Plymouth Archives - Things&Ink

January 8, 2019

Interview with Caroline Derwent

39-year-old tattoo artist Caroline Derwent works out of Dust n’ Bones Tattoo in Plymouth, UK where she creates an array of dotwork and colour tattoos in her girly traditional style…

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When did you start tattooing and what made you want to join the industry? I left school , went to art college and then to Manchester to do a degree in interior design, however, it wasn’t for me. I always wanted to do something art related, creative and something I loved. It wasn’t until eight years ago I began my career in tattooing. I was working a supervisor role in a print shop which was unfulfilling. A friend who worked in a tattoo shop asked me if I wanted to learn and I thought I’d give it a go. I learned alongside two other jobs and when Neil opened Dust n’ Bones Tattoo, I worked weekends and evenings, just on friends at first.

I was made redundant from my print job and thought it was time to give it my all and started full time down at Dust n’ Bones. It was a slow burner, and a lot of hard work building a client base, and eight years later, here I am. Working along side a strong team, still at the studio where I started out with a great client base, continuing to work hard and improve my skills. You could almost say I was in the right place, at the right time and I never take it for granted, being where I am today.

How would you describe your style? I would describe my style as a girly traditional, without the heavy black ink! I love pastel colours to make cute and pretty tattoos but I also do a lot of blackwork as it seems quite popular at the moment. I am very lucky to have loyal clients who love my artwork, it’s very fulfilling knowing my work is out there permanently.

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What inspires you? My favourite things to tattoo are Harry Potter designs, Star Wars, Disney and just anything cute and girly. Floral work is always popular and I love tattooing that style too. I myself have mainly colour work tattoos, it’s just my preference and what I love best to tattoo. I love to see the end result of a colour tattoo. I am always wanting to improve, and luckily I am surrounded by talented colleagues and friends in the industry who I have met through doing guestspots and conventions.

Do you have any guestspots or conventions planned? I have worked at Blood and Honey, Cheltenham, I will be working at Black Moon in Frome in February, and then Jolie Rouge in London in April. I am always open to new guestspots as it’s nice to be able to reach out to new clients that can’t make the journey down here to Plymouth.

In the past I have worked Leeds Tattoo Expo, Sheffield and Manchester Tattoo Tea Party, which I loved. I’ve just booked to work Manchester Tattoo Tea Party in March, and will maybe do some others this year too.

I always remind myself to stay kind and to be thankful for where I am. I often get overwhelmed when people travel to get tattooed by me and feel very humbled to be where I am today. Hard work pays off after all.

April 11, 2016April 11, 2016

The backpiece Conundrum

Our blog content manager Rosie shares her thoughts on tattoo placement and explores the niggling voice in the back of her head, asking the question- why didn’t I put that tattoo somewhere else?

When I first started getting tattooed I never thought I would ever be covered in tattoos, or have as many as I do now (still not enough!). At the time I had only really seen people with a few pieces dotted around their bodies, my auntie had a Winnie the Pooh tattoo, and I hadn’t met anyone who collected different work from numerous artists.

This post isn’t about tattoo regret or any kind of unhappiness connected to a tattoo. It is just a post to share a thought that I’m sure many readers have- why didn’t I get that design tattooed on another part of my body?!

While I was a uni I started to get tattooed, I had always liked them and with my new found freedom I began to decorate my body. Like many tattoo virgins, I never thought they would suit me – how wrong I was!

I absolutely love the watercolour style magpies, that I have on my left shoulder, done by the lovely Jessi James, while she worked in Plymouth. I love the colours, the fact that there are two for joy and the delicate blossoms. I also love them because now that she has specialised in dot work/ black work, and rarely does colour tattoos, they are almost like a limited edition piece of art. Even more beautiful and special to me.

I wouldn’t change them in any way, but I would change where they are. They take up a good part of my back, stretching towards my spine. I only wish that I had chosen to put them somewhere else. That I had left my back empty. I have a niggling feeling that Jessi may have talked to me about the placement and even said all that I am saying now! The back is such a prime piece of tattoo real estate, a huge expanse of skin open to an all encompassing design.

I think they were my third or fourth tattoo. At that time I had no plans for my body and no ideas for future tattoos. I didn’t have Instagram so didn’t follow the some 600 tattooists that I do now from all over the world. I didn’t have a tattoo artist wish list and I didn’t spend all my time thinking of subjects and things that I want to get tattooed.

However I have seen lots of people with many smaller pieces on their backs and an artists even created a version of the design I am thinking about around an existing tattoo. I don’t want to cover up my birds, I just wish there was a way of moving them to free up my back for a bigger design.

Have you had the same placement doubts as Rosie? Do you wish you could move your tattoos around?

March 21, 2016

Interview with Sophie Adamson

We chat to 30-year-old tattoo artist Sophie Adamson who works out of The Projects in Plymouth about the bright tattoos she creates and her love for skulls…

How long have you been tattooing? I started tattooing about four years ago.

How did you start? It all started for me when I saw a local studio were looking for an apprentice, I nervously took along my portfolio of designs. The feedback I received was equal in good and bad. I made it my mission to stalk them, returning each week with new artwork until I was given a trial. I’ve never been so excited and terrified.

