A Twenty First Century Tattoo

The first stop on our North West Tour this weekend was spent with renowned dark black and grey artist Arron Raw and his apprentice turned recent junior artist Lewi Morgan. We cover everything from Lewi’s journey from touring musician on the world stage to Arron’s success in the States and the secret to their working relationship. Thank you both for being so open and honest, this was a conversation to remember…

@arronrawtattoo

@lewimorgantattoo

Will, aka Anshin Anshin, is an artist and illustrator from Cheshire, now settled in Brighton and based at it’s longest established studio in the heart of the lanes, Blue Dragon Tattoo. I caught up with him to find out how he creates his bold, distinctive and perfectly executed style.

@anshin_anshin_tattoo

It’s not everyday you come across someone as down to earth as Abi, but this week I had the opportunity to sit down with her (and Zeus 🐶) at her private space in Surrey to learn more about a woman who’s used to being in the public eye. With nearly half a million followers online and an artist through and through I wanted to know what life is like for her now following her appearance on Love Island, moments that have defined her career, how she’s perfected her ornate feminine style and if theres anything she’d have done differently…

@abigaillouisetattoo

@abigaillouiserawlings

I had the pleasure of visiting Mr J Best at Sixty Ink, London this week for an unique insight into his creative journey. Growing up in Reading and moving into London to pursue his tattooing career now spanning over 10 years, we discuss his appearance on MTVs Just Tattoo of Us, his creative vision in a constantly developing industry and how he overcame a failed business venture. I took a lot from this conversation, I hope you can too.

@mrj.best

@sixtyink

@femmefataletattoo

One of the leading traditional tattoo artists in the UK right now, it was a pleasure to sit down with Hudson Tattoo at Lock and Key, Worcester. Marking his 10 years in the industry in 2023, we talk clean, solid tattooing with longevity in mind and breaking down subject matter into its simplest, most recognisable form.

@hudsontattoo

@lockandkeytattoo

Rich Harris produces striking, abstract, colour surrealist pieces all over Europe, and this week I had the opportunity to sit down with him at his studio Dark Horse Collective. Rich’s entrepreneurial mindset and need to create is inspiring, we discuss embarking on his tattoo career in his 30’s, how he sources his references and what he thinks is most important to convey in his work.

@harristattooart

@darkhorsecollective

I had the opportunity to sit down with Jason James this week at Moth and Flame to discuss the inspiration behind his distinct, dark, illustrative style.

18 years deep into the industry, he is no stranger to thinking outside the box; collaborating with global brands and pushing the envelope on what is possible, both inside and out of the industry. Thank you Jason for such an insightful conversation and I hope you as the listener can gain as much from this as I did!

@jason_james_tattoos

@mothandflametattoo

I caught up with Nipper & Martinez ahead of their second collaboration at this years Brighton Tattoo Convention, to learn more about each of the artists behind the work and the key to their working relationship.

Two outstanding and experienced artists in their own right, this conversation was a right laugh and we got to the bottom of some of the real obstacles facing the industry right now. Hands down one of the best conversations to date.

@nipper_tattoo

@martineztattooer

Chris has been in the game for 16 years now, and I visited him at one of his Colchester studios, Six Three Academy to discuss his journey.

A black and grey realism artist focusing on animals and portraiture he opened up Six Three Tattoo; a creative space home to 9 artists and more recently opened up Six Three Academy; hosting seminars with some of the UK’s top artists.

Chris is known for sharing knowledge and positivity within the industry and I enjoyed sitting down to learn just how far the industry has come… and where it’s heading.

@chrissyleetattoo

@sixthreeacademy

@sixthreetattoostudio

Jamie Lee Knott has a meticulous approach to creating his striking neo-traditional pieces. This week I caught up with him at Chapters Tattoo Studio in the Jewellery Quarter, Birmingham to talk hosting seminars, collaborations and how to improve and evolve as both an artist and a person.

@jamieleetattoo

@chapterstattoostudio