women and tattoos Archives

May 29, 2024May 29, 2024

“Working on sugar-paste and soft skin feels sort of the same – and a moving person is similar to a spongey stacked cake!” from cake maker to tattoo artist, interview with Laura Raña

From cake decorator to tattoo artist, Laura Raña (@lifeininklr) runs a private, eco-friendly, vegan and woman-led studio and she holds the honour of “Surrey’s best tattoo studio 2023”.

She was a cake artist for 16 years – and she used to teach and write columns for magazines – so Laura came to tattooing late, but her passion shines through. Here she chats all things cakes, tattoos and creating a welcoming studio for all to enjoy. Make a cuppa and settle in for the ride…

Before you became a tattoo artist, you were a cake artist, what inspired you to make that change?

After spending 16 years juggling life as a mum of two daughters (Bella now 16 and Eva 14 ) and being a cake artist, I felt like I had achieved everything that I wanted in the cake world. I was 35 and I wanted to use my artistic flare and creativity for something that wouldn’t get stuffed down the throats of my customers week after week.

After spending so much time perfecting colour blending, modelling and painting on tiers of delicious sponges, I began thinking how I could transfer the skills I’d learnt. I wanted to create something that would last forever and not just briefly as brightly coloured crumbs on the side of people’s mouths.

Tattooing had always been something I was fascinated with. My grandad, who was an antiques dealer in the 50s until the 80s, was covered head to toe – back then, it was very taboo and frowned upon in his industry. I used to glare at the naked ladies and dragons strewn across his back, chest, arms and legs. He was six foot five, both tall and wide, his art work made quite an impression on me as a keen young creative artist in the making. He would definitely be one of my inspirations.

Tell us about your journey to becoming a tattooer…

I started slowly getting covered in tattoos at the very illegal age of 14. I would walk past the only tattoo studio in my town, hoping they wouldn’t notice me in my school uniform. Then when it came to holidays or weekends, I’d try to dress older and strut into the studio beaming with anxious confidence to keep topping up my ink collection. This was when my interest was sparked.

Skip forwards 21 years and after ignoring the narrow-minded warnings from everyone (including my parents) that it was a dangerous industry to get involved in, I began my search for a studio that wouldn’t laugh in my face.

That was the hardest thing – starting a new career at 35. I’m a strong-headed person, so I kept knocking on doors, in the hope someone – anyone – would see my passion. Rejection came thick and fast, but I found a studio, eventually.

Apprentices make zero money, well at least I did. I had lots of people offering their skin but trying to throw myself into this amazing new career was not financially viable. So I’d work four days at the studio, then balance part-time work and cake making around that.

What was it like being a cake maker? And how does it compare to tattooing?

I adored my career as a cake artist, what a dream to have a career in the cake industry. I actually entered Kirsty Allsop’s Handmade Christmas TV show by making a fully decorated Christmas cake in under four hours – I ended up winning. It blew up my career and I began making celebration and wedding cakes, and that led me to teaching. Then I opened my own cake studio – I even had my own little cake column in a magazine. I felt just like Carrie Bradshaw. I began entering cake competitions and I’m very proud to have many gold awards. I was even cast for Extreme Cake Makers on TV. I specialised in chocolate modelling, airbrushing and then painting on cakes – all things I brought through to my tattoo career.

Cake and tattoos although very different, there are some elements that feel similar. The use of colour and blending work is the same in tattooing. Working on soft sugar-paste and soft skin feels the same too. Also a moving person is similar to a spongey stacked cake! It could move at any time…

Can you tell us about your studio?

Everyone is welcome in my little private studio. It’s nestled among the bamboo trees in my back garden. It’s a comfortable, cosy, funky little safe space where no one should feel intimidated. I created a studio I would be comfortable being tattooed in, as I think the more at ease you are, the better the whole experience will be.

Tell us about the award your studio won…

Having spent seven years building up my (very) little business, I was stunned to be nominated for England’s Business Awards in 2023. I was even more taken back when I won the title of “Surrey’s best tattoo studio”.

