Apprentice love: Heavy Petal

We first shared Stevie’s beautiful tattooed hand print on Instagram back in December, and ever since we’ve known we had to find out more about the artist behind the artwork. Currently in the early stages of her tattoo apprenticeship at Union Street Tattoo in Devon, Stevie is definitely one to watch!

How long have you been apprenticing? How did you get your apprenticeship?
I started my apprenticeship in October 2019. I’ve always wanted to get into tattooing! I originally started building up a portfolio back in 2014 but unfortunately it wasn’t the right time for me. I had a couple of office jobs but I just really wanted to get into something creative. So I started doing a bit of freelance illustration and greeting card designing in 2017 alongside my day job.

But in 2019, circumstances had changed with my job so I started building up my portfolio for an apprenticeship again! I saw that Union Street Tattoo were advertising for an apprentice, so I popped along with my portfolio and had a lovely chat with the owner, Mark Breed, who later introduced me to Forest Lewis and they offered me the apprenticeship! They’ve both been so welcoming and helpful, it finally all clicked into place, I’m still so stoked!

What advice would you give to anyone wanting to start in the tattoo industry?
Really work on making your portfolio the best it can be! Draw lots and include different styles whilst making the portfolio itself super presentable. Do your research on the tattoo industry and it’s history! Ask for help and advice if you need it.

We love the traditional nature of your work, is this a genre you draw inspiration from?
Definitely, I love traditional tattoos and their history. Traditional tattoos look so clean and bold and bright, I love that. Flowers and colours are also a big inspiration!

How would you describe your style and where would you like to take it?
Bold and colourful! I really love experimenting with different colour palettes. I use a lot of pinks! I’ve tried to not always go for pinks but I love it! I’m really looking forward to trying different styles once I’m tattooing properly, though. In particular dot work, fine line botanical pieces and mandalas.

What do you like to tattoo and what would you like to do more of?
I haven’t actually started tattooing properly yet. So it’s hard to say at this stage. I’ve only done just over a handful of tattoos so far, mainly on myself. A lot of flowers though!

The illustrated hand print we shared on our Instagram

Can you tell us about your own tattoo collection. Do you have a favourite or a list of tattooers you want to get work by?
The majority of my tattoos are by the lovely Gem Carter. I got my first tattoo from Gem when I was 18. I often travel up to her beautiful studio, Black Rose, in North Devon for more! I love every single one! I also have one of Kelly Smith’s peonies and one of Chloe O’Malley’s floral bouquets, I adore both pieces! There are so many other tattooers I’d love to get work by in the future. Including Cassandra Frances, Rabtattoo, Rebecca Vincent and Leonie New, to name a few!

Have tattoos altered how you feel about your body at all?
Definitely! I’ve always struggled with my self esteem and body confidence. Having tattoos has helped me feel more confident in my own skin.

The more I get, the more I admire that my body is all mine to decorate.

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