Lynn at Rose Water Tattoos

My main inspirations in the past have always been and continue to be, animals, nature, and their sci-fi and fantasy counterparts. I became exposed to 3D art in college; studying video game animation and learning programs such as maya, z-brush, and softimage. This is a skill that I still appreciate in others, but found too tedious to practice at my leisure. 2D animation was fascinating to learn about and very satisfying to practice, but again, incredibly tedious. Nowadays I am more inclined to paint or sculpt in my free time. Being a forever-student, I seek out classes and am eager to learn new mediums and participate in fine art events, it is even better when this can be accomplished within the tattoo industry. Just this summer I attended a painting workshop hosted by Jeff Gogue in Grants Pass Oregon where I learned about and developed an interest in oil painting. It is an amazing and inspiring experience to practice alternate art forms alongside fellow tattooers.

Although I have respect for more traditional representations of tattooing, such as traditional Japanese or Americana tattooers, my style has emerged from a graphic and illustrative approach. I am hesitant to adopt the ‘neo-traditional’ label, but I suppose that is as close to the truth as anything. My work will typically display solid lines and bold color. The imagery often having a realistic foundation with a stylistic flourish where appropriate.

The first tattoo I ever did was a math formula that held significance to my mom. She got it on the outside of her foot. It was special to me, of course, but nothing artistically satisfying and projects like that are typically something I would avoid at this point in my career. I didn’t do any tattoo work that I felt represented me as an artist, or encompassed any of my style, for the first year or two. I am relatively blind to my own art style, but I know that it has grown and changed throughout the years just as I have. For example, my style as a pen and pencil artist was drastically removed from my style now as a tattooer, as I had to adapt to the ruling of what would make a “good” and long lasting tattoo. This is influenced by the work I see from tattoo artists I admire, as well as things I’m exposed to in my personal life, such as video games and movies.

I am fortunate enough to spend most of my days working on projects that I enjoy. I do a lot of imagery involving things like plants, animals, portraits and would like to continue doing so. However, I would be very happy to steer my portfolio in a less feminine direction. I don’t often get the opportunity to do things with some grit and one of my favorite subjects to draw has always been monsters and mythical creatures. I am itching to do some large scale monster pieces, like a chimera, griffin, or sea dragon.

It is difficult to draw a defining line of what makes a “good” or “bad” tattoo from an artistic stand point; because of the subjective nature of art, everyone will have their own preference. From a technical view however, you can tell a good tattoo by the artist’s ability to translate the client’s desires into a well composed image that compliments the shape of the body part it lies upon. Line consistency and smooth blending are crucial to the way a tattoo will look in the future and a good tattoo is one that your client will be proud to have not only in that moment, but for years to come.

I am not the kind of artist who will whip out designs in ten minutes. I am capable of doing so, but believe the outcome of premeditated work to be of a much higher quality. I research the material brought to me and will often create several drafts portraying different compositional options before finalizing a line drawing for the stencil. Once this is settled, I will often do a tonal study or a color study as well. Depending on the size of the piece, I may insist on a second consultation to discuss the design in depth with my client, before they have their tattoo appointment. I believe this gives them the room to truly communicate how they feel about the art, without compromising simply to meet a deadline or because they’re excited to get tattooed that same day. I aim for long term satisfaction.

Currently, I do not have the time to travel. It has been a very exciting year of getting married, expanding my family by 3 children and a couple pets, re-branding our still relatively new shop, and so forth. We will be honeymooning this year and solidifying our foundation. Rosewater will make more of an impact in the tattoo industry come next year. We aspire to show our work in local shows and to attend conventions both local and international. Keep an eye out!