jewellery making, this was back in 2014. I took the classes purely for fun, and there was a lot of trial and error, but it was always something I’d wanted to try. From the first class, it all just clicked, and I knew that it was what I wanted to do.

The classes really inspired me, and I built a small jewellery bench from an old kitchen cupboard door and some mismatched legs from Ikea. It was very wobbly and I only had a few jewellery making tools. I taught myself a lot too, with YouTube videos and books. Alongside the classes I was posting some of the bits and bobs I was making on my piercing Instagram and people would comment asking where they could buy one of the things I had made. That’s when I decided to set up an Etsy shop, although I had no idea if it would work out! I was very lucky to have my boyfriend (now husband) who supported me for six months to see if I could get my shop off the ground.

What inspires the pieces you create? I love going to folk museums and looking at handmade crafts. Although to me, crafts are something much more tangible and made for wearing or being used, not for hanging in a gallery where you’re not allowed to touch them! I have such a strong connection to crafts that have been made by hand, as the makers tend to use skills that have been passed down from generation to generation. I just love the idea and sentiment behind this. I also love traditional jewellery that is made using rudimentary techniques, something that you can really tell is handmade, is so beautiful to me.

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I’m heavily inspired by folk art, weaving and particularly Polish and Hungarian embroidery. I enjoy knitting and embroidery, and I think piercing and jewellery making are similar, I love anything small and fiddly. I can happily make tiny studs for ears and lips for a solid nine hours and then knit for the rest of the evening. Originally I didn’t consider making piercing jewellery at all as I just didn’t think I would be able to do it by hand, but I spent a long time working on the idea and coming up with the labrets you see in my shop today – and I am really proud of them. People would enquire all the time and ask if I could make them studs for their tragus or helix piercings and I would always say no. I couldn’t figure out a way to make them secure enough that I would be confident in putting them in my shop. I tried so many different ways of making them and eventually I got there. They are so comfortable, super secure and have become one of my bestsellers. That’s why I love them, because I spent so much time working on making them perfect for my customers and it feels really good to have achieved that.

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With my own pieces, I feel so happy that somebody wants something that I have made with my hands, it means so much. I also try to support other makers too, that person imagined this thing and put care into creating it, it’s special to them so it’s special to me too. I also adore the wabi sabi quality to handmade objects, you can really see the touch of the person who created it. I feel like I value my handmade things more, like they have a little touch of magic to them. I hope people feel the same about my work.

How would you describe your style, do the pieces you create reflect a part of you? I tend to make things that I would want to wear, I love cute motifs like stars, moons, seashells and flowers. About five years ago I made the decision to only wear colours I really adore. Now I wear a very limited colour palette and everything I own is a cute colour, mainly pink and lilac. My branding and packaging is cute and colourful too, and really it’s an extension of me.

What advice would you give to other young women who want to start their own business or follow a creative pathway? I didn’t go to university and I think there are so many more options out there today. If there is something you are already interested in fashion, jewellery or drawing, just immerse yourself in it and do it every day. Don’t underestimate the power of the internet, get yourself out there on Instagram, show people the passion you have for what you do. Be prepared to work harder for yourself than you ever have in any other job. Nothing compares to being my own boss and making jewellery. I have absolute satisfaction from mastering a skill and constantly building on it all while supporting my family at the same time.

Visit aliceruby.com (warning: you will want everything.)

July 28, 2019

Search & Rescue Denim Co. – Tattoo Aprons made by Bad Ass Women

Search & Rescue Denim Co. based in Canada, create extraordinary custom aprons. Running since 2012, the Search & Rescue Denim opened their flagship store, where all the aprons are made in 2015. We chat to Sarah Bromfield, about the brand’s beginnings and how you can create your own custom apron…

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Bad Birdy in her custom apron

How did the company come about? Our founder Will was working in retail but had some sewing experience and a passion for design. When his friend Mitch Kirilo, a tattoo artist and owner of Vancouver’s Gastown Tattoo, asked if he could make a tattoo apron for him he took on the project. Once Mitch received Will’s apron it started popping up all over Instagram and more people started to contact Will and ask him to make them one too. At that point Will roped in his wife Jill to help out and started building the brand from the kitchen table where the aprons were being made.

What was the inspiration and vision? Will didn’t realise there would be a market for aprons and started by just taking the requests from friends and admirers of the original apron, but then once it started to take off he began his mission to design and produce the best quality aprons out there.