I’ve never claimed to be the most sought after artist – and there are thousands of artists around Surrey that are phenomenal – but these awards are about your art and your business. So that includes reviews and customer service, amongst other things. I was even mystery shopped so they could see the kind of service I offer, how I dealt with my client and the overall experience.

My little framed award sits proudly in the studio where all can see.

How would you describe your style, what do you like to tattoo?

My style isn’t just one thing. Tattooing different styles and using different techniques allows me to broaden my work to appeal to a larger client base. I know it’s probably frowned upon in the industry, but I did the same with my cakes.

Learning different things is beneficial for a successful business and it enables me to become a better artist. I don’t want to pigeon-hole myself to just one thing. I don’t want to wake up one morning and be bored of the same old stuff. So, for me personally, variety is most definitely the spice of life.

How do you work with clients, what’s your tattoo process?

I find the industry has changed from years ago when you’d walk into a studio covered wall-to-wall in flash designs and people choose “number 10”. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with that, but now with Pinterest and social media, people find ideas they like and perhaps want to combine a few ideas together. That’s where I come in, to create a design that fits their brief.

My focus is to ensure my clients are well informed, feel heard and understood and happy with their tattoo.

Is there anything you’d love to tattoo?

My “wannados” are based around pop art – bright, bold, almost comic sketches. It’s timeless art that stands out and looks super cool. But I feel like there isn’t much of a place for that as many clients want super fine line delicate pieces. I’d love to continue to tattoo thick lined patterns that are edgy and look amazing on everyone.

Any guest spots or travel plans?

I’m going to start guesting at a few studios towards the end of this year to get myself out there and socialise with other artists. I might attend a few conventions too.

Follow Laura on Instagram for more tattoos and updates on guest spots.

We’re always talking to amazing tattoo artists, check out our latest interviews.

March 9, 2022August 4, 2022

Interview with tattoo artist Varvara

Tattoo artist Varvara works out of a private studio in Moscow, Russia where she’s known for her mystical dragon tattoos. We chatted to the ‘mother of dragons’ about her inspirations, proudest moments and life as an artist…

What inspired you to become a tattoo artist? How did you become an artist? I didn’t study art before I started tattooing, but I have always wanted to connect my life to creativity. After getting my first tattoo I knew I wanted to become a tattoo artist. I then trained in the art of tattooing at a studio and I used to practise on my friend. Now I have been tattooing for eight years.

Have you always tattooed like you do now? No of course not! My first tattoos were very funny and different. I started to look for my own style and I have developed this over the years. I’m also constantly trying to improve and take my work to the next level.

What attracted you to this type of tattooing? I like tattooing dragons because they are mythical creatures. This element of fantasy means I have complete freedom when I create their image. I also like the graphic look of black and grey tattoos, I think it looks awesome, especially the contrast between dark dragons and pink gentle flowers.

Can you tell us about the process behind your tattoos? It all starts with a sketch. I create each design during a consultation session which is based on the anatomy and wishes of the person I’m tattooing. Every one of my sketches is individual and nothing is repeated.

What would you say to someone who is worried about what their body looks like, but wants to get tattooed? I think that every body and everybody is beautiful. You just need to find a master who will emphasise your virtues. This is why I only freehand my tattoos. It allows me to create individual projects, which take into account the anatomy of the body and the preferences of the client.

What inspires you? I am inspired by the usual things: nature, my dogs, travel and of course love.

What do you like to tattoo and what would you like to do more? Of course I like to tattoo dragons, but I would also be happy to make other magical animals.

Can you tell us about your own tattoos? Are you a tattoo collector? I have a lot of tattoos on my body, but I can’t call myself a tattoo collector. I have got a lot of tattoos based on what I liked at the time but now I approach my choices a lot more consciously.

What moment in your career are you most proud of? I am proud that I created very recognisable dragons and that I am able to give them to a large number of people.

You describe yourself as the ‘mother of dragons’ can you tell us more about this? Oh it is a joke! My clients would often call me that, so I decided to put it in my Instagram profile because I liked the comparison.

