Tag: Cassandra Frances

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Interview with tattoo artist, Cassandra Frances

The face issue Things and Ink

The face issue Things & Ink was published in 2013, this is an interview with its cover star, tattoo artist Cassandra Frances.

I first met Cassandra in 2012 at End Times in Leeds where she used to work – I instantly fell in love with her warm nature and dedicated work ethic. She put me at ease while she tattooed me, chatting about life, music and magazines. We were like old friends, talking away, of course the conversation always returning to tattoos.

When the decision was made to make issue 2, ‘The Face Issue’, I knew I wanted Cassie on the cover. With her fiery red hair and delicate porcelain skin, you almost don’t notice that she has facial tattoos. Her tattoos are so delicate and feminine, and will certainly make people think twice about their preconceptions about women with facial tattoos. The image on the cover is very powerful in its beauty. I hope it will make a statement to anyone with preconceived notions about women who choose to tattoo their face. We chatted to Cassie about her life as a tattoo artist, her style and how she decided to get her first ever face tattoo…

Cassie Polaroid3

Who did your face tattoos? Andrew Mirfin, who owns End Times in Leeds .

How did you decide to get your face tattooed? First one (now covered up) was to celebrate getting my tattoo license. It felt like it was all official and I wanted to mark it with something special.

Who did the first one? The first one is now covered up, and was done by my old boss
Don Richards, just a small outline of a heart. I decided to make it a bit bigger and bolder
after time. Andy has done all the others.

How did you feel when you were getting tattooed? I trust Andy, so I wasn’t really nervous and I knew I definitely wanted it. The tiny ones hardly registered, but the bigger heart was fairly painful and gave me a headache. It was over in 15 minutes or so, though.

What kind of reaction do you get to having tattoos on your face? None really. I very rarely get any kind of reaction from anyone, I’m never sure if I just don’t notice it, but even my mum was sitting looking me in the eye over lunch for an hour and didn’t notice the heart and flower, I had to point it out.

Cassie Polaroid4

Do you feel any different about your face now? After getting my beauty spot on my cheek, I instantly felt a million times more confident. When I draw women I more often than not give them a beauty spot, just something about them really appeals to me. If I didn’t have tattoos I think I’d be pretty boring to look at. My face looks how I want it to look and that’s all that really matters.

Do you think there is a difference between men and women getting such visible tattoos? Never really thought about it. Not in my little world really. Whether people think it’s unfeminine, I really don’t care. I like myself and so do the people who matter. If a man judged my level of attractiveness on that, he wouldn’t be worth the time of day anyway

Would you ever tattoo a face? I am  too scared to tattoo a face, it is such  a huge responsibility.

Has anyone ever asked you to  tattoo their face and what did  you say? My best friend wants me to do her a beauty spot on her, but I just don’t feel comfortable with it. 

Screenshot 2019-09-10 at 15.41.48

How would you describe your style of tattooing? It’s pretty feminine. I think my work naturally comes out quite delicate. If left to my own devices, I like to use red, gold and green, and I’m happiest when working on smaller pieces. My favourite thing to tattoo is lady faces and wish I could do that all day every day.

Cassie Polaroid1

How do you feel about the tattoo industry? Including tattoo magazines/media. I’m not sure I know enough of the industry yet to have a valid opinion, I’ve been working away in a little bubble really. I do feel excited to be a small part of something so amazing and exciting, though. Tattooing is the love of my life, and some days I kind of hate it, but even on those I know deep down I don’t want to do anything else.

How did you feel about doing the cover shoot? To be honest, not 100% comfortable. I’d rather people looked at my work than my face. Bit of a strange experience having a room of people focused on me for that long. I feel honoured to be asked to do the cover and said yes as I’m not sure anyone will ask me again!

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Did you enjoy it? It was an interesting experience and a nice bunch of people. Spending a day with people telling you repeatedly how beautiful you look is good for the ego.

