Did you fall in love with an artist while under the needle? Or did you start your tattoo journeys together? We want to know all about it. We’re looking for couples who or may not have already planned their wedding. From backyard to town hall, it’s less about location and more about you and your unique story.
We’re looking for the ultimate tattoo love story, as we are giving away wedding photography for your big day worth £1850 from Heather Shuker at Brighton-Photo.com – competition details here.
To help us decide on worthy contenders for this prize, we have enlisted the help of these judges…
Kat, blogger/writer at Rock N Roll Bride – Rock n Roll Bride promotes individuality and general awesomeness within a cookie cutter, pastel and often puke-worthy wedding world.
Next up:
To give an artist’s perspective… we got the ultimate tattoo power couple, Alex and Zoe Binnie.
If you and your partner have what it takes to impress our judges, ENTER HERE NOW.
East meets West: A Behind the scenes film starring Brazilian Tattoo Artist El Bernardes for Things&Ink magazine. ✞
Film: River Hately-Richards
Editing: Julian Michael Cooper
Photography: Ryan Warner
Art Direction: Olivia Snape | Emily-Louise McGuinness | Sylvie Gianella
Hair: Nuriye ‘Naz’ Sonmez
Makeup: Anna Wild
Clothing: Embellished Crop by Gypsy East | Trousers & Cape by BLITZ | Jewellery by Gypsy East | Body by AQ/AQ
Black Tattoo Art II Modern Expressions of the Tribal
As a lover of traditional and colourful tattoos, I approached Marisa Kakoulas’ (editor of needlesandsins.com) hefty coffee table book Black Tattoo Art, feeling like I was about to step onto unknown soil. My sense of unease was unwarranted, though, and as I delved into the pages of the book, I was transported into a monotone world of pure beauty. I was introduced to the work of masters – Roxx, Delphine Noiztoy, Loic aka Xoil and Simone Pfaff – each artist converting me to the dark side, my colourful collection of tattoos may have some black additions soon.
Tattoo by Loic aka Xoil
I wanted to get a sense of the history of this unique and iconic book, so I got in touch with author Marisa, who also edits tattoo blog needlesandsins.com, this is what she had to say:
‘When Edition Reuss Publishing approached me back in 2008, I told them I wanted to create a book on blackwork tattooing – work just in black ink – because it had not been done before. I believe that it’s tattooing in its purest form, continuing the traditions of indigenous tattoo cultures, even if the patterns and compositions are contemporary. So, the first Black Tattoo Art book came out in 2009, and continues to be popular because there still isn’t anything on the market that specifically pays tribute to this tattoo genre. Since the first edition’s release, the number of artists and the outcropping of different styles has grown exponentially, and so it was time to do a second volume.
Tattoo by Simone Pfaff
‘There are many more artists in edition two, 75 of the best in black from around the world. There is also a new chapter on Celtic and Nordic inspired tattooing, curated by renowned tattooer Colin Dale. This chapter features stunning ancient designs, and in his introduction to the chapter, Colin offers some of the myths and lore behind the art. We also expanded the Art Brut/Abstract chapter, which gets the strongest reaction. I think that the work in this chapter is wild and fearless, and redefines what a tattoo can be.
‘But really, I love every work in this book, as if they were my own children. I believe blackwork is timeless – it doesn’t follow any trends, its ornamentation follows the lines of the body and enhances, rather than overwhelms, it. Personally, I’ve been getting tattooed primarily in blackwork for almost 20 years, and it has aged beautifully. I love my tattoos!’
Marisa also states that her ultimate goal, in all of the books that she has authored, is to present tattooing as a fine art form, to show the endless possibilities of body adornment, and inspire other amazing tattoos. Marisa, mission accomplished. This compendium of tattoos is stunning and truly the perfect addition to any art lover’s coffee table – whether a tattoo collector or not.
Tattoo by Delphine Noiztoy
BLACK TATTOO ART 2, by Marisa Kakoulas is published by Edition Reuss, and costs $199/£103.50. Purchase from amazon.co.uk.
