Tattoo Artist Blog
So the eagle-eyed among you may have noticed a lack of newsletter in October. My Grandma fell ill in the UK so I had an emergency trip home for the last three weeks (a huge thank you to my clients who were so good about me having to rearrange). So October's newsletter went to the wayside.
So this is going to be a mega round up of my September and October!
Luckily my absolute warrior of a Nan rallied from pneumonia and sepsis (!!! yeah she was seriously ill, we didn't think she'd make it tbh) to now being well enough to leave hospital and settle into a nursing home for recovery. We are hoping she will improve enough to be able to return to her own home eventually, but her illness has caused memory loss and confusion, so for her own safety she's being taken care of by professionals for a while longer. Luckily she is really happy in the nursing home, the staff there are so wonderful and luckily are ok with her new lack of filter 🙃.
So I'm now back in Toronto, ngl it's really hard to be so far away from my family, but I'm very thankful for my Nan and Mum being technologically savvy enough for me to feel connected. I complain about technology all the time, but really without it I'd be lost.
Annnyway, let's get back to what you're all here for! Tattoo updates….
Tattoo Time
Side note: my Instagram engagement has been tragically low lately, so if you have time to click through and like / comment / share some posts, I’d appreciate it so much 🙂!!!
Aimee
Aimee was my first client of September and she actually got two tattoos!
The first one was a mirror of a tattoo I did 9 years ago!!! It is tricky to replicate a tattoo that is 9 years settled in, but Aimee was sure she wanted to mirror this one rather than do an asymmetric piece, so we relined the OG tattoo just to refine it a little. There will obviously always be a slight difference between the two when done with this amount of time difference, but I think they turned out beautifully.
We also added to her sleeve collection with this freehand gap filler. I love adding to tattoo collections, it's so much fun to figure out how to fill a space, plus I get to check out so many great tattoos 🥰…
Lara
This was such a sweet piece to create for Lara. This is one of her daughter's first drawings (swipe on my IG to see her drawing), plus a gingko leaf because they find them on their walks together 🥹🥹🥹. It was so strange intentional adding imperfections into a tattoo 😂.
And Lara also got a second tattoo! We did this Jerusalem artichoke flower, forget-me-not and a raspberry piece on the same session…
Christine
Christine chose this piece from one of my ‘pre-drawn tattoo designs, and I'm SO elated with how it turned out. I honestly think it was always supposed to be hers, look how amazingly it fits her! I had the absolute best day tattooing her, and she sat amazingly 🥰.
Kelly
Kelly asked me to design her a tattoo that included some of her favourite flora and fauna. A pair of hermit thrush, white pine, bunchberry and a little pearly everlasting. She travelled all the way from Syracuse for this tattoo 🥹 and I'm so happy with how it turned out, the details on the Thrush's were so much fun to work on. More photos, including close-ups here!
Skye
I first met Skye a few years ago when I she organised me presenting some fun drawing workshops with Brampton library!! It was so great to hang out with her again, and i had an absolute blast tattooing her floral // Ghibli piece. She trusted me to freehand the design around her existing paw print (by another artist), and I had so much fun hiding the little soot sprites 🥰🌿
A Family Visit
At this point in September I took a break from tattooing when my Mum, Dad, Aunt and Uncle came to visit me (my Nan was perfectly healthy at this point). I had so much fun being a tourist in Toronto again. Sometimes it's amazing to see the place you live through fresh eyes.
Plus my mum got to finally meet her Grancat in person 🥹🥹🥹 which was a very special moment and Malone absolutely loved her straight way 😭.
During their stay a BIG thing happened! My Mum and Aunt got their first ever tattoos!!!!!!!!! This is a BIG DEAL, I truly never thought it would happen, but they took the plunge at 64 years old, and tattooing them was a completely surreal moment for me. They choose the absolute sweetest tattoo idea and had to have it matching obviously (they are twins after all).
Of course in classic Lu tradition I took the worst photos of their tattoos (I always do this when I tattoo people close to me 🤷🏻 😂)…
But I do think this is a great example of how ‘older’ skin (or very sensitive skin) can look very angry and upset when first tattooed, and settle down perfectly, because I took these photos the next day (which are not particularly well composed, but shows their tattoos much better)….
Mum
Pam
Also these photos are another good example of how different lighting can change photos of tattoos because my Mum and Aunt have exactly the same skin 😂. So big thanks to Mum and Pam for all the good example photos.
