Interview with Amy Savage, Jayne Doe Tattoo Shop in Hornchurch
See the full interview with more images in issue 1 – The Launch Issue – of Things & Ink magazine. Order here.

Photo: James from Papercut Pictures

What got you into tattooing? It actually stemmed from an obsession with drawing Disney characters when I was younger. I always wanted to be an animator, then kinda grew out of that. But my love of art remained. Then when I was 16, I had a heavily tattooed boyfriend who suggested I start drawing flash for shops. I did so, until I thought, why do I need the middleman? Surely I can do it myself. It was a slow process, taking years for me to get an apprenticeship. In the mean time I did Art, Art History and Photography A-levels, then a degree in Applied Behavioural Science and Welfare of Animals. This just made me realise I wanted to tattoo even more. Finally, I got an apprenticeship in Kent and my journey began.

How did you practice? I started on fake skin and pig’s skin, then on any of my friends who were willing. We’re still friends, so that’s a good sign.

What influences your style? A lot of neo-traditional work, I also like a lot of animals, which I guess stems from my choice of degree. I’m known as a bit of a cat lady, I do loads of cats. I love doing fox tattoos too.

How would you describe your own style? Very girly. I would like my work to go in a more real direction, so it has a more natural appearance to it, I think somewhere in the middle of neo-traditional and realistic would be perfect.

If you could tattoo anyone, who’d it be? It would have to be Billy Corgan. Smashing Pumpkins are my favourite band in the whole world. If I ever did get to tattoo him, it would be the scariest, but best, situation ever!

If you weren’t a tattoo artist, what would you be? I can’t imagine not being a tattoo artist. But I would maybe have gone down the animal route as a pet behaviourist, specialising in rabbits. I love rabbits, I’d love to do more rabbit tattoos actually.

What’s it like working at Jayne Doe? It is an amazing place to work, none of the people who work here have big egos. It’s important as I tattoo all day – it’s my life, but I love it.

Interview edited by Alexandra Moran

sweethearttattoo.co.uk

The New York Ink Fund that I got for Christmas has been smashed…

I will keep you all posted with pictures, and hopefully Cris will be a fan of Things&Ink, I will definitely be taking some issues for him.

EEEKKK – exciting.

xxxx

Now, I don’t believe it is anyone’s place to judge someone else’s grieving process. In fact, the very act implying this act is a trend or phase around this subject seems disrespectful; this is an act that has been performed amongst those in tattoo culture for over thirty years.

However, there have been concerns. Predominantly, the health implications of this seemingly extreme form of tattooing. Is this safe? Artists say that if, like any tattoo, the proper precautions are taken these commemorative tattoos do not heighten any chances of infection or health risks. Medical professionals do indicate that any time you are putting a foreign substance into your body, you are heightening the chance of infection. Again, the same can be said for any tattoo.

This act of tattooing ashes into the skin is a different process to a normal ink tattoo. The ashes must be baked and ground in order to reduce the residual bone matter which doesn’t turn into a fine dust in the cremation process. Only fine ash can be mixed with ink, so this procedure must be taken into account when considering a commemorative or “ritual” tattoo of this kind. Of course, many artists do not offer this service. Some believe it is morbid, some worry about the health risks. Some just prefer that their art takes a meaning of its own.

Speaking with Nova, who works as a shop girl at Tattoo Zoo in Victoria, Canada gave me an insight to the way that commemorative tattoos are viewed across the world. She offered an alternative perspective from within a tattoo environment. Calling herself an “outside observer” rather than a member of the tattoo industry, she has prepared ashes to be tattooed on three occasions in her six years of working in the studio.

Nova expressed, “I usually explain to people that even though you stick some ashes into some ink, most of it instantly settles to the bottom and later gets disposed of. With the ink. In the trash.” This certainly shows a different perspective on the use of our loved ones ashes; the ink we put in our skin is irrelevant in the bigger picture of tattoos. Tattoos are art, but the ink used is essentially disposable. It is the artist who makes a tattoo special, so involving the ashes of a family member, pet or friend in this process may not be as special as it first seemed.

Nova indicated a strong feeling that, rather than special, she views these tattoos as a little too macabre. “it’s a way to ‘get intimate’ with your departed loved one, but to me it’s just taking a pulverised bit of their bone and trying to put it into your skin.”

I must admit, I agree with her. Although I think the sentiment of ashes to ink commemorative tattoos is beautiful, in its practical usage it’s just not very appealing. Several artists I’ve spoken to even suggested that sometimes customers are told that the ashes are in the tattoo but in fact, they didn’t place them in the ink for reasons stated above. A lot of artists don’t want to deal with it; I agree that the art itself should be the focus of tattoos, rather than the materials used to make it.

To see more on memorial tattoos – rather than commemorative tattoos – see issue Three of Things & Ink, which you can buy here. Page 70 deals with the way in which a childhood pet was memorialised in ink! 

