Steve Vinall Archives

May 24, 2013May 24, 2013

Issue 3 of Things & Ink – the love issue

Issue 3 –The Love Issue – is all about love, in all its glorious forms. It explores love between lovers, friends and family, passion and romance throughout history. Paralleling love as an emotion with a love for tattoos.

Take a look at the contents page – too much inspiration The love issue things and ink contents

Highlights include beauty product reviews, including Uzuri, an interview with the Bronx, a real-life feature on tattooed and non-tattooed partners – exclusively featuring Rock ‘n’ Roll Bride – and interviews with iconic tattoo artists including Rebecca Vincent, Steve Vinall, Charissa Gregson and Aimeè Cornwell and her father Mark. It also features a story by Lady Steel, a feature on the adorable kewpie, Artoria Gibbons’ love story, by Amelia Klem Osterud, and editor Alice’s brand new Beauty and the Beast inspired tattoo, by Steve Vinall.

And, of course, an in-depth interview with cover star Rachel Baldwin about her life and loves.

Get your copy now http://thingsandink.com/

June 22, 2012July 1, 2012

Supporting Sarcoma Awareness Week #SarcomaAW

James's rose tattoo — This rose tattoo is one of the many photos that makes up a photo montage called ‘The Many Faces of Sarcoma’ a campaign to raise awareness about a rare form of cancer

The Many Faces of Sarcoma – 18-24 June 2012, Sarcoma Awareness Week.

This rose tattoo belongs to James from Papercut Pictures, not only have I worked with James on the London Tattoo Convention series, but he is also my boyfriend, so this is a difficult and emotional post to write.

James’s sister Katherine died from the rare form of cancer sarcoma just over a year ago. James wanted to get a tattoo in memory of his sister and Katherine had a rose tattoo down her side. It sits on his chest so she is always close to his heart.

Tattoos can mean so many different things and capture very different emotions. Katherine got her rose tattoo before she died, so she could live life to the full and experience as many things as possible. James got his rose tattoo, so that he always carries with him a memory of his sister.

Katherine’s rose tattoo was done by Snappy Gomez at King’s Cross Tattoo Parlour.
James’s rose tattoo was done by Steve Vinall at The Family Business.

Sarcoma UK is the main charity in the UK dealing with all types of sarcoma. Sarcomas are rare cancers that develop in the supporting or connective tissues of the body such as muscle, bone, nerves, cartilage, blood vessels and fat.

Sarcoma does not discriminate – there are around 3,200 new cases each year in the UK.

You can support Sarcoma UK’s campaign by uploading your own picture to The Many Faces of Sarcoma. You can also watch Papercut Pictures’ film All in it together – living with Sarcoma, Katherine features in the film, unfortunately she died two weeks before the film was launched.

All In It Together – Living With Sarcoma from Papercut Pictures on Vimeo.

November 23, 2011

Behind the Needle 2: Part three of the London Tattoo Convention series

“I don’t know if I really felt inspired, in as much as I kind of fell into it” Ryan Mason, Scapegoat Tattoo, Portland

This is part of the London Tattoo Convention series I filmed with Papercut Pictures for Zeitgeist magazine

[vimeo http://www.vimeo.com/32497637 w=530&h=299]

Behind the Needle 1 explored the motivations and inspirations behind four renowned artists’ work, Behind the Needle 2 features four more of my favourites. Ryan Mason (Scapegoat Tattoo, Portland), Jo Harrison (Modern Body Art, Birmingham), Steve Vinall (The Family Business, London) and Brian Thomas Wilson (Scapegoat Tattoo, Portland).

Ryan tells me how he needed to find something to do with his life, that wasn’t a shitty job after dropping out of art school, and what’s it’s like tattooing in Portland.

Jo talks about punks, rockers and what it’s like being in the tattoo world as a woman. She was actually pregnant at the time of filming and has since given birth to a beautiful baby girl called Marley.

Since Steve has been able to hold a pencil all he has really done is draw, he sees tattooing as one of the strongest and most permanent ways to put your imagery into the world.

Brian tells me how he got lucky by being offered an apprenticeship and was ‘pretty bad’ for a long time. Now he loves the symbolism of fairy tales in his tattoos. (I think in this part of the film you may be able to hear my stupid laugh in the background!)

He works with Ryan at Scapegoat, and as you can see from the film, they really love each other, ahh. (I LOVE you guys)

Words by Alice Th’ink as seen on Zeitgeist.
Photos by Papercut Pictures