What drew you to the tattoo world? The idea of producing custom artwork for people feels very special

Describe your style, how has it changed? Feminine. Id say my work was quite traditional moving towards neo traditional. Over time it has become more detailed and a little more natural looking.

What do you like to tattoo and draw? I always enjoy tattooing flowers! And I love sketching skulls a lot, I really need to tattoo more of them!

What inspires you? My biggest inspiration growing up was my nan, Joyce. My nan loved her garden of beautiful flowers and bird watching, I was always fascinated by her pressed flowers, botanical books, her collection of fancy teapots and all her trinkets and costume jewellery. She was my biggest fan and always spoilt me to lots of art supplies and her inspiration has stayed with me.

What would you love to tattoo? I’d love to tattoo more of my lady face designs and take on larger pieces featuring ladies. I want to start working with darker colours while still focusing on jewellery and skulls.

Can you tell us about your own tattoos? My favourites are my ornate cameo inspired frame on my hand, by Matt Drury. My first tattoo machine on my arm by Dave Crossett. A large realistic robin on my thigh by Radu Rusu, and a bunch of art and tattoo supplies on my shin by Caroline Derwent.

February 25, 2016

Interview with Lu Loram-Martin

28-year-old Louise Loram-Martin works out of Spike at the in Plymouth, and creates dotted pattern work tattoos. We chatted to Lu about her love of mehndi and where she finds her inspiration…

How long have you been tattooing? Eight years.

What drew you to the world of tattooing? To be honest I never made a conscious decision to be involved in the world of tattooing but my life took that path. It was meant for me.

What did you do before, do you have a background in art? I’ve been lucky enough to have been involved in the tattoo world for a long time thanks to Mike and Julia at Spike at the Art, so there wasn’t really a before for me. I began working at the studio as a teenager, just to help out on Saturdays, then I started to do design work for clients and everything just sort of unfolded from there. I did study architecture for a while, but that was during when I was still trying to figure out what was for me. It wasn’t.

How would you describe your style? Feminine

What inspires you? I think that being immersed in the tattoo industry itself is enriching as you get to be involved with both clients and peers, each with their own interests and ideas. And I guess that really allows you to find beauty in everything, but on a personal level. Nature, sacred geometry, eastern philosophy, architecture, literature, truth, fiction, imagination -they all inspire me. Beauty, it’s always there you just have to look for it.

What do you like to draw and tattoo? My preference within tattooing tends to be mehndi inspired patterns and dotwork, but I like to think of myself as an all rounder. At the moment I am really enjoying combining colour realism and mehndi patterns. I find the contrast really aesthetically pleasing. But I believe that tattooing is a continual evolution, so my preferences are always changing. For me it is important to have a range of styles within my art so that it doesn’t become stagnant. I guess I’m easily bored.

When I draw and paint for myself I tend to gravitate towards natural, organic aesthetics; flora, fauna, figures, natural landscape, the ocean, sacred geometry, golden ratio. I’m very inspired by eastern artwork. I tend to paint more realism than anything else at the moment. And I still enjoy sketching architecture. Right now I intend to do more life drawing, I just need to find the time!

December 16, 2015February 11, 2016

Music Review: The Vaccines

Our guest music blogger Verity Vincent stopped by Plymouth’s Pavillions earlier this month to check out The Vaccines. For those that haven’t seen The Vaccines perform live before we recommend you put it on your to do list for 2016.

Justin Hayward Young, Freddie Cowan, Árni Árnason and Pete Robertson took to the stage at Plymouth’s Pavillions and treated the crowd to 90 minutes of pure musical indie-rock goodness. The nice thing about watching The Vaccines is their ability to create a musical arc of their material, giving fans exactly what they want. Playing songs from their first two records, What Did You Expect From The Vaccines? and Coming of Age, as well as their latest offering, English Graffiti.

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The initial mild mood of the crowd quickly changed when the boys kicked off their set with ‘Handsome’, ‘Teenage Icon’ and ‘Ghost Town’. If we were talking in sandwich terms, the filling of the gig was a meaty concoction of hit after hit including ’20/20′, ‘I Always Knew’ and staple track, ‘If You Wanna’. Cue the flying beer cups, bodies being launched onto shoulders and the Pavillions, in general, coming alive. Justin’s vocals seemed to just effortlessly float out and fill the venue while he controlled the stage with honest, natural charisma. He has a way of not giving too much away with idle chit chat, but still connecting with the crowd.

A mid-set highlight was ‘Post Break-Up Sex’ which had every sweaty body in the building singing along to the lyrics that, if we’re honest, everyone can relate to.

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Bring the set to an end with the outstanding anthem ‘All in White’, Justin then returned to the stage solo and softly launched into an acoustic version of ‘No Hope’ with the entire room hanging on his delicate notes.

Before fully closing off, Justin divulged that they’d actually forgotten, until now, to offer up a track choice to the crowd. It mattered not – the choice was unanimous and the band went out with a bang, with ‘Blow It Up’. Palma Violets front man Sam Fryer burst back onto the stage and darted around in quite possibly the most enthusiastic duet you could witness. High energy would be an understatement and it brought the night to a perfect end.