Tuesday, April 23, 2013

Featured Tattoo Artist | Zoe Dennis



Name: Zoe Dennis
Age: 30
Location: Melbourne, Australia





What attracted you to tattooing?

I was always interested in tattoos, and getting tattooed. No one in my family had any tattoos, so I was really only getting to see them on people in bands I liked, in the tattoo magazines I was buying, and on strangers. I grew up in a reasonably small town, with no tattoo shop, so I didn't think of tattooing as a job option until after I finished school and 
moved to Melbourne.


How did you get into the industry?

My partner, Matt Wisdom, gave me the chance. I watched him start his tattoo career, and saw how hard it can be in the beginning. I was studying visual arts, but tattooing was what we both loved, and it was very much the main focus in our lives, so eventually I asked him 
to teach me.





How many years have you been tattooing?

I started in 2007, so 5 years. It feels like longer, but I think that's because Matt has been tattooing 11 years and I have been hanging around in the background!


What inspires you?

Tattooers, both current and past, books, photographs, paintings, old prints, vintage advertising, all sorts of things, sometimes it will be a pattern on a piece of fabric or ceramics.





Who are your favourite tattoo artists?

In no order, Rudy Fritsch, Stuart Cripwell, Owen Jensen, Steve Boltz, Andrew McLeod, Bunshin Horitoshi, Rico Daruma, Matt Cunnington, Cap Coleman, and so many more, there are so many amazing tattooers!


How would you describe your tattoo style?

It's my version of Western Traditional, I have all these amazing tattooers to be inspired by, but the designs can't help but come out of my head a bit different to what I am looking at. I do really enjoy doing lots of different styles of tattooing, like traditional Japanese, but mostly I am working with Western Traditional.





What have you learned in your 5 years in the industry?

I have only been tattooing for five years, and I will always be learning, for the rest of my career. But I think the most important things I have learned is to work hard and to enjoy all of it, both the difficult, stressful parts, as well as well as the fun of getting to tattoo people 
for a living, I feel very lucky to get to do that everyday.


What advice do you have to people considering careers in tattooing?

To be ready to work your butt off, before you even start tattooing!





What are some of the best things you have experienced as a result of your tattooing 
career?

Getting to tattoo! But I have got to meet so many lovely people that I don't think I would have had the opportunity to if I hadn't chosen to start tattooing. Of course traveling overseas, and getting tattooed by some of my favourite artists.






Where do you currently tattoo?

I tattoo at Third Eye Tattoo, with an amazing bunch of people. We are at 700 Nicholson St, Fitzroy North, come visit!

I feel very grateful to all the people that have helped me in tattooing, both the people that have taught me directly, and the people that have influenced me without knowing. And of course, the people that come and get tattooed by me, both now and when I first started out. If you would like to see some of my work, you can find me on Instagram, Facebook, zoetattoo.com, and Tumblr.

http://www.thirdeyetattoostudio.com/
http://zoetattoo.tumblr.com/
http://zoetattoo.com/