“For my grandma. She was a huge Elvis fan, loved rings, let me hunt for “treasures” using a magnifying glass, and always had pink roses in her house.
She was a huge believer that having hope could fix any problem. When she died of lung and brain cancer a year ago, up until the day she died she kept telling us that she had hope that she would get better. She lived a year and a half longer than doctors said she would and had minimal pain. Pretty amazing in my book.
I love you, Grandma! I hope you’re rocking out with Elvis in heaven (and eating some fried chicken, too).
Done by Jake Bussie at Alkali Tattoo in Janesville, WI.”
What got you into tattooing?
I have always admired tattoos on other people. I feel tattoos are an extension of personal style and, working in fashion, I think it is very important to express your individuality in the way that you look and dress. My first tattoo was my friend’s lips on my arm (see previous blog post), this represents our friendship and my love of lipstick, I have always loved the interesting and different shape of people’s lips.
Do your tattoos have any meanings?
Some of them, but I do think that people get too caught up in the meaning behind tattoos, you should just go with the flow and if you fancy something just get it done. Obviously, if you’re planning a bigger piece it needs more thought, but tattoos don’t always have to have sentimental value. The words on my arm are from a poem by Emily Brontë that I read at my auntie’s funeral, it is a reminder of her, but I also like the idea that words evoke.
What inspires you?
People, friends, music, life.
Do you have any tattoos in the pipeline?
I think I am ready for a bigger piece on my back, I am toying with the idea of a traditional rose.
Feature girl: Renee Ruin, Melbourne, Australia.
Renee Ruin – beautifully tattooed – publisher by day, blogger by night
Renee Ruin
Ruin by Dean Petty
Girl with skeleton by Jessica Swaffer - Third Eye Tattoo, Melbourne Australia
So Renee, what do you do? I work in book publishing, dealing with international co-editions. So put basically, I get popular children’s books published in other languages for foreign countries like Estonia, Finland, Sweden, Latvia, Lithuania, Russia and Japan. After work I spend my time blogging on my site and also other sites I contribute to and catching up on pop culture and playing with my spoilt brat dog, Bowie.
Skulls by Dean PettyAngelique Houtkamp "Geraldine" by Jane Laver - Chapel Tattoo, Melbourne Australia
What got you into tattooing?
I got my first tattoo at 18 to commemorate moving out of home and eight hours away. That was the beginning. Then I started getting tattoos every time something eventful happened in my life, good or bad. I wanted to try and get something tattooed each year around my birthday as a marker. I also lived with a tattooist for four years so that lead to a lot of random tattoo additions.
What inspires you?
Life, love, death, friends, family, art, film and books. All my tattoos are related somehow to one of those things or more than one of those things.
Do your tattoos have meanings?
Definitely personal meaning. A lot of them are reminders of particular times in my life and are a personal reminder of a triumph or tragedy. A few are purely aesthetic, but my large pieces all have some personal meaning or personal event attached to them.
Daddy by Dean Petty
Are you planning more tattoos?
Most definitely. I’m planning an awesome custom piece for my left thigh which is an amalgamation of Angelique’s style, JT Leroy’s book and Asia Argento’s movie The Heart is Deceitful Above All Things. I am also planning this awesome little ode to my dog Bowie, artist Rik Lee is designing it. I definitely want to fill in my right arm with some patchwork traditional pieces and I’d love a beautiful piece to complete my left arm to compliment Micah Caudle‘s beautiful lady, I’d love Rose Hardy to design something a little darker to compliment it.
Feet Roses by Dean PettyCustom girl by Micah Caudle - Flying Panther, San Diego, CA, USA.
How would you describe your style?
My tattoo style is definitely more traditional mixed with a subtle darker edge. I love girls and skeletons. Do you have a favourite tattoo artist?
Far too many to choose just one. My personal fave to get tattooed by is Jane Laver who did both my Angelique pieces. But I love so many different tattooists and their differing styles.
Boy with antlers based on Sculpture by Beci Orpin by Jake RolfeAngelique Houtkamp 'Madeleine" by Jane Laver - Chapel Tattoo, Melbourne AustraliaDie Trying by Zoe Lethbridge (unfinished)
A beautiful memorial tattoo I found on fuckyeahtattoos
