Art Love – Angelique Houtkamp

angelique houtkamp
Tattoo Darling. Angelique Houtkamp

Angelique Houtkamp is the inspirational Dutch tattoo mademoiselle of the contemporary art world.

Angelique brings her own take on the graphic romance of old school tattoos to a fine art format. Her work has been featured in a multitude of magazines, periodicals and books. Her international art shows are a sell out and her tattoo waiting list can be years…

Deceptively simple and instantly recognisable…here is a selection of her beautiful pieces, off and on the body…

lovehate
Love Hate

and the skin version…

love hate tattooPhoto: facebook

Angelique Houtkamp - Sailor’s sweetheart
Sailor’s sweetheart
lina angelique houtkamp
Lina

AH_piaf“Piaf”, pictured above hanging in the Nelly Duff gallery, is one of my favourite Angelique pieces. I recommend having a browse in the beautiful gallery, situated on London’s infamous Columbia Road, which features many of her pieces.

and a skin version…

PiafTattoo: Vicky Garcia

I recommend reading ReeRee Rockette‘s interview with the inspirational woman. ReeRee has a beautiful Angelique-inspired tattoo herself…

ReeReeTattoo
ReeRee Rockette - Angelique Houtkamp-inspired tattoo

Too much Angelique inspiration. Click on the picture below to see an album full of Angelique-inspired tattoos on her facebook page.

Angelique Houtkamp tattoos

Art Love – Charmaine Olivia

charms
Charmaine Olivia at work

Charmaine Olivia – dreamer, painter, tea drinker, self-taught San Franciscan artist. She first started drawing with soy sauce on napkins but has since upgraded to paper and paint. She loves playing Scrabble in the park, cuddling with her kitten and drinking peppermint tea.

Her work is a mix of intense paintings and whimsical drawings, she shifts with ease between styles and mediums. Oil painting requires discipline, commitment and composition, where as her drawings are more spontaneous and free. She admires the work of Brian Viveros and Sam Weber, she is obsessed with Gustav Klimt.

Here is a selection of her differing styles of work.

bunny_hands
Bunny Hands
pirate_silhouette
Pirate Silhouette
thegarden
The Garden
housekeeper
House Keeper
vampire
Vampire

Her work has a contemporary edge and she has worked on projects with Urban Outfitters, Nylon Magazine, Eyes on Walls Threadless, Infectious, Cool Hunting and Society6. Her work also lends itself perfectly to tattooing and this girl has a tattoo inspired by Charmaine Olivia’s Vampire.

Charmaine Olivia tattoo
Tattoo by Garrett Egles

Photo: Facebook Girl: Coreena All artwork taken from Charmaine’s website

Read a full interview with Charmaine Olivia on My Modern Met.

Get your tat out. Returned.

get-your-tat-out
My first ever Get your tat out post featured a lovely lady called Laura, with her script tattoo, Inhale. She has now added a complimentary little heart tattoo to her other arm…she is possibly feeling a little romantic before her nuptials this year…and I have a feeling there will be more romantic inkings to follow…

Inhale and heart tattoo