Features Archives - Page 32 of 150

August 5, 2019

Tattoo dilemmas with Blue

When Things&Ink was in print, we asked shop mama at (now closed) Into You in London, Blue, to answer your tattoo woes and problems. We are posting some of our faves here as an ode to Blue and her wisdom. Blue now runs The Blue Tattoo in west London.

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Dear Blue,
I’m writing to you as I am having a little tattoo dilemma. I have just turned 60 and I have two daughters who are huge tattoo collectors. Every time they come to visit me, they have new tattoos – which seem to keep getting bigger and covering more of their bodies. At first, I was apprehensive about it all, but I am becoming increasingly drawn to the world of tattoos.

So, for my birthday, my daughters have treated me to a voucher to go under the needle for the first time. This fills me with both excitement and trepidation. I have so many questions, will it hurt? What if I don’t like it? Will it be a scary experience. But, and most pressingly, I don’t know what I want to get.

I have had a few ideas, but my youngest daughter always puts me off them. How can I come up with an idea that really means something to me?

Thanks, Jenni, 60, midlands

Blue: These are questions all first timers ask. Getting your first tattoo will fill you with all sorts of anxieties. My advice on thisL take the plunge, no going back, no regrets. Don’t worry about the pain, it will hurt a little but it’s not so bad. Make sure you go to a studio you feel comfortable in. Getting tattooed is not scary at all – in fact it can be a very nice and pleasant experience. A tattoo does not necessarily have to have a meaning behind it, if you and your daughters find a design you like, then that is meaning in itself.

Dear Blue,

I’ve met a guy and am thinking of asking him out. He only has one tattoo, which doesn’t bother me, but it’s a quote from a book I really hate. Is this a deal breaker? How can I be expected to get past first base if I couldn’t even get past the first chapter?

Bethany, 32, London

Blue: Oh, that’s only a minor detail, if you like this guy don’t let a silly quote get in the way. We can’t, and don’t, always like everyone’s tattoos. I say, go for it and just ask him out. If it works out for you, you can always get him to get more tattoos! So get past the first chapter and enjoy getting to first base.

Dear Blue,

My boyfriend insists that I cover my tattoos whenever we meet his parents, who he believes wouldn’t approve. Aside from the fact that I think they’re probably less conservative than he imagines, should I take the easy route to family harmony and keep them hidden, or be both more honest to myself and them by showing them if I feel like it? I don’t feel ashamed of them, so why should I act as if I am?

Sophie, 25, Kent

Blue: I say keep the harmony and respect his wishes for now. Start up a conversation with his parents about tattoos to gauge their reaction. If they seem cool with the whole tattoo thing, let them know you that you like tattoos and have some yourself, then eventually you may not feel obliged to hide them any more. Good luck.

Dear Blue,

Do you think I should pay attention to people who tell me getting my partner’s name tattooed on me is a bad idea? We’re thinking of getting ‘bro tats’ and while I do understand the cons, I feel that even if this relationship ends and turns out to be a mistake, it’s still one I’d like to remember. Am I being naïve?

Danielle, 32, Wales

Blue: No you’re not being naïve at all. I think you should listen to yourself, don’t worry about what other people think. Sure the relationship may not last forever, but you will always have the memory of that moment. You can always tattoo an X over the top, or
a line through it. Then there’s always a cover-up, if you decide it really needs to go! I’m actually a big fan of the X over a name! It’s always a funny story to tell…

What do you reckon, shall we revive our problem page? Do you have problems you would like Blue to answer, email hello@thingsandink.com

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!

July 4, 2019July 5, 2019

Bold, feminine and romantic: tattoo-inspired jewellery

Inspired by classic tattoo art, Maggie handmakes all her jewellery in silver and sets it with Sapphires – dreamy. Maggie’s small collection, titled Norma Kerr is bold, feminine and romantic. We caught up with her in her studio in Hay on Wye to find out more…

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Tell us a little about yourself and what you do? I have worked as a jewellery designer and maker for many years in London and in Italy. Designing for costume and fashion jewellery at one end to fine jewellers at the other. I started my career working at Garrard & Co (the Crown jewellers) so I have seen all sides of the industry. I especially love the tiny Dickensian workshops in London’s Hatton Garden and the Jewellery Quarter in Birmingham – I don’t think they’ve changed in 100 years. In some ways, there are many similarities between the skills of jewellers and those of tattoo artists – working in small studios down a side street off the main drag. Somewhere you wouldn’t go unless you knew what you’re looking for, or are part of that tribe.

