IT was either complete her degree in Fine Arts at Newcastle and become a gallery curator or complete an apprenticeship to become a tattoo artist, and Muswellbrook’s Casey Lee Wright is glad she chose the latter.
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Her own business began when she rented space in a beauty salon and the opportunity arose to rent the whole building.
“I was offered an opportunity and thought ‘why not?’” she said.
Five years on, the owner of local shop Wicked Inklination is still bringing her talent for artistic expression to the people of the Hunter Valley and beyond.
For Casey and her employees, tattooing is more than an occupation, it’s a lifestyle.
“You live and breathe it,” she said.
All the artists at the studio have been creating since they were old enough to hold pencils.
With Casey’s background in fine arts, it makes sense she prefers to design her client’s tattoos free hand.
“[I love] the fact I get to draw for a living,” she said.
“It’s creative and expressive- as well as being able to be social.”
The local tattoo artists work on a lot of people throughout the week and do their best to give the clientele tattoos they love.
While they get people coming back again and again, there are many who choose to go to Wicked Inklination for their very first tattoo.
First time clients vary from 18 year olds to those over 70.
However, Casey said after their first experience, the majority of people revisit to add more tattoos to their collection.
Casey said the most challenging thing about her job can be the creativity on demand.
The team see it as a necessity to be straight forward with people regarding designing a tattoo as it is a permanent artwork and needs to be thought through thoroughly.
“We’re very honest,” Casey said.
Her advice to clients it to make sure you have a passion for the image you want on your body.
Regarding text and symbols, if cannot speak the language and don’t know what something means for certain, don’t get it.
Fellow employee Ben Martin suggested one method for deciding on a piece is sticking a picture on the mirror, and if after three months, it has lost its allure, it’s not for you.
Casey’s own tattoos portray her interests and passions with her favourite being an Edgar Allan Poe portrait done by fellow Wicked Inklination tattoo artist Josh Davis.
Her preferred tattooing styles are cartoon and colourful; or dark, quirky, Gothic imagery.
One of her favourite pieces done on a client so far is an image of Tim Burton’s Corpse Bride on a client from Germany.
The Hunter loves tattoos and it is time the clear skins stepped aside, we want to see a bit of tattoo pride.
Show us your tatts! Send in photographs of your tattoos, we want to know why you got them. Some tattoos tell a story and some are just the remnants of a good time, either way, we want to see them.
Post them to Instagram, Twitter and Facebook with the #HunterInk
Or email your photographs to jessica.brown@fairfaxmedia.com.au and we will add your story to our Hunter Ink gallery.
