Professionals Tamborine Mountain 
The artist known as Albatross has been a mountain fixture for some time now, dazzling clients with artistic, unique tattoos in her private studio, but only recently has she opened a second shop on Gallery Walk to start spreading the word of her talents. Today we finally get the real story of the mysterious creative mind behind Jungle Ink Tattoo.
by Kyle Hitchmough
How did you get started in tattooing?
My son is my number one fan. I raised him in my art studio, and I never set foot in a tattoo studio prior. I don’t have any tattoos myself. My son basically harassed me until I gave in and set up a tattoo studio! He came to get my first tattoo, and he was talking me through it. He said, “I want you to freehand your self-portrait on me!” He still loves it; it looks like a charcoal sketch. He won’t let me do any touch-ups on it.
Do you have any particular specialties or styles of tattoo you’re known for?
I specialise in realism and hyperrealism which won me a sponsorship. I’d been tattooing for three years, and I produced an outstanding full-colour hyper-realistic snake that caught the attention of my sponsors, Zoo Tattoo. My tattoo life is anything but conventional. I don’t follow the status quo; I do things the way I feel is right for me. I come from over 30 years as a fine artist before I started tattooing. The result that I essentially do fine art in skin.
What goes into an average day’s work for you in your studio?
I’ll set up my studio, have the artwork ready, then go through the session with the client. It’s a very comfortable and easy session, there’s no pressure. I like to provide the very best of service to my client. I want to make sure they’re comfortable, adequately prepared and relaxed. Some of the pieces I do are extremely demanding, so I play it by the piece. When you work on canvas, you’ve got the luxury of doing multiple layers but when it’s on skin, you’re limited. With regards to hyperrealism, each layer comes with a significant amount of pain, so it’s a matter of being able to keep the client in the chair long enough for me to pull that piece off.
Do you have any particular trends in your clientele?
There are those who see their body as a scrapbook and like to put fun stuff all over it, badges, sticker tattoos, I think that’s really groovy, and they look amazing. And then you’ve got people that treat their body more as an art gallery. I have more of those people, that understand and appreciate fine art and want to have that on their body rather than on the wall.
Are you a local? What’s your opinion on the Tamborine Mountain area and community?
Yes! I love them. I really appreciate the locals, they’re wonderful people. That’s why I’m here, the community feel. It’s just a beautiful place, when it’s misty and it’s got that atmosphere that’s so charged, tranquil and otherworldly… it’s an incredible place. I’m so happy to have my studios up here. I’m fortunate because I have clients that travel for me, they fly in from around Australia, which means I can set my studio up wherever. I chose the mountain. It also means they get a little mountain retreat while they’re here for their ink.
Is there anywhere you like to go in particular up here?
I’m a regular at Fox and Hound! I love their beef cheeks. A glass of Five Geese and I’m happy. I usually chill back like I’m back in England doing a little research for my projects.
What do you think your services really provide to the area?
I’m not a tattoo artist, I’m an artist that tattoos. There’s nothing intimidating about me or my setup. I offer both a walk-in shop on the Walk and a luxury private studio, so the locals have the best of both worlds. It adds to the artistic vibe that is here. I look after the locals. If they want something special, I’m happy to do that for them.
What do you enjoy most about doing this?
It’s so exhilarating. It’s a big adrenaline rush for me as well as my client when we’ve just produced something outstanding together. It’s a collaboration and the look on their face when they look in the mirror… I’ve had people break down in tears. Cover-up work, for example, when they’ve been living with something that has been depriving them of their self-esteem and then they come to me, and you see an immediate transformation. To witness my talent, do that for someone is both giving back to the community and living my purpose.
Have you had any particularly memorable moments in tattooing so far?
A man of Aztec descent came to me who really felt disconnected from his ancestry, his land, his culture. He said “I don’t know what it is I need, but I’m lost in this disconnect. I’d also like these covered, can you help me?” I gave him a 3D freehand totemic Aztec chest plate. He was transformed, he went from this shadow of himself, he felt fully charged by it and it completed him.
Is there anything else you’d like to go on the record?
A lot of people ask, “how long have you been tattooing?” What’s more important is the quality of the artwork and the finished piece. The only limitations to how much you can progress as an artist or as a person are the limitations you put on yourself. If you free yourself from those limitations, you can accomplish anything. I feel as if I’ve proved that from where I am now to where I’ve come from and the journey that I’ve taken within such a short time being entirely self-taught.
We are always looking for new topics for our blog. If there’s something you like to see more of, email your suggestions to: social@professionalsserendipity.com.au, or email the writer at kyle.hitchmough@hotmail.com.