If you like what you see, Lucy has offered T&I readers a 10% discount code, simply enter BMMLOVESTHINGS&INK at the check out… we know what we’ve got our eyes on (Bone Wrap and Defend Blaze rings, oh yeah)
PHOTOS: Grace Isobel
How did you become a jeweller? I started an apprenticeship with Phil Orton, with a view to creating my own company, eventually. I seemed to pick things up fast and loved being creative. I was soon taking wax blocks home with me at night to carve my own designs. I kept at it, until I had my own mini-range and then Phil allowed me to cast them into silver. The reaction to my designs was pretty awesome, and a girl in New York bought two of my first designs straight away. I continued designing and creating, and over the last few months things have really taken off. I can already see the growth in Bloody Mary Metal (BMM), from the start back in March (2012) up to now. I’ve got so much to learn, I don’t think the learning curve will ever stop, but I’m loving working with my hands, and I’m proud of what I’ve achieved with the brand so far.
1oz Bone
What inspires you? I’m lucky that I love my work, and I’m in control of it. So the things that inspire me in day-to-day life are often the things that inspire my designs. My love of heavy metal is a massive influence in my work, and I’d say that in general, “the darker, macabre side of life” is fascinating. Our history, bones, weapons, religion are all really interesting to me. I’m Cornish, so the sea is a massive love in my life – there’s lots of nautical- and pirate-themed pieces in my collections.
What draws you to jewellery? I’ve always loved jewels, I’m a bit of magpie. I love statement pieces, but I also love layering up lots of smaller pieces. I’m really into mixing metals – silver and gold, high shine and matt. Combining colour and texture can look decadent and interesting.
Antler
Is your work inspired by tattoos? To an extent. I spent a long time working with some amazing tattoo artists before BMM, so their artistic approaches are bound to be rattling around in my brain when I’m designing. A lot of my designs are, as I mentioned, nautically-themed, which is obviously a hugely popular theme in tattooing too. Anchors from Sailor Jerry through to new-school designs are popular. So there are definitely likenesses to my collections.
Hope and Anchor
What is your favourite piece you have created? I love the Hope
& Anchor pendant. I designed it as a tribute to my dad, who I lost to Pancreatic Cancer. I donate all of the profit from the Hope & Anchor to Macmillan Cancer Support, so every time I sell one, we’re helping another family. It’s amazing the stories people send me when they buy it, their own personal battles. I feel honoured that people are so touched by my design. I also love the 1oz bone – it was my first design and I am so proud of it. The thing about BMM is that it’s basically the jewellery I want, but can’t ever find in stores, so I wear most of it.
What did you do before BMM? I guess selling tomatoes on the London farmers markets was a pretty big part of my life. I did a degree at drama college too, and slaved for a few fashion brands. Right before BMM, I worked at Jolie Rouge Tattoo in London. It was the best thing I did. I met some of my best friends and it inspired me to get creative, to do my own thing, and make things happen. All of the artists who work there are amazing. They all have such a distinctive personal style, and they all work so hard. They took me under their wings and encouraged and supported me.
Can you tell me a bit about your tattoos? Well, apart from the usual tiny “didn’t really think that through” stars, my first big piece was down my back, by Dave Bryant. It’s a feather and birds, and I had it done when I lost my dad. A lot of my tattoos are tributes to my family, and most of them signify big steps in my life. I have a full sleeve by Charissa at the Jolie Rouge, which is all linked to my home in Cornwall. My tattoos are fun and bright and will always remind me of people and places I love.
Lucy’s back by Dave Bryant
Do you think there is a relationship between fashion and tattoos? Unfortunately, yes. Working in a studio opened my eyes to the whole “scene” and how predictable it is. I think you should have tattoos of what you love, by artists you love, and have them done for you – not because some pop star has “a owl” tattoo, or whatever. It’s also really obvious when people have just Googled “tattoo design”. The amount of times I saw the same rose vine reference in a year was unbelievable. ❦
The Things&Ink family would like to take this time to say thanks to all of our amazing readers for their support over the past year, we love you <3 Here’s to another amazing year of embracing female tattoo culture, 2014 is going to be good and we hope to meet as many of you as possible at conventions and other tattoo events.