How have you been affected by the pandemic? I didn’t work for a while during the height of the pandemic, but then everything returned to normal. After the pandemic I’ve found that people want to let beautiful things, including tattoos, into their lives even more than before.

If you don’t already make sure to follow Varvara on Instagram for more dragon tattoos.

May 22, 2020March 8, 2022

New tattoo anxiety: How long before your appointment should you see the design?

It makes sense that when getting tattooed you’ve chosen that particular artist because you love their work and want something in their style. Maybe you’ve followed them on Instagram for a while, loved all their posts, read interviews and checked healed work. You know that they produce great tattoos, their work is solid and, from what you can tell, they’re a nice person. So what’s the problem, why do you feel uneasy when looking at the tattoo design?

We’ve probably all had that moment when you see the design of your new tattoo for the first time and that not-quite-sure, something-isn’t-right feeling arises? Or maybe you’re being shown your finished tattoo in the mirror before it’s wrapped up? Perhaps before the tattoo you’re tired from travelling or getting tattooed by someone you’ve never met flares your anxiety, on the other hand after a session you’re sore and groggy, your tattoo brain has definitely set in and all you can think about is getting some food and getting home. Sound familiar?

Does how comfortable you feel with the tattoo about to be etched on you, or the one just completed, all come down to timing? Should you see the design at the start of your appointment, the night before, a week before? When exactly should you see the tattoo design to make sure that it’s what you want and what the artist is happy to create?

I know many artists may hold back because they fear you won’t show up for your appointment and may even take the design to another artist. While they may not email you the design, there are usually opportunities to visit the studio and see your new piece in person, just ask your tattooer. However, if you’re like me and regularly get tattooed hours away from home, this isn’t always easy.

There’s also the thought amongst tattoo artists that a client may try to micro-manage the whole tattoo process. They could worry that after they have translated your ideas into a workable tattoo that will stand the test of time, you’ll see the sketch and make way too many additions and changes that will render the design now unworkable and unsuitable as a tattoo. It may be hard to hear when a tattooist tells you that your ideas may not work, but really a good artist will have the experience and know-how to give you the best tattoo they can. It may be best to trust their judgement even if this means seeing your design at your tattoo appointment. I’ve found that more than often not the artist has drawn a few examples and sizes so we can play around with placement, or they’re happy to make a couple of small changes if needed.

If you see the design a few days in advance, could you overthink the whole thing? Rather than have time to sit and settle with the tattoo, instead you pick it apart and completely change your mind. No longer are you excited but a little frantic, not even sure that the tattoo will become part of you like so many have done before. This is where seeing the tattoo the night before or at your appointment can be helpful. It’s that balance between exciting and nerve-wracking, surely that feeling is why a lot of us get tattooed?

You’ll also find that the tattoo changes and comes to life as it’s being tattooed, it’s unlikely that you can tell exactly what it will look like from the drawing. Especially if you’ve chosen to add colour and the sketch is in black and grey. For someone who gets a little anxious I’m often telling the artist to choose the colours, do what you like, so my tattoos can be a real surprise! And this is usually a positive thing. I say this because I trust them, I trust that my past self chose them for this tattoo. It will be amazing, I just have to hold space for the tattoo magic to happen.

Surely the more tattoos you have the less it matters, right? Just slap it on, fill that gap. Does this attitude change if you have less or more tattoos? I can only talk from my experience as a heavily tattooed woman, by now, with the amount of tattoos I have they almost blend into one, each new one, as it heals becomes no more significant than the rest. So really does it matter when I see the design, because my skin is a welcoming home anyway.

Thank you to everyone who answered my Instagram stories around this question, your thoughts and voices have helped to mould this piece.
Rosalie Hurr

August 18, 2016August 1, 2017

“My own mark” – mastectomy tattoos

Diane de Jesús, 35, London, is owner of Piece O Cake Nutrition, a nutrition communications consulting and advisor for Personal Ink (P.ink) – an organisation to connect breast cancer survivors with tattoo artists. In this interview, Diane shares her own experience of breast cancer and how getting a tattoo made her feel about her mastectomy.

