Our showcase for paintings, drawings and design work by the most creative tattooists on the planet.
This month Joey Ortega, Triple Crown Tattoo, USA. If you would like us to consider your work, please send
Photography: Jenna Kraczek Tattoo Artist: Chris Garcia, Club Tattoo (USA) Make-up: Brittany Leigh Choker necklace: Patricia Margolis Hair: Skyeann
Tell us who you are...
I'm a full-time tattooed model and, as of four months ago, I’m also a full-time mommy to my handsome son Anthony Alexander. I'm a girl who loves to laugh and have a good time, but I always know what my priorities are. Family is something that always comes first for me, and my close friends are of huge importance too. And I absolutely love the ocean. Even though my skin is so pale, I adore being in the sun – with extra SPF 100 to keep my tattoos in mint condition!
What does being heavily tattooed mean to you?
Being heavily tattooed is about being original. I'm an extremely creative person, and having tattoos means I am literally a walking work of art. And it gives me a sense of empowerment knowing that I came up with the individual concept for every single one of my tattoos. Each tiny detail represents an obstacle that I have overcome in my life, or something that I hold close to my heart.
When did you first decide to get tattooed?
When I was 19 years old I saw some really awesome artwork that I would have loved to have got tattooed on me. But I also knew I wanted something that told my own story.
I waited a couple of years and I finally decided to start getting tattooed when I found the right artist: Chris Garcia at Club Tattoo in Las Vegas. We started with my chest piece and went on to my sleeve from there.
How has being heavily tattooed shaped your life?
I knew when I got my first tattoo – my chest piece – that it was only the beginning. I wanted to move on to a full sleeve right away. But I made sure I put a lot of thought into it before I got anything tattooed on me. All my tattoos are meaningful, and they always will be. Everywhere I go, people ask me about my ink and the story behind it. I’d been modelling for about a year before I had any tattoos, but once I started to become heavily tattooed that's when the modelling work really picked up for me. Becoming heavily tattooed has definitely changed my life for the better. And getting recognised all the time for the beautiful tattoos I have on me really does make me happy!
How did you go about choosing your artist?
Such a great question! I knew I wanted to get tattooed by someone amazing – especially for my first tattoo. I remember going into Club Tattoo to see a friend and looking through the digital portfolios they have on display there. I found an image of Trace Cyrus's chest and neck piece that Chris Garcia had done. And I was like, oh my! Now that’s who I want to do my tattoos! I’ll never forget how that image drew me into wanting to get tattooed by Chris.
What inspired your chest piece and sleeve?
When I was younger, my mom bought me a gold locket necklace. It was my favourite piece of jewellery and I never wanted to take it off! I will never forget it. I decided to get it tattooed on me because it means so much to me. My favourite tattoo style is realism, and around the locket are two beautiful realistic roses. And there is a banner at the bottom of my chest piece with lyrics from one of my favourite bands when I was growing up: Underoath. The lyrics say,
“Hey unloving, I will love you.” I honestly couldn't be happier with the way my chest piece came out. Chris captured the way I wanted it to look perfectly. After my chest piece we moved on to my sleeve. It’s all about me growing up – through childhood and into my teenage years. The top half is based around Alice in Wonderland, which was
always one of my favourite stories. There’s a blonde girl sitting in front of an open gate with a bunny next to her, a dark gloomy sky with a clock, and a ‘drink me’ bottle. This is all about taking chances in life – right then and there, when you have the opportunity – because the clock is always ticking. Don’t procrastinate, because you never know when you’ll get that chance again. And the bottom half of my sleeve is the lost city of Atlantis. When I was younger I loved to go swimming and play mermaids. And I would create my own world that was Atlantis! It was always so much fun.
What tattoos do you have planned for the future?
Getting new ink is something that I always look forward to. Some of my next tattoos will be portraits. One of them will be a portrait of my grandmother when she was 18 years old in the 1940s. She was such a huge influence on me when I was growing up, and she still is. She has supported me through everything and I love her so much. She is now 84 years old and looks as beautiful as ever. I’m lucky to still have her in my life. I also plan on covering my other arm with a sleeve, but I’m not sure what I want yet so I will be taking my time with that. And there are many more pieces to come. Can’t wait!
Have you had to deal with any negativity towards your tattoos?
Yes, I’ve had to deal with lots of negativity over the years. When I first got tattooed, I was told by numerous people that I wouldn't be able to pursue the things I wanted in life, or that being tattooed was simply wrong. But I know I’m still the same girl; my tattoos don't change my personality and they don't make me a lesser person. That’s basically how I deal with it. In my modelling work, I’m often told my tattoos don't look real. People think they’re photoshopped on. But that just makes me laugh, because I think it's one of the best compliments about my ink! I have an amazing tattoo artist, and I absolutely love all the work he’s done on me.
And finally, do you have any hidden talents?
I’ve had a lot of experience in managerial roles over the past eight years and I want to go to college to study business management. I would love to take it to the next level and own my own company, or build my own brand. Also... I can Swarovski Stone anything! From phones to license plates, heels, mirrors, sunglasses and laptops... Pretty much anything your heart desires!
Hayley comes from a pretty conservative working class background, with not a single tattoo (or even a passing interest in tattooing) to be found anywhere in her family. However, for some reason, she felt tattooing was where her future lay. “It was simple really. I knew I could draw, copy and colour in really well. In fact at school art was the only subject I was good at. To be honest, I wasn’t very academic; university was just not talked about at all. Even though I had no desire to get tattooed – I just didn’t move in those circles –
tattooing was something I thought I would enjoy and be able to do quite well... and it seemed to be a reachable career goal. Does that sound weird?”
“I also thought that tattooing was going to get a lot bigger than it was back then. It seemed there was so much more that could be done with it. I just went to the local library, trawled through the Yellow Pages and sent out about two hundred letters to all the studios I could find. At the time I wasn’t aware that there were shops like Into You in London
that were so innovative.” But Hayley did end up getting tattooed by Alex Binnie [of Into You]– “his pieces were so fresh, different and modern” – and that exposure to Alex and his work fundamentally changed the way she saw tattooing and her place within it. Hayley has been tattooing for thirteen years now, but she has only been specialising in custom work for the last five years or so. “Large scale design is what I like, and of course that led me to the Japanese style. Seeing Filip Leu’s work really sold me on it. I did do
an apprenticeship at the start, but it was in a studio the size of a stable, with 1970s flash [some of
which Hayley still has]. I was shown the very basics, but I would say I am sixty to seventy percent self taught.”
Hayley thinks of herself as more of a designer than an artist (though of course I would beg to differ...). “I use a lot of reference material, but I end up tampering with it. I’m taking on a few more projects away from the Japanese stuff these days. I do still enjoy that style, but it’s going to be nice
Interview: James Sandercock Pictures: Hayley Hayes