Artist Bio
I'm Loverat, a tattoo artist originally from south wales, now based in brighton. I make tattoos at @goodcompany.tattoo and make comfy clothes, prints and other things at loverat.store
How do you come up with new ideas and inspiration for your artwork?
I am hugely inspired by traditional tattooing and its history, so I enjoy searching for the references of a similar era that they would have used way back in the day, to create something exciting and new that still has that classic traditional feel.
What is your favourite medium and why?
Obvious choice is tattooing! It's a wonderful fit for me. It allows me to make a living as an artist, but the collaborative nature of it means focus is on the clients. So this means I don't have to be too much in the spotlight. Additionally, collage will always be one of my favourite mediums and I also enjoy painting up flash with ink and watercolour.
What does your typical work day look like?
A typical work day for me would be a quick breakfast, maybe editing or drawing, then down to the studio at 10am, tattooing from 11-maybe 7ish! On my days off I research, draw up customs or flash, work on my store, do life admin or squeeze in some non-art hobbies.
Who are your biggest creative influences? Are there any specific creators whose work inspires you?
The creativity and unmatched hard work of my partner and fellow tattooer Nolsey is an everyday source of inspiration for me. Tattooists like Mr. Preston, Indy Voet, Fidjit (to name just a few) were big inspirations to wanting to pursue tattooing. Theres many traditional tattooers from early-mid 20th century but my biggest influence and probably favourite artist ever is the late Rosie Camanga. Starting as a self taught tattooist in Honolulu in the 1930's, his take on the trad style is folky and human. Drawings are often paired with text, sometimes funny or sarcastic which has a similar vibe to popular "contemporary tattoos" today, he was definitely ahead of his time.
What advice would you give to your younger self starting out?
It's been a long, confusing journey to get to this point, but from the moment I decided I was going to pursue tattooing, it all started to make sense. It has motivated me to overcome severe agoraphobia, and now I'm lucky enough to travel all the time and meet wonderful people.
So to answer your question, I don't know if I would want to give any advice to a younger me. As nice as it would be to avoid all the terrible things and awful people leading up to this point, I think they all played a part in creating the perfect conditions for me to be able to make this life.