Photo of Diane by Lydia Perez DeJesus @momdetresshoots

Can you tell us about your cancer diagnosis and treatment. At 29 years old, I was diagnosed with DCIS, ductal carcinoma in situ, which is the earliest stage of breast cancer. I was told that while my life was not in immediate danger, the cancerous cells would have to be removed. Thus far, the medical community is unable to determine which DCIS cells will become invasive cancer and when. This combined with my very young age meant that we couldn’t just take a “watch and wait” approach. Also, my disease was so extensive, filling nearly my entire left breast. This meant I would have to have a mastectomy to remove the entire breast.

How did you feel about your body after the mastectomy? I was thrilled to have such a good prognosis and to have such great doctors who provided me with excellent mastectomy and (silicone implant) reconstruction results. After recovery, I was grateful to very quickly dive back into my normal life: working by day, going to school at night (working toward my registered dietitian certification) and exercising regularly. I thought I was adjusting just fine. It wasn’t actually until after I got my tattoo that I realised how much I had been through emotionally and how I had been avoiding looking at my chest in the mirror. I had always done everything in my power to care for my health and my body had always reflected that. Suddenly, my body had betrayed me.

roxx tattoo

By Roxx, owner of 2 Spirit Tattoo, Los Angeles

Did you consider other options before deciding to get tattooed? No. I knew that I wanted to get a tattoo very early on, possibly even before having my mastectomy. While I researched what to expect from my surgeries and recovery, I came across stories and photos of women who were post-mastectomy and had chosen to cover their scars with tattoos. I wasn’t so much drawn to the idea of covering my own scar but of finding some way to encapsulate and honour all that my husband and I had been through and also to put my own mark, of my own choosing, on my body.

What made you decide to get that tattoo design? In some mastectomy cases, the nipple can be preserved but in most, the nipple and areola are removed with the rest of the breast tissue. This was the case for me. While I was discussing reconstruction options with my plastic surgeon, I was offered the option of nipple reconstruction many times. The idea of having a fake nipple constructed from the skin on my chest—a nipple that would never feel anything, respond to touch or temperature, or release breastmilk—just never resonated with me. Neither did the idea of having the image of a nipple and areola (even a fancy 3D one) tattooed onto my chest. What did resonate with me was something that Geralyn Lucas did, and wrote about, in her memoir of her experience with breast cancer. Geralyn also had a mastectomy with implant reconstruction but no nipple reconstruction. Instead, Geralyn had a tattoo placed on her chest, near her scar. As soon as I read about this, I knew it was what I needed to do and as I came across images of other women who’d done the same, I was motivated to find a way to make it happen. Of course, since I’d never been tattooed before, I didn’t know the first thing about selecting an artist, studio or design. I also didn’t realise the cost of tattoos.

Photo by Gigi Stoll, Gigi Stoll Photography, New York

Did it transform what you thought about your body? Getting my mastectomy tattoo helped me to close the door on that chapter and finally move on. I was tattooed in October of 2013, three years to the day since I was told that cancerous cells had been found in my breast. After getting the tattoo, I could look in the mirror without averting my eyes from the sight of my chest. I found myself feeling more confident. I was myself again.

How do you feel about it now? I continue to be so grateful for my tattoo and for the woman who tattooed me: Roxx, owner of 2Spirit Tattoo in L.A. I also love that this tattoo continues to provide me with the opportunity to discuss breast cancer and reconstruction options with other breast cancer survivors and their support networks.

What advice would you give to other women who have breast cancer? Every single breast cancer experience is unique. It is overwhelming to receive a cancer diagnosis of any kind but I think that every person diagnosed can benefit from finding a way to listen to her (or his) body and making the decisions that are best for her/him. Also, it is unfortunate, but at some point you may find you really must be your own advocate. You will work with so many different individuals and sectors of the healthcare community who may have the best intentions of providing you with the best advice but this advice may not always be the advice that is best for you. This is easier done with a good support system. Having a spouse, family member or friend to come along to appointments or help with research, paperwork, phone calls, etc. is invaluable.