Also I was home for three weeks and saw their healed tattoos multiple times and still didn't manage to take photos 🙃🙃🙃.
Here's a couple fun vacation photos…
Kayla
My first client post-family visit was Kayla. I've been lucky enough to tattoo Kayla a bunch over the last (almost) decade, and have soo much fun during out sessions.
This piece is a starting point for a bigger leg project that we'll be adding to over time, and is actually a cover up!!!
Can you figure out what was there before??? Check out my IG for ‘before’ photos 🙂.
Morgan
Morgan wanted her tattoo to remind her of sitting in the July sunshine by the water with her daughter 🥰🌿. And a waterlily is her daughter's birth flower, so we created this beautiful subtle tattoo, I don't think it could be more perfect.
Walker
I am so excited about Walker's sleeve project!!!! Magpies are one of my favourite birds! We got the outlines done in this first session and have another session lined up in a couple of weeks, so you should get an update in my next newsletter 🙂.
Cheyenne
A whip-tailed lizard, arroyo lupine and Arizona poppies for Cheyenne's collection. She wanted this tattoo to remind her of the mornings her and her husband would spot these lizards during their time in Arizona. Y'all know I love a tattoo with a story behind it 🥰.
Plus I got photos of her forearm tattoo three month settled in….
Jayne
During September Jayne sent over this 3 month healed update of her badger and dahlia tattoo, I love how it's settling in 🖤.
October
Meghan
My first client in October was Kayla's sister Meghan! This is the second piece I've added to her patchwork sleeve, and I was so happy when she asked me for a triceratops skull! I love everything dinosaurs. We added the fern and ginkgo leaves as a nod to prehistoric flora, and freehanded them to fit. They flow right over the orca piece we did a lil while ago, check out the pics on my IG.
Cydklaire
In floriography Crocus's represent joy and mirth (spontaneous amusement or gaiety, manifested briefly in laughter - just incase, like me, you didn't know the exact meaning), isn't that such a glorious thing to have tattooed on you 🙂.
I had so much fun researching for Cydklaire's tattoo, especially because she specifically wanted Crocus Sativus and I love drawing specific species of flowers 🥰.
She also trusted me to freehand these! If you want to see the 'before' drawing swipe through THIS post.
Karen
I've tattooed (and collaborated with) Karen's daughter Andrea from Snuff candles, and was so so happy when her Mum decided she also wanted a tattoo from me 🙂.
We designed this blue heron and peony piece in memory of her Mother and Father, and added the compass as a nod to her love for travelling 🥰.
Wanita
Wanita was sent to me by my pal Jenny (@jayinky), for this SUPER fun butt piece!!!! We have a little ways to go with it so I should have a finished update for you guys in my next newsletter.
Butt tattoos are no joke, shockingly painful, but so fn cool!
Jessica
I was so happy to finally finish Jessica's sleeve in October. She had a very unfortunate experience with a creepy tattooer, who left her with a tattoo she hated (under the sunflower). So she came to me to transform it back into a tattoo she loves 🥰. It wasn't an easy task but I am obsessed with how it turned out!!!
I've just realised I haven't posted photos of this one on my IG(!!!) so keep an eye out for more photos soon!!!
Jaclyn
I was so so happy to do this cover up for Jaclyn in October. She persevered through multiple sessions of laser to get her existing tattoo light enough to cover in my style!
Want to see what was there before?? Check out THIS post.
Florence
Florence travelled all the way from FRANCE for her magnolia tattoo!!! I know!!! Don't worry she knew I would be in the UK shortly after her appointment, but she wanted to come to Canada anyway. What an absolute star.
She also trusted me to freehand this piece for her, to see the before drawing check THIS post 🥰. I can't thank her enough for her trust and commitment 🖤. She also gifted me some delicious candied nuts from her hometown 🥹.
Nadia
Talking of travelling, Nadia came up from NYC, and sat like an absolute champ for this piece. It goes right over her shoulder piece too, and she did so so good to complete it in one sitting.
All of these flowers have special meaning for her.... dahlia, delphinium and lignum vitae plus doctor hummingbirds, which are the national bird of Jamaica 🥰🌿. So pretty.
More photos HERE.
Hayley
I loved doing this sun breaking through the clouds piece for Hayley before I left for the UK. I wasn't expecting this project to be this big and I just love how striking it turned out!!!
So freaking cool, right. And yup that's her knee ditch, in case you were wondering 🙂.