Iconic artist and musician designs exclusive pieces for the Sailor Jerry Clothing line ‘The Flash Collection by Paul Simonon’

Today Sailor Jerry announced The Flash Collection, a series of annual collaborations between Sailor Jerry and like-minded artists inspired by the legendary tattoo flash of Norman ‘Sailor Jerry’ Collins. And first up, it’s Paul Simonon, the legendary man who formed The Clash, with Mick Jones.

Paul will design three limited edition pieces that I cannot wait to get my hands on – a leather jacket, a t-shirt and a neckerchief. Each piece will combine Norman Collins’ iconic flash artwork with Simonon’s signature design style to produce truly iconic and collectable items.

These will be available in a handful of selected stores around the world and on www.sailorjerryclothing.com, in September 2013. So watch this space for more details…eek exciting, and all sounds very exclusive.

In the meantime…watch this video with Paul talking about the collacboration:

For further information on The Flash Collection by Paul Simonon contact follow Sailor Jerry on twitter @sailorjerryUK #flashcollection or on www.facebook.com/sailorjerryUK.

Check out the website too www.sailorjerryclothing.com

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

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/

It’s time to reveal our issue 3 cover star of Things and Ink magazine…

The beautiful Rachel Baldwin stars as Little Red Riding Hood, inspired by one of her most famous tattoos… Read more about it in a full interview with Rachel in the magazine.

Get your copy now thingsandink.com/buy.

Photographer: Stella Morais
Makeup: Keely Reichardt
Hair: Eleanor Robyn
Photo retouching: Lydia Rayner
Cover design: James Gilyead 

And here’s the behind the scenes video by Papercut Pictures. Music by NOFX, as Rachel is a huge fan (see tattoo on Rachel’s arm…)

Things and Ink Cover Shoot (Issue Three) from Papercut Pictures on Vimeo.

If you missed out on issue 1 and 2, you can also purchase them online at thingsandink.com/buy

Maybe their popularity now is due to the young women that were once the target audience of films like Beauty and the Beast, and the Lion King when they were released, and now trying to re-capture the magic felt when we watched them for the first time. Don’t we all know the words to every Disney song ever?

People deal with their love for Disney in many ways – I have a cat named Marie, from the Aristocats, but others lay down their love in a more permanent fashion.

Artists like Beau, a relatively new tattoo artist based in Manchester are tattooing their own interpretations of Disney-love; from the tattooed Little Mermaid, to sleeves dedicated to Duchess. Most of Beau’s work seems to be taken directly from the animated films, which I feel is the best way to cement our disney love.

I asked Beau why she enjoys giving people Disney tattoos, she said, “why I do it…. I simply love Disney, always have, I collect alot of Disney memorabilia, and it’s probably the highlight of every kid’s childhood. No one ever gets bored of Disney. Other passion is tattoos obviously, so combining them both made sense. The girlier and fluffier the better!”

Other artists that are always creating Disney sketches and tattoos include Keely Rutherford, based out of East Side Tattoo in London. Like Beau and other artists who enjoy tattooing Disney, her emphasis is on the girly side of Disney, although she includes Donald and Daisy Duck in her work – characters that aren’t usually included in the girl category which is usually dominated by Disney Princesses, but their work all seems to include frills and lace and love hearts.

They add their own traditional tattoo spin on the classic Disney motif.  

My all-time favourite Disney tattoo has to be the sleeve created for (amazing) artist Jenna Yekic by Paul Marino. Although it isn’t yet finished, Paul has taken some of Jenna’s favourite Disney films and created the scenes in her skin. So far 101 Dalmatians, Bambi and Snow White are forever on her person!

Would you get a Disney Tattoo? What would you want?

Look out for a very special Disney-inspired tattoo in the 3rd issue of Things & Ink, released in May. 

I met the amazing Mo Deeley, from Maltby, Rotherham, at the London Tattoo Convention last year. I fell in love with her. Her attitude, her looks, her gorgeous tattoos. I knew we had to do a shoot with her for Things & Ink and find out her story.

She was a star on shoot day. It was freezing cold in the north of England, but her positive attitude and can-do spirit never faltered.

Here’s some behind the scenes snaps from the shoot by the talented Heather Shuker. Mo even whipped out a tattoo she had done of the launch issue cover. Wow, now that’s dedication to the love of Things & Ink. What a woman.

Read her full interview and take a look at the fabulous pictures in The Face Issue. You can buy from the website thingsandink.com and check out a full list of stockists.

Check out her interview and work  in The Face Issue – get your copy here thingsandink.com

And this tattoo is just one of the reasons we love her. It’s Britney bitch.

Things and Ink Cover Shoot (Issue Two) from Papercut Pictures on Vimeo.

Music by Amanda Mair – ‘Sense’

Starring tattoo artist Cassandra Frances who works at End Times in Leeds.
Photographer: Sam Butt.
Make-up and hair: Keely Reichardt.
Retouching: Lydia Rayner

Buy the face issue here: thingsandink.com/buy free p&p in the UK and we ship worldwide.