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Can you tell us about the team We are a small team made up of our production manager Joy plus her two sewers Keith and Lee-Ann. They are aided by Itsuki and Bonnie who prep all of the pockets and apron bodies once they have been cut by Sarah. Once the aprons are done being sewn they are finished off by Kirsten with metal grommets and rivets to reinforce the pockets and attach the straps.

Where do you source the materials for the aprons? Our fabrics are sourced from a local wholesaler here in Vancouver and our leather is all from North America and purchased from Lonsdale Leather, a local leather shop run by our friend Riley.

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Can you tell us about the process behind each piece? We have a very collaborative process here; new designs either come from requests by clients or ideas thrown around by the team. We all have our own aprons that we wear either in the shop, at home or during whatever creative side hustle we have going on – this helps us really get to know what works well and what activities each style is best suited to.

Has there been an apron order or design that has really stood out to you? There have been many! Because we offer full customization we get some really creative requests that are great fun to fulfill. We’ve had clear plastic lap pockets so a tattoo artist could read his phone while in his pocket, a recent holographic print that sent half the production team dizzy while cutting and sewing plus a beautiful split leg apron for a farrier with leather panels to protect from horse’s hooves. But probably my personal favorite is the collaboration apron that we designed with bartender extroadinaire Bad Birdy. It’s a buttery soft leather body (lined with duck canvas) but the pockets are all in this gorgeous matte crocodile print leather. The contrast of the different materials really makes this apron sing plus it has some great little extras such as the key-ring clip and towel loop which make it really practical.

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What sorts of people order from you? We get all sorts – from grandmothers who want a feminine apron for baking to heavily tatted up 20 somethings who want them to fix up their motorbike! Our store is located in a popular tourist destination (Granville Island in Vancouver) so we get a lot of international visitors who typically purchase an apron for cooking, cleaning or whatever their hobby is. But then we have a lot of local creatives who come into the store to design their custom aprons – ceramicists, jewellers, painters, carpenters, etc.

Are there any trends or industries that buy from you more than others that you’ve noticed? The business started off by making aprons for tattoo artists and they are still one of our biggest customers. We have many different styles of tattoo aprons from our minimalist right up to full length split legs. We also sell to a lot of barbers and stylists as we offer vinyl reversible aprons that protect them from colour or water and have places for all of their tools. After these two bartenders and restaurants are our biggest clients.

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How can someone order their own apron? Anyone local is welcome to pop into our shop as we’re open seven days a week and love to meet the people who are going to be wearing our aprons. We were an online shop before we opened our store so we have a very comprehensive website with all of our most popular styles and last year we launched our long awaited online apron builder which is the first of kind. Customers can build a 3D rendering of their apron by choosing the fabrics, thread colour, pockets, placement and more! This is really exciting for us and has had a great reception from our customers who have used it to get creative!

July 15, 2019July 15, 2019

Sasha Nicole: The Black Heart Project

Tattooer Sasha-Nicole works out of Gold Irons Tattoo Club, Brighton and is the founder of the black heart project. Sasha tells us all about the creation and inspiration behind the charity tattoo project and how you can get involved…

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The black heart project is something I created a couple of years ago, with the sole purpose of raising awareness and funds for mental health. Primarily the charity ‘Mind’. I designed a simple image to hold a word relevant to the client’s own experiences, whether that be their struggles or their triumphs, to display as a badge of honour in place of the stigma we’re often subjected to when it comes to these things. I wanted people to be able to be proud of who they are, despite how difficult things may be.

I was going through a particularly rough time myself. I’ve struggled with a variety of things in my lifetime, and I guess I just wanted to put that energy into something positive and help other people along the way.

We all know that we need to talk more, and that doing so helps enormously, so the idea was to create a chain through these blacks hearts.

One person has a black heart tattoo, someone may then ask them about it, opening up topics that may have otherwise not come around, they may then tell someone or even get one themselves, and so on. When people come in for these tattoos they really open up to me, whether I know them already or have never seen them before in my life. The tattoo chair is a fairly vulnerable place and with this project solely based around mental health, I think it kind of gives people a safe avenue to open up and talk about it. I’ve seen people around town who have come up to me weeks or months after their tattoo, and they update me on how they’re doing, or tell me that their friend got one. I’ve had people from Brighton to Scotland get involved in this project so it’s nice to know that even a handful of people from different parts of the country have been made to feel a little better about what they’re going through.

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I generally advertise on my Instagram when I’m going to be doing a flash day, and then take bookings and cram as many people in as possible! I’m looking to expand this project over the next year, I won’t say too much now but I’m planning on taking it into schools (obviously not the tattooing element), but I want to spread the general idea as far as I can.