Where are you based and what is your workspace like? I live and work in Hay on Wye, one of the best places you can possibly imagine – it’s full of bookshops and surrounded by stunning countryside. The town is very small and all of the shops, restaurants, pubs and cafes are independent so the place is full of personality. Hay is a thriving town – which is pretty hard to find in such a remote part of Britain (25 miles from a train station and an hour from a motorway). There is a great quality of life here. When I am not at my work bench, I’m the Director of Development for the Hay Festival – but that’s another story…

My workbench is on the ground floor of my house next to the kitchen – a jeweller’s bench doesn’t take up much room. Over the years I seem to have acquired lots of skills, so I can also turn my hand to making my own jewellery display pads – covered in beautiful dusky pink silk, lining the lids of my leather boxes so that my jewellery is really beautifully presented – like old fashioned jewellers’ boxes that are beautiful in their own right. I love that I have the skills to make everything look exactly how I want it to, bespoke and special. Having craft skills is such a source of pleasure, I can’t recommend it enough.

Tell us about your working day… My daughter Grace is 12 years old, so getting her up and ready for school is how my days start. I like to leave a little early to drive her to the bus stop, so we can sit in the car and chat or listen to music. Billie Eilish is our latest discovery. Grace is quite chatty in the car, I love that.

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When I get home, I prepare everything for the day: tidy up my bench, heat up the pickle (an acid solution used to clean something after soldering), make a coffee, then get on with making. The process starts with filing and cleaning up the cast components – components that are unique to me from models I made in wax. Once each piece is ready to be soldered together, I start with attaching the wings to the heart. This takes a big flame on my torch – these are big pieces that take time to get up to temperature to be hot enough for the solder to flow. Once that’s done – it goes into the pickle bath for 10 mins or so – I repeat the process with the ribbon, then one of the three motifs: sword, flame or flower. Next is the chain and clasp, once they are soldered on, the piece is ready to be polished. Polishing is my least favourite part of the process and it’s a real skill. I often send pieces up to workshops in Birmingham to be polished for a really stunning finish.

Setting the stone (Sapphire) comes next – it’s a delicate job and I love choosing a beautiful stone to set. When everything is looking fabulous, the next job is to send it off to the Assay Office – to be hallmarked with my makers mark and assayed sterling silver. Last is engraving, this is a specialist skill I don’t have so I work with another great craftsman in Birmingham who engraves the name or word across the ribbon. It’s a long process from start to finish.

What do you love about the process of making? Is each of the pieces you create unique? I set up my workbench a couple of years ago after a long break from jewellery (when I turned my hand to become the Producer of Hay Festival in Wales and in Kenya). I did it as a way to help myself relax. I had forgotten what it felt like to make something by hand. How you can lose yourself in the process, the concentration it takes to really focus on the craft. The skills I had learnt, I had not forgotten. Buying new tools and equipment, sourcing precious stones, researching the best engravers and polishers, being a part of the trade – it does feel quite special. I imagine being a tattoo artist has a similar mystique.

The work I produce is quite unusual in how it’s made, I combine the techniques of costume and fine jewellery production. Each piece is unique and depends on the client’s choice of Sapphire stone colour and engraving – it is totally bespoke, in the same way you would choose a name or word to have as a tattoo. It is something that will last forever, something that is important and meaningful. There is a lot of romance too.

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Why Norma Kerr? I am one of four sisters and we all share the same middle names Norma (from my Dad’s side of the family) and Kerr (from my Mum’s side). It was always a great source of embarrassment to me growing up – especially Norma, as it sounded so old fashioned. I hated anyone asking “what’s your middle name?” As I got older I started to like the names more (especially when I discovered Marilyn Monroe’s real name was Norma) and that we all four sisters had the same name felt quite unique and special. So, when I started the business, I knew I wanted the logo to be based on classic 1940s-50s style female tattoo design – I had seen in a tattoo reference book years ago. So, once I drawn my own version I called her Norma Kerr. Norma Kerr is a sort of alter ego, a kick-ass girl who sits on top of the world – a strong woman.

Are all your pieces inspired by tattoos? Yes, my collection is entirely inspired by what I think of as classic tattoo motifs; hearts, wings, flowers, ribbons and so on. I think there is a real affinity between engraving and tattooing. I like the idea of engraving one of my necklaces with a name or something meaningful that you can wear and then pass on as an heirloom to future generations. Where there is the story behind the engraving, a story of love, something or someone being commemorated perhaps – just as you would with a tattoo.

