A Drop Of Tanya

Name: Tanya

Age: 30

Tell me about yourself: I work in the financial services industry for our insurance division. It's a job, and pays well (so I can get tattoos!) I feel like this is some dating website survey. I love long walks on the beach, my friends and family are super important to me, I love going to all the amazing restaurants has to offer. I consider myself a bit of a foodie. I'm inspired by people's compassion, loyalty and support. My friends accept me for who I am and still love me, even though sometimes I might not always do the right thing. I have a cat, he’s a crazy, special little guy. Seriously I don’t think he’s normal, but I love him anyway and he is my companion. Even when the little guy wakes me up in the middle of the night trying to start a fight with me.

How many tattoos do you have:
6

Age when you got your first tattoo:
18

Do you have a favourite tattoo
Not one favourite, they all have meaning to me

Any more tattoos planned?
Yes my back, no idea what I want, I keep changing my mind, I'm looking for an amazing artist that will just draw something for me, I’d like it to have some meaning but mainly I'm looking for a really feminine piece that suits my body and incorporates the other tattoos I have on my back already. Sounds easier than it actually is...struggling to find someone to collaborate with

Favourite style of tattooing?
I like them all, honestly. They each have their history and background and I find it all fascinating.


Have you ever felt judged, prejudiced against because of your tattoos?
A few guys have turned their noses up, but I don’t really care what other people think.


What is your tattoo story?
The arrow, aka my star sign (Sagittarius) was my first, I thought about it for SSSOOOO long, I honestly agonised over it, it's placement, it's meaning. EVERYTHING! I went and got it done at Highline Tattoo’s (St Kilda Junction) by this big gruff looking biker dude who was the sweetest person you ever met. A girlfriend of mine from high school came with me and I thought I was so cool and tough. At the time, I never thought I would get any more, and if I could do it again, I probably wouldn’t get the same thing. My family hated it, and my grandmother would have disowned me if she ever knew.


The female symbol was my next one, in my head I wanted the curvature of the tattoo to match the arrow, but it didn’t turn out that way. I went back to Highline Tattoo and the same guy to get it, this time my boyfriend came with me. The tattoo was to symbolise the women in my life and how much they mean to me.

The hearts on my wrist are for my grandmother who has passed away, her maiden name was Heart and she was born on the 4^th July so that's why there is four. This tattoo also didn’t turn out like the drawing I had, I kinda wish he had told me it was too small for the detail my drawing had, but now I like that it's not perfect. I love the location and the tattoo as a whole, every time I look at it, I laugh because my Grandmother would HATE it and the rebel in me finds it amusing to dedicate a tattoo to her.

The writing I got a few years ago, I got it backwards because it's a tattoo for me and not anyone else. Basically it's all the things I stand for, believe and are me.

The kisses on my shoulder, or as I so devastatingly realised after I got it done, Four X....FAIL!!! I have only had this a little while and was completely last minute and not thought out (clearly) I’ll probably get this covered or incorporated into my big back piece I plan on getting done. But it was meant to be from my favourite Jeff Buckley song, Lover, you should have come over. My kingdom for a kiss upon her shoulder, originally it was going to be one, higher up on my neck, but the chick didn’t want to do it so high, and I'm grateful for her guidance, but somehow it morphed into four of them. It has started my love affair with colour tattoos.

The writing on my foot; "begin with a single step", or as I lovingly refer to it "gin with sing e step". I love the location, it's a pity it's already fucked, I only got this in December last year for my 30^th so it's only 5mths old. I’ll be getting it touched up when I get my back done, and probably try and get it a bit higher so it doesn’t fade so quick (or at all). This one hurt like hell, plus I have a thing about people touching my feet, so it was a massive psychological battle for me to let this guy hold down my foot and then tattoo it...i got a nickname out of this one...Ole One Shoe, because afterwards we went to get a cider at a pub around the corner and I couldn’t put my shoe on, so I walked around the streets of Perth and into this pub with one shoe on and no one cared. God I love Perth!

A Drop Of Rachel

Name: Rachel Cooper

Age: 24

Tell me about yourself:

I'm an assistant manager for Michael Hill jewellers in Darwin. About to start studying in HR management in my very little spare time.

Am originally from NSW South Coast, but have lived in Victoria for a few years and currently reside in Darwin.

I love travelling, Ive been to USA, England, France, Thailand and New Caledonia. Im going to Canada and back to America later in the year.

I love the outdoors and wildlife, dream in life- to see a moose in the wild (long story). So last year I went on a hiking trip through Yellowstone, Grand Tetons and Glacier National Park. Saw every animal imaginable- including wild grizzly bears but absolutely no moose. So even more of a reason to go back this year.

I'm lucky to have a great lifestyle, I enjoy my job (playing with diamonds all day, what girl wouldn't), a great boyfriend, and living in Darwin I have sunshine every day so days off consist of laying by the pool and relaxing in this very laid back city.

How many tattoos do you have?:

I have 4 tattoos, 3 of which I strongly dislike and got done quite young as a spur of the moment thing, luckily they are quite small- a heart on my hip, a cherub on my lower back with my last name 'Cooper' below it. The only one I love is my pin up girl on my calf.

Age when you got your first tattoo:

15, the tiny heart. I just wanted to see what it was like and my friend was getting one so I lied about my age.

Do you have a favourite tattoo:

My pin up girl, she is wearing 2 peacocks as a dress. On my calf.

Any more tattoos planned?:

Only one more, I will eventually get around to a small simple one behind my ear, either an extremely simple eiffle tower or just the outlining of a swallow. What ever it is it'll have no detailing.

Favourite style of tattooing…background?:

I dont really have any favourite styles. Im not a fan of southern crosses but thats because every second person has one.

Any other modifications? Piercing etc.?:

When I was a teenager I loved piercings so I had my labret, both beauty spots, nose, belly button, tragus and ears. Never at the same time though, Id just mix it up every so often. I now only have my ears though.

Have you ever felt judged, prejudiced against because of your tattoos:

Not at all, I get asked alot about my girl, as there are people out there that think its more of a male style tattoo due to her showing some boob. Most of the time its good feed back though as her colouring is quite vibrant.

What is your tattoo story?:

My cherub and heart dont really have any meaning behind them I was 15 when I got the heat and 16 when I got the cherub. There was no thought behind them and I regret the cherub as its really bad work.  The heart is so small that its not noticeable anyway.

'Cooper' was also a spur of the moment decision, though it was at 2am at Kings Cross after a few too many beverages. I was 19 and having a great night out so decided to get a tatt, I'm not a fan of that one either, I dont mind that its my last name but more so the workmanship and where it is.

My pin up girl was done in Haight Ashbury, San Francisco. I had been thinking about getting a larger tat for a while and have always loved the look of pin up girls and I love peacocks so when I saw her I knew she was the one.

It took 4 hours and hurt like hell as my calf kept on cramping up and twitching.

She has alot of meaning to me because she symbolizes when I was in America, and it was whilst I was there that I decided to completely change my life. When I got back to Australia I left my job, my mortgage and finished up a very unhappy mistake of a marriage and moved up to Darwin. 

So every time I look at her I can remember the strength I had to do all that and now live an amazingly happy life with someone I love.