I get asked what word I would have in a heart on every flash day and I honestly still don’t know! I think I would probably have a blank one, just as a starting point for the logo and the concept, and then if people ask I can direct them to the black heart project from there!

June 30, 2019July 10, 2019

Hexagon Tattoo Project: Martin Dobson

Martin Dobson is a self-confessed tattoo addict and owner of the incredible hexagon tattoo project. An enterprise that starts life as simple outlines of hexagons that are then filled by various tattoo artists from around the world. We caught up with Martin to find out more about his inspiring tattoo collection and the thinking behind it…

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What was your first tattoo and how old were you? I got my first tattoo when I was 17, yes I lied that I was 18. It was a tiny piece of terrible tribal flash on my arm, which has since been covered by a slightly less terrible tribal wrap around which I got a few years later in Thailand.

What inspired you to get tattooed in the first place? I don’t really remember what inspired me to get a tattoo. I lived in a provincial town in the UK and in 1997 there was no one I knew or anyone I was even at school with that had a tattoo. I think it must have been a rebellion thing but I was just drawn to it. Something that 22 years and over 60 tattoos later I understand was the start of an addition and calling.

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How did your hexagon project come about? I travel a lot with work and a few years ago whilst on a long trip taking in NYC, LA, New Zealand, Oz and Singapore I starting thinking that it would be cool to mark each country or city I go to with a tattoo from a local shop. My first (probably bad) idea, was to get the logo of the shop tattooed in a circle on my leg, like a passport stamp. Whilst discussing with my wife this morphed into what it is today. My wife, Dawn came up with the hexagon shape so that they tessellate.

Do you go to tattooists with a design or let them have free reign with the space? No I give them complete free reign. We usually talk about their options and they ask my opinion. But honestly I love that I don’t know what design I’m going to get when I wake up on the morning of getting a new tattoo or even when I’m walking into the studio – sometimes even when they are starting the tattoo! It’s my experience and I think a universal understanding that you definitely get an artist’s best work if you allow them the freedom to do something they like doing or that challenges them. It’s been fun to see seasoned, highly talented artists freak out about what they are going to do in such a small space. All bar none have completely nailed it too!

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You’ve got some amazing work from some incredible artists, who else is on your list? My list is endless. With Instagram people’s work is so accessible, it’s crazy – my wish list gets bigger everyday. It also gets longer every time I go for a session and the artist I’m working with starts recommending their friends and peers. I’ve had to stop talking about new artists! I put out a post on International Woman’s Day recently asking for recommendations of female artists as I’m embarrassingly low on woman tattoo artists compared to men. I got over 125 comments with atleast 200 artists tagged, it’s taken me hours just to look at their profiles let alone start contacting them.

Some big targets currently are Filip Leu who is up for adding a design next to his friend Tin Tin’s but I need to go to Switzerland – I might just have to turn up on his doorstep! Nikko Hurtardo says he’s up for adding a piece but again he’s hard to tie down. I’d love to get something from Boris, Kahn Tofi. I have a long list of Japanese artists, but I’d like to go to Japan rather than doing it at a convention in London or Europe. There are a load of good artists in Korea that i’d like to get hexagons from too. Lastly I grew up watching Miami Ink, I know it can be derided in the industry but Ami, Chris, Darren and Chris are super talented and their show is how I got introduced to tattooing. Ami and Chris Garver have added hexagons and I have two spaces free next to them. Darren is visiting the UK in the summer and is going to add his – now I just need to get a line to Nunez and hopefully I can have them all together.

Do you plan on covering your whole body? I’m about to extend to my other leg and do a full sleeve which should give me at least another 50 hexagons – after that it will be a conversation with my wife! She didn’t marry a heavily tattooed guy so I have to respect that. She loves the project and actually came up with most of the ideas but I’m not sure she’s up for a husband completely covered in hexagon tattoos!

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What sorts of reactions does your project get? Amazingly positive – I think I’ve been quite lucky and stumbled on a reasonably unique idea in a tattoo world that doesn’t have much left as far as new ideas on placement or collecting go. It’s even got to a point where there are a few people out there copying the idea exactly!

It’s amazing that pretty much every artist I contact is into the idea and usually fits me in to their schedules at short notice – even when they have long waiting lists. As I say I’m a lucky guy and feel humble that an idea that started off as a bit of a punt has turned into something that a lot of people are truly interested in and want to follow to see the outcome.

Photos by Dan Lowe