UK Guest Spot
While I was back in the UK I did a last minute guest spot with my pals over at Tommy Gun Tattoo in Plymouth. It helped a tonne with financing my unexpected trip, plus tattooing helps me feel stable and in control when things in my life aren't, so I can't thank them enough for always being so good to me, and the clients that wanted last minute tattoos from me!
Lauren
I've known Lauren for what feels like forever at this point, and it was fun to finally tattoo her. I'm obsessed with these iconic leopard print cherries, they make my 2000's-loving heart so happy. And this sunflower heart piece we did in the same session is so pretty 🥰 (excuse the lighting of this photo, I always struggle with photos at guest spots)…
Summer
I got to add some freehand flowers around some existing pieces on Summer's bicep. And see her outer arm piece I did healed too 🙂!!! Again excuse the lighting. It's wild that these two photos were taken in the same spot at the same time 🙃…
Emily
Emily got both her feet tattooed in the same session!!!! What a champ!!! Once again a terrible photo of a totally boss tattoo 😂.
Christina
Do I even need to mention that the photo lighting is terrible at this point? But a very cute addition for Christine who wanted a crow and butterfly to match her fineline olive branch tattoo we did last year, but not too dark a crow. I think we got the perfect balance 🥰….
In Other News
I...
- Saw Lady Gaga!!!!!!!!!! If I've tattooed you in the last few months I probably told you I was going to see her 😂 I was sooo excited and she did not disappoint. She was incredible, the whole performance was mind-blowing but my favourite bit was when the credits rolled like a movie and she listed every person involved with the performance, every single one, even down to the person who created the typeface!!!! Love that.
- Didn't really ‘do’ TIFF (Toronto International Film Festival) this year, but I did spy Paul Mescal on the red carpet for Hamnet.
- Saw Emmanuel Osahor's exhibition at The Power Plant Gallery in Toronto. It was really beautiful and immersive. It has closed now, but you can see photos of it here.
- Actually saw Grayson Perry's tapestry series The Vanity of Small Differences in my hometown, which was very unexpected. It was part of the Remember, Respond, Resist exhibition at The Box.
- Moved on from Zelda BOTW to TOTK, buuuut I dunno if I'm going to get used to it or not 😕.
Malone…
- Met her Grandmas (my aunt is also a Grandma obvs)!!! Obviously she loved them right away!!! It helped that they brought her lots of fun toys and some treats she actually likes 😂.
- Finally used the top of her cat tree I got her for her third birthday (in August)!! She usually takes her time with new things so it's not a surprise, but I was so happy when she finally sat in it, now she sleeps there most nights!
- Another new favourite spot of hers is a sofa cushion that fell on the floor, but now it's hers so I guess it's staying there forever 🤷🏻♀️.
I've been reading...
- A whooole bunch of mediocre romances 🙃 I could do with some recommendations tbh, but check my Good Readsfor everything I didn't love. But some books I did love…
- Vera Wong's Guide to Snooping on a Dead Man // Jesse Q Sutanto - I loved this even more than the first book I think
- Yellowface // RF Kang - I've never hated a main character this much before and couldn't put it down.
- Mate // Ali Hazelwood - I have to stop listening to spicy books on planes 💀
I've been watching...
- Wednesday S2 - So good, I loved it, Morticia being a spicy author was my favourite bit 😂
- Gilmore Girls - (for the millionth time) does anyone else rewatch it every autumn 🤷🏻♀️.
- Begonia - So good, but I hid in my jumper for like 60% of this movie 😂.
- Champions - Such a heartwarming movie - watched it on the plane home.
- K-Pop Demon Hunters - With my littles in England, they know every word, I love it.
I've being drinking (matcha update):
There's barely any matcha in Plymouth 🙃 but I did try Blank Street's Matcha in London, and that was decent! And in Toronto I tried…
- Dineen Coffee Company - Matcha with vanilla syrup, it was good, nothing spectacular but good.
- Aroma espresso matcha - Now this was really REALLY good, probably the best ‘chain’ matcha I've had
- Starbucks matcha with pumpkin spice cream foam - From the secret menu, I didn't like this, matcha and pumpkin spice don't belong together (which is weird because I like the banana bread matcha from Dark Horse and that's very cinnamon heavy 🤷🏻♀️, but hey ho).
That’s all the news I have for now! Thank you so much for reading, for supporting, and for being here,