Can you give us some background about P.ink day… what it is and how others can get involved. P.ink (Personal Ink) is an organisation dedicated to educating breast cancer survivors about mastectomy tattoos as an alternative healing option, and connecting survivors with experienced tattoo artists who can help. One way we do this is through P.ink Day, an annual all-volunteer effort to connect tattoo artists and survivors for a day of healing with tattoos. What started with just 10 artists and 10 survivors at Saved Tattoo in Brooklyn, New York, for our first P.ink Day in 2013 has grown into a true grassroots movement, with 46 artists, 48 survivors and hundreds of volunteers across 13 locations in North America, as of October 2015. In total, we’ve facilitated nearly 100 incredible mastectomy tattoos via P.ink Day. P.ink Day occurs every 10 October and 2016 will be P.ink Day’s fourth year.

To learn more, visit the Personal Ink website at p-ink.org

May 12, 2016May 14, 2016

Art Macabre: Becoming Art for a Night

Our editor Alice Snape was asked to pose for an Art Macabre lifedrawing session at Museum of London, which was part of the Tattoo London exhibition. As a first-time naked model, here’s how she felt about the experience and seeing her body as art…

“Me? A model? That I am definitely not. I hate having my photo taken, and I am very critical of my appearance, which probably comes from years of self-conscious anxiety and a childhood spent in a chubby awkward body that I was never quite comfortable in – I think I am yet to grown into my nose! But when I was asked by Nikki, who runs Art Macabre, to be a lifedrawing model for the evening, I had to say yes. It felt like one of those experiences that should be on your bucket list, and as a 32-year-old woman who has worked really hard on overcoming that teenage insecurity and becoming comfortable in her own skin, there didn’t seem like a better time to do it.

“Before the evening, I asked Nikki to give me some advice, as a first-timer. She told me to: Breathe and relax into poses and, on a practical note, bring a dressing gown to wear in-between poses and during the break. All day before the event, I was a bag of nerves, running different scenarios though my mind – a constant reel of what ifs! But, the moment I took step onto that platform and got into the first pose (five minutes to warm up), I felt incredible, empowered, strong and beautiful.

IMG_5718 (1)

“I fixed my eyes on the twinkling lights that surrounded the space and they lulled me into a mediative state. I listened to the sound of pencils and quiet concentration, eyes looking up at me and back down to the blank canvas, pictures of my body and tattoos slowly forming on the pages. I thought about how my body might look through the eyes of everyone in front of me, during one pose I focused on a determined looking woman who seemed lost in the movements of her pencil. A few brief moments of self-doubt flitted through my mind – what if I am not interesting enough to draw? – but they soon dissipated when I realised everyone surrounding me was creating their own interpretation of me.

“The evening consisted of a few short standing postures and some longer (25 minutes) seated poses. As the night drew to a close, each of the artists lay their work onto the floor to share it with each other and the models… Looking at each work of art, I realised I have grown very fond of my body as it has become more covered with tattoos. I have taken ownership of my body by choosing where each tattoo goes, and I love my colourful skin. Over the past couple of years, I have also started exercising regularly and even ran a marathon! I love the fact that my body is fit and healthy, and that has boosted my confidence hugely. My thighs, for example, have always been a part of my body I have hated. I always think they are chunky, they have bumps and cellulite that no matter how much I exercise will not disappear. But they are mine, they are strong and that means they are beautiful.

“I saw that each person had drawn my body slightly differently, my curves slightly more or less rounded, in some I looked bigger and in some small. Everyone sees an object through their own eyes, putting on that object their own preferences. It was enlightening and uplifting to see that subjectivity about the form of my own body – no one is ever going to be as critical of it as myself.

“I walked away from the evening with renewed self confidence and a want to relive the experience. It felt like a true celebration of my naked self and at last a goodbye to any anxiety I had!”

Here’s some works of art created on the night: