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Meet lovely Lollie, piercer, tattoo artist and model from
Conway, Ark. This mid-west firecracker started her apprenticeship
with Mel D. at Inkjunkys and has been piercing as
well as tattooing for over three years and loves every bit of it. When
she's not hitting tattoo conventions across the country and co-hosting
Inksplosion (the only annual tattoo convention in Ark.), this
25-year old likes to model for various companies and is also founder
of Blackheart13, an alternative modeling group.
When did you get your first tattoo?
My big sis in my sorority took me to get my first tattoo when I was nineteen.
I was nervous, the guy started his machine, and I jumped out of the
chair. I almost didn't get tattooed because the sound scared me so much,
but I went through with it. I got the Chinese character for "poetry." It has
since been covered up.
Tell us a little bit about
your tattoos.
Mel D. has done all my work. I
love everything I have, and
regret none of it. My chest is the
Loa, Erzulie, the voodoo goddess of love. My left sleeve is all love imagery: a
love letter, the key to my heart, time flies, a
heart of gold, and a fountain pen with a poison
inkwell. The banner around my wrist reads
amor vincit omnia - Latin for love conquers all
- the rose in the coffin represents love beyond
death.We have begun my right sleeve as well. I
have a portrait of my G[randmother] on the
inside of my right arm and a patchwork heart
with crossed wooden spoon and feather duster
{instead of cross bones} that reads "Moms."
[That's] for all the amazing women out there
who give themselves to raising others.
Any plans for future tattoos?
Of course! I don’t plan to stop until I run out of
skin.
Are there any certain artists you would
like to get tattooed by?
There are a lot of artists I want work by: Dave
Attonito, Robert Pho, Kelly Gormley, Kyle
Cotterman, the list goes on and on.
Do you have any funny work related stories
you'd like to share with us?
Two pretty icky ones really. I pierced a girl one night,
we did a snug and it was fine, no problems at all.
After I finish she says, "I think I'm going to be
sick." I turn to get my trashcan, and as I set it in
front of her she hurls down my fucking leg. I was
wearing shorts that night and she had Mexican for dinner. I just petted her head
with one hand and wiped my leg down with Sanitex with the other. Noxious smell
to say the least. The other gross out was a nose piercing. I was so damn hung over
it was ridiculous but I was a trooper, and I was here at work. So she makes a joke
about not blowing her nose before she came in and I laughed. Well, I clean her nose
with a Q-tip and this stretch Armstrong booger comes out. I mean it stretched out of
her nose. I almost threw up; I had to use Q-tips like forceps to remove it!
What would you say are the piercing trends at the moment?
Here in Ark. it's pretty normal, industrials, noses, navels. Occasionally, we get a nape in or a fun
surface piercing, but it's pretty standard here in the Bible belt.
What are you up to outside of work?
I have a program entitled, Modification Education. I present at colleges and other community gatherings.
The 90-minute program focuses on teaching people what to look for in an artist and a studio.
I have slides of good and bad work, explanation of key terms, and more. I have had articles
published in PAIN magazine and in Gothic Beauty, focusing on how to find a quality artist and the
need for education for the general public. This is my pet project and I have been doing it for about
two years now. I was also recently accepted by H2Ocean as a model for their upcoming Web site,
and they chose other girls from my modeling group as well.
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