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What is your favourite piece you have created? Is there a meaning to the stones you use? Originally, I came up with three necklace designs; Love, Hope and Grace. The piece called Love has a sword through the heart – let’s face it, there is nothing more painful than love. Hope is a flame, a flame of hope is something about nurturing a spark, hope for the future. Grace is a state of mind, to be graceful is about beauty and serenity. The rest of my collection complements these three pieces – with matching earrings and bracelets. I use blue, pink or yellow sapphires in my work – I chose precious stones over semi-precious, there is nothing semi about my work, only the best will do! Precious stones are cut so beautifully the colours are intense. Jewellery set with yellow or pink sapphires is quite unusual too. I like that.

If you could be a piece of jewellery, what would it be and why? I would be a diamond – bright and full of sparkle!

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Please tell me about the significance of the Grace necklace. The Grace necklace is the heart, wings and flower design. All things of beauty, a heart is something we want to give or receive from our loved ones, wings – wings of desire, wings to fly free, to be a free spirit. And flowers – there is little more beautiful in nature than flowers. I love to grow them, have them in my house always they give me so much pleasure. And did I mention – Grace is the name I gave my daughter?

Visit normakerr.bigcartel.com or follow on Insta @normakerrsapphire for sparkly inspiration

June 23, 2019June 23, 2019

Interview with Tattoo Artist Peggy B

Tattoo artist Peggy B creates magical blackwork tattoos out of Grace Neutral’s Femme Fatale tattoo studio in London. We chatted to Peggy about her beautifully recognisable style and the energy she brings to her work…

Photo by @alien_ink_

How did you start tattooing? I was getting tattooed a lot at uni, and over the years I became friends with a tattooer. I ended up buying a machine with his help and with my own understanding of what tattooing was, I started my journey.

What was the first tattoo you did? The first one which didn’t fade after two weeks was a smiley face on my pinky finger.

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What made you want to become a tattooist? I think tattooing chose me more than I was me looking for it. Moving to London at a young age and soaking up the culture of this city has had a big influence on me and my tattooing. The tattoo industry here is different to my home town, it’s been introduced to me from a different point of view. My experiences of the London tattoo scene, the craft and the culture are definitely a couple of things which made me go for it. Over the years it took my heart and all the spare time I had, and quickly it became my passion. It has taken a while but, patience is everything. It feels like tattooing is just my way to express myself in the best way possible. Creating imaginary creatures and immortal flowers, hanging out with the most wonderful artists and making people smile, it’s just such a beautiful job to have.

How would you describe your style? It’s definitely black work, maybe a little bit illustrative. But I wish I could call it “just magical!” I want people to feel the energy flowing through the moment when they look at my work.

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Where would you like to take your work? To the other dimension, or as far as it can go.

How has your tattooing changed? The industry keeps developing for me. The more trust I am lucky enough to get the more creative I can become. Patience and working with the people who trust you is the only way to progress. Once the trust is built you can create such an amazing experience. And I think this is why I can work on my style more and more.

What inspires you? Anything and everything.

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We love how you use the natural curves and shapes of the body and nature for your tattoos, do you prefer to work freehand like this or from flash? I don’t have preferences. I enjoy the experience of it. I am always trying to suggest a freehand piece just because it flows more naturally with your body, and I can make it so it exactly fits the area you planned to get tattooed. And it’s fun! I love when my work wraps a lot so you need to move yourself to show it off. When I am adding star dust to my pieces it’s my favourite part to. It’s making it all more magical and you can feel the flow of it.

What would you like to do more of? Keep creating magic on people that they can keep for ever and all the other things that make me happy!

June 14, 2019June 13, 2020

Apprentice Love: Hannah Elizabeth Gehrke

We just can’t get enough of new tattoo artists, and this is what fuels our Apprentice Love series. A selection of posts and interviews in which we like to showcase new talent in the industry. Hannah Gehrke is a tattoo apprentice at Broadside Tattoo in Swansea, UK, who our editor Rosalie was lucky enough to be tattooed by too.

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How long have you been tattooing and how did you get into the industry? I’ve been tattooing for a little over two years and apprenticing at my shop, Broadside, for three years so far! I’m part of the herd; I did the normal thing of doing my A Levels and going to University where I studied counselling and psychology with the aim of being an art therapist, but it wasn’t panning out how I wanted it to. Art was still a big hobby of mine though, and half way through my final year of university when I was writing my dissertation and preparing my final exams, I saw Broadside advertising for an apprenticeship position and I just went for it!

Scott allowed me to apprentice at the shop whilst doing my university work which worked out well, and now I both have a degree and a job that I absolutely adore (I didn’t get the first in my degree I was hoping for, but we won’t talk about that). I wouldn’t change it for the world now. This is basically a form of art therapy anyway so I have the best of both worlds!