Would you do it again? I’m desperate to be photographed as a flame-haired Pre-Raphaelite. 

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Katie Edmunds Illustrates Things&Ink

Fashion illustrator, Katie Edmunds from London, was inspired by Things&Ink magazine and created the original illustration (below) of blogger Yanin Namasonthi, who she has followed for a while and loves her style. 

We chatted to Katie about her artistic style, where she gets her inspiration and of course tattoos. Katie has also recreated a few of her favourite previous Things&Ink covers… 

Do you have a background in art? Yes I’ve always chosen related art subjects through education and I’ve just recently graduated from London College of Fashion.

 How would you describe your style? I love illustrating people’s expressions through portrait drawings. I have a realistic style, which I tend to juxtapose with playful, and colourful elements through use of watercolours, adding a raw quality to my work.

What medium do you use? Pencils and watercolour. I like the precision and detail of the pencil and the unpredictability and possibilities which stem from watercolour and ink on paper.

Where do you get your inspiration from? I’m hugely inspired by female empowerment. My illustrations tend to play upon women who control and employ power over the male gaze, but with a tongue-in-cheek approach.

Do you have tattoos? So far I only have one, it was in the spur of the moment with my friend during St Patricks day in Dublin- a small celebration of a shamrock on my wrist. I keep illustrating different designs but as an illustrator I keep altering and changing what I want.

Are there any artists you admire? In terms of tattoo artists I really admire Keely Rutherford, like my own work hers is very colourful. I like her use of pastel colours and the way in which she translates that into tattoo art. I also like her fantasy aesthetic; it reminds me of Alice in Wonderland.

What drew you to Things&Ink? I was drawn to Things&Ink magazine as I feel it takes a look at both tattoos and the wider tattoo culture. Being an illustrator I really respect the artwork of tattooists so I love that it profiles the very best tattooists and shines a light on their illustrative skills. My work really focuses on feminist ideals so I was drawn to the strong women that are represented in Things&Ink magazine.

How did you decide which covers to draw? The first cover I chose to illustrate is my favourite of all the issues so far, issue 11 The Fruity Issue to me perfectly represents female empowerment. I love the bright and colourful aesthetic, which is something which I try to achieve in my work and I’m also really drawn to portraiture so I always tend to illustrate detail in faces.

 Can people buy your art? Yes,  I also do commissions and can be contacted by email katieedmundsillustration@gmail.com
Follow Katie on Instagram and Twitter for more art work
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Interview with a Tattoo Artist: Claudia Ottaviani

Italian tattoo artist Claudia Ottaviani is currently backpacking around the world and guesting at different studios. 

Our Italian contributor Ilaria chatted to her about her love for the power of tattooing, here is an insight into her karmic journey through life.  

 

Portrait by Esther Galvan

 

 

 

How would you describe your style and how did you choose it? Even if the subjects are not always inspired by traditional style, I would say it belongs to old school, both for the technique and for the colours. Last year I also approached  ornamental and dotwork style. I can not tell which one I would choose, this profession is constantly evolving, but in the end I definitely remain a colour lover!

An Italian girl around the world. Tell me about your experiences abroad. Do you find any difference between Italian and Central European customers? My work experience abroad began more than one year ago, when I moved to Barcelona to work at LTW. This year, in February, I started to organise a small tour in Europe which led me to work in many  studios: Admiraal Tattoo Studio, True Love Madrid, The Bunker and many more! When invited to do guest spots, most of the customers will choose you because they trust your work.  There is no need to convince the customer to get something less commercial, let’s just say I’ve had better luck abroad.

Can you tell me about the feelings your travels gave you, both as a person and as an artist? I started travelling when I was 19, and at 23 I found myself as a backpacker in South America, an experience that has definitely changed my outlook of life.
I’ve realised that, as much as the tattoo itself, even the travel is fundamental and should be a goal to pursue. And here I am today. New places, new tattoos, new cities, landscapes, cultures and languages. It’s very stimulating and it opens your mind.

