Rachel has one of the more unusual stories as concerns how she fell into the trade; She was called out at the age of sixteen whilst drawing in a park, by a scout for a new tattoo shop opening up in the area looking to take on some keen learners.

As it transpired, Rachel didn't eventually do a formal apprenticeship; she tried to, but then realized that the people who were meant to be teaching her "did not really have the resources to do so." Her career from thereonin was "haphazard, but fitted right on like a glove." 



Her first tattoo was done at the age of eleven with a pin and a needle, so she says, "While her mum screamed at her in the background to go and do the dishes!". The first machine applied tattoo she did to herself, still only in her teens, on her ankle - a fish design; her first tattoo on someone else, her stepsister, her astrological symbol, the size of a dime; it took her hour whereas now, it'd take three minutes!


This artist has tattooed every single body part you can think of; including private parts, which involved a large handling fee, and which she now refuses to do! Inner parts of the ear, there's something new and strange every day. The funniest tattoo she has ever seen is of that breed..."Urban legend" ink; it was one done of a man with a lawnmower from a bird's eye view, mowing into somebody's very hirsute chest…

She has a worthy repertoire of skill in both traditional Eastern and Western styles, and can veer between Cartoon styles Asian and occidental, her portfolio spilling over with Quirky samples of Squirrels, Skulls, Scissors, Roses & Robots. She says her favourite style is the Hindu, Indian styles, along with traditional Eastern and Japanese. She's best described as a mix; she's inspired by "anything I see that's aesthetically pleasing."
Rachel also does a healthy line in beautifully rendered, captivating pictures, alternatingly blurred and sharp in line and detail, shot through with colour. My favourite of her collection online is definitely the cartoonized rendering of a scarlet heart on a discoloured yellow background, trailing a spatter of rich smeared blood. She also has manga style portraits, skeletons praying to cute little birds and modernized religious icon imagery up there!


When questioned on what she would change about the current scene, she responds with her strong belief that some of the states in the USA need a lot more regulations imposed on tattoo practice, and that there are needs to educate the general public about safety and caution, cross contamination prevention and disease prevention; the tattoo artist in particular needs more care and knowledge, as "they're the people who are bled on every day!"


She wouldn't tattoo anyone who is blatantly rude of disrespectful – anybody who fails to recognize for the time, thought process and effort that should go into a tattoo, the callous and thoughtless, she will not touch. Be sure to behave if you pay her a visit, it will be more than worth it!

http://www.myspace.com/the_tattooed_lady

Credits: Interviewer - Martin McIver, Writer - Rachel Kennedy, Videographer - Steve Goodwin

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