This client prefers a very limited color scheme for her tattoos, so I kept the palette to mostly tones of red and grey for her
Flowers in containers will always be a favorite subject for me- the restricted palette in this piece helps to show up the different materials and textures of the arrangement
Reimagined from an instructional pattern for cross stitch, this design is almost abstract up close, but resolves into a rose at a short distance
We taped these flowers directly to Lucy’s hip, to get the perfect reference photos
Brilliant weird patterns from a vintage Japanese textile
Inspired by the work of Dutch Golden Age painter Jan Davidsz de Heem
A classic Dutch Golden Age arrangement for my lovely friend Kyle Letendre. This was created from favorite bits of many different paintings. The original paintings are never composed so as to be suitable for the shape of a human body, and in order to turn them into successful tattoos, they must be first laboriously recomposed.
This is a nearly exact copy of my favorite watercolor painting by the artist Paul de Longpré. I was only able to find a very small, very low resolution digital image of this painting to work from - it was a challenge but I think it suits the client very well
Original artwork by the inimitable John James Audubon’s Birds of America
The presence of breasts usually prohibits large scale torso compositions, but a post mastectomy torso is a perfect surface for an elegant and unusual arrangement. Tattooing well-healed scars is not an issue, and a choice can be made to either disguise completely, or merely draw the eye elsewhere.
Sometimes I find a really great art book, and it inspires a lot of work in a short period of time. This is one of several weird tigers I did in 2015.
I kicked off a Things in Black Diamonds period also, in 2015- I’m circling back to it again recently, as an effective way to support and bring good contrast to more delicate florals.
From the Golden Age artist Abraham Mignon - I think the similarity to the classic hanging flowers arrangement is no coincidence, and the metaphor for the transience of life still holds here - underlined by the recent violence.
Bookended by two floral vignettes (Goldfinch + Hibiscus, and Rosemary + Marigold + Poppy + Aster), this field of black solved multiple coverups. It is overlaid with a single session of delicate white ink patterning from a vintage textile. 2016
Borrowing references and inspiration from multiple sources can produce striking rhythms and textures, allowing for a natural bridge in styles between neighboring tattoos. I always try to make my tattoos get along with the wearer’s previous work.
Inspiration can come from many places. In this case, a bright cascade of super lush peonies seemed perfect for an equally lush leg.
This tattoo is a remix of several pieces by the UK artist Mark Hearld. His loose brush strokes and wild layering were an enjoyable challenge to replicate for this client.
Another in the collection of my dear friend Kyle
What happens when a tattoo is so large it runs off the edges?