What inspired you to become a tattoo artist? I’m going to say it: Miami Ink. It was always on the TV at home and it had a big impression on me. In my tweens I was watching it and just thinking, this is so cool! I love it! I didn’t know any people with tattoos then, so this TV show was really my only source of knowledge. As I grew, tattoos were slowly introduced to me by friends, and I’ve been hooked ever since. My mum booked her first tattoo in her 40s before I booked my first at 18, and I wasn’t having that so I snuck in an appointment before her. Sorry Mum!

I’ve always been creative and loved art at school, even though l ended up packing it in because I lost my spark and I didn’t think that pursuing any career in art was doable, let alone tattooing, or more so that I wasn’t capable enough, but here I am! Living my dream. Sometimes I can’t quite wrap my head around the fact I actually do this for a living and I’m so grateful for the opportunity. A little determination and perseverance goes a long way. I’ve had a lot of support from my family, friends and my boyfriend, and without them I don’t think I’d have done this and got to where I am today.

How does it feel being a woman in the tattoo industry? It feels great and I’m honoured to be a part of it. I’m very much aware that tattooing is quite the male dominated industry, but times are changing and I’m very happy to be involved.

There are so many fantastic female artists out there who’re a huge source of inspiration to me, such as Lucy O’connell, Sadee Glover, Natalie Gardiner, Debbie Jones: I want to be like them one day! I also like to think that in 10 or so years time, maybe a young girl my age now will think, if she can do it, so can I. It’s all about supporting each other and holding each other up, and as much as I’m here for all my girls, I’m here for all my boys too.

How would you describe your style? Has this changed since you started, what direction would you like it to go in? I’d say my style leans more towards colour neotraditional, but I bring a lot of illustrative, “organic” elements into my work too. Dotwork is also something I do a lot of. Generally, I just draw, and what comes out… comes out.

I’ve noticed big changes in style since I started tattooing, and it’s only been two years! I can’t wait to see what I’m working like in another two. As I’m still an apprentice, I’m still learning and adapting to different styles too. I’m happy to do traditional, black work, I’ve tried black and grey, script, Japanese and Maori… it’s adding more strings to my bow and I love learning new methods, however I would like to purely work in my own style one day, and the demand is growing which is amazing! But if someone wants something which isn’t my usual style, I’m more than happy to do it and I think being able to do a little bit of everything is important. I want to have my fingers in all the pies!

What inspires your tattoos? Happiness! I love making people happy! Whether that happiness is derived from a majorly colourful Kewpie dressed as Dolly Parton, or a blackwork tombstone commemorating the death of your diet, if it makes you happy I’m all about it.

I work with some fantastic artists and Swansea has a lovely little hub of us who all to different styles, so there’s endless inspiration. I’m also a really big fan of vintage Hallmark designs and botany books, and I reference them throughout my work frequently. I take a lot of my own reference photos too, whether that be wildlife, plants or myself (I have nice hands, OK?!)

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What do you love to tattoo and what would you like to do more of? The list of things I love tattooing is endless! I really enjoy doing florals and botanicals, they’re always my go to, however I also absolutely adore tattooing the more obscure and personal. Does your nana have a brooch that you’ve always wanted to get your hands on? Did you really enjoy that hotdog you ate in New York back in 2011 and haven’t stopped thinking about it since? I want to tattoo it! I want you to have a memory to wear forever, and it’s such a wonderful feeling being part of the process and making it happen; I get to share and cherish your memories with you. Meaningful or meaningless (and it’s ok to get a tattoo with no meaning just because it looks cool!), I’ll work with whatever you want and do my best to turn it into a tattoo for you, and generally the more detail I can get into something, the better!

How does tattooing make you feel? Including the tattoos you create and the tattoos you have on your own body. When I’m tattooing, I don’t think about anything else. I’m completely engrossed in what I’m doing and don’t have the time to think about anything but the tattoo; I’m in my own little bubble! Don’t get me wrong, throughout this learning process there have been tears and tribulations, but thankfully they’ve just made me work harder, and my will to succeed is huge. I really, really want to do well and there is absolutely nothing that can stop me. I’ll have my ups and downs, but that’s all part of it and I respect that.

I don’t think there’s any better feeling than completing a tattoo and not only being proud of it, but your client being proud of it too. I’m not in it just for myself, and I’m aware how much of an impact a tattoo can have on a client regardless of how big or small, simple or intricate, and I want them to walk away from the experience fulfilled because that’s how my own tattoos make me feel.

Tattoos have allowed me to accept and love the parts of my body I didn’t, show off my interests and memories… they’re more than just tattoos; they are my own personal accessories and I wear them all proudly, old and new. Tattoos and tattooing are a major source of joy in my life, and I want to share that with as many people as I can.