Have you ever met obstacles along your way? How important is the support from family and friends? Obviously I found obstacles, as everyone does in their life. Rome was not that easy for me. That’s why I decided to leave it more than once, but I have never felt like an unfortunate victim. It’s life, everyone makes their path!
My family is a good one, I am really proud of them. They have always helped me and believed in me, even though my mother still does not talk to me for three days after I get each new tattoo. Friend are also a huge source of energy.

What do you like best about being a tattoo artist? How deeply can you feel your subjects while preparing them and how important is your state of mind as you create them? Being a fundamental part of the process of creation of indelible marks that people decide to carry forever on their skin is always a great honour. While travelling, the drawing part is physically more difficult, but a lot easier mentally. I will try to explain it better: in the beginning, I sometimes had to force myself to find inspiration and then start creating. Today everything is much more spontaneous and instinctive, there is no need for a particular state of mind, maybe just a general wellness.
What are your favourite subjects? Women, flowers, hands, Kama Sutra positions, everything I see as classic and elegant. This oriental inspiration reached me thanks to a friend and colleague of Barcelona, Alexis Jofre, who one day took me to a nice library. We were right in the centre of the Asian art department. My mouth was wide open in front of those beautiful books! So I had to buy one, it was about musical paintings of ancient India. I could already see a thousand new ideas in my mind. Thank you Alexis!

 

Are you also interested in religious and sacred images? Is it a choice linked to your beliefs or purely aesthetic? I am not a believer, or rather not in the strict sense of the term. I believe in many things and my vision of life is certainly closer to eastern philosophies than to western religions. That said, there are symbols like crosses, svastike, tao, om that are to me simply fascinating. I like to see the power that these simple cultural lines have, if only put together.

What do you think of the tattoo culture today?  People I’m encountering in my path and the experiences I’m having are extremely positive. Regarding the negative side, there is always karma!


Which artists do you admire and give you inspiration? Whether in the world of tattoo art or art in general. Inspiration comes from many people, and the list of names would be infinite. I admire some artists I have personally met, or with whom I had the pleasure to work with. Rodrigo DC, Alexis Camburn, Angelique Houtkamp, Lina Stiggson and many, many more!

Is there a particular subject you would like to tattoo or one you would you never tattoo? I do not like politician tattoos. I think I would love to start tattooing more animals and oriental religious figures.

What tattoos are on your skin and by who would you get a tattoo in the future? On me I have amazing pieces by: Diego Brandi, Alessandro Turcio, Cassandra Frances and many more! I really hope to get something by Tony Nilsson, Guy le Tatooer, Jaclyn Rèhe, the list could never end!

 
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Issue 2 – The Face Issue with Cassandra Frances. Things&Ink magazine

So it’s time to reveal all. Our issue 2 cover star is Cassandra Frances who works at End Times in Leeds. She is one of my faves, my sister and I got tattooed by her last year – blog post here.

Issue 2 things and ink COVER
Issue 2 Things and Ink COVER starring Cassandra Frances

 

I first met Cassandra in 2012 and I instantly fell in love with her warm nature and dedicated work ethic. She put me at ease while she tattooed me, chatting about life, music and magazines. We were like old friends, talking away, of course the conversation always returning to ink.

When the decision was made to make issue 2 ‘The Face Issue’ I knew I wanted Cassie on the cover. With her fiery red hair and delicate porcelain skin, you almost don’t notice that she has facial tattoos. Her tattoos are so pretty and feminine and will certainly make people think twice about their preconceptions about women with facial tattoos. The image on the cover is powerful, beautiful and innocent. I really hope you like it. You can read a full interview with Cassandra in the magazine, find out about her tattoos and how she felt about being on the cover.

Order your copy now from Newsstand.

Photo: Samuel Butt
Make-up: Keely Reichardt
Retouching: Lydia Rayner