KIN COVERED
wport and n board in the ards if attoo. ed people places apan and my own
. y tattooed, fer doing e. st tattoo haps in the I estimate I’ve covered 28 acres of skin during my years in the business. The strangest request I’ve had was when a man asked me to tattoo his will on his back.
“It’s changed a lot since I started – it was never popular at first, but since then there’s been a large influx of talent doing things that had never been done before – the popularity has exceeded my expectations.
“I don’t feel emotional about retiring – tattooists are cold blooded as they cause a lot of discomfort to their customers.”
tooconvention.com ★
THIS weekend saw thousands of ink obsessives get together at The London Tattoo Convention for its 15th anniversary.
Held in London’s Tobacco Dock, visitors at one of the biggest tattoo events in the world had the opportunity to get new designs done by 400 of the most influential artists around – including the oldest tattoo artist in the UK, Doc Price, who retired after the show.
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Punters also watched performances by sexy fire and aerial performers Fuel Girls and Pyrohex, entered competitions and learned of the latest industry trends.
NATASHA WYNARCZYK
met some of the people sporting ink-redible designs... Nikole Lowe is the founder of Good Times Tattoo in Shoreditch, London: faster. I’d actually been tattooing for eight years before I got my first tattoo, as my teacher wouldn’t let me practise on myself!
“Now, I don’t know how many tattoos I have. Both of my arms and my right leg are one piece but I use my left leg as a diary where I have tiny designs I’ve collected over the years – it’s completely chock-a-block now.
“I haven’t regretted any of my tattoos and I think I’ve chosen really wisely.
Some people choose random stuff that won’t necessarily age with them – they think they’ll like it forever but then they grow up and their mind and attitude changes.
“I’ve been able to meet cool people. I’ve tattooed Adam Ant and Boy George – it’s very surreal knowing that famous people have artwork done by me.
“My favourite piece I’ve done has been for the singer and artist Alice Temple – a big realistic skull that fits on her back perfectly. I love it because it looks like it’s always been on her.
“However, the new trend at the minute does seem to be smaller tattoos.
“A lot of people are getting watercolour flowers, little dotted animals and more ‘cutesy’ stuff. The quality of work is amazing these days, and everybody in the industry is so open and helpful.”