Run by Dani Rhodes, 31, and her long-time friend Holly Tunnicliffe, 29, Tabula Rasa drips with a sense of artistry and trust. Open-handed and welcoming, this friendly pair are more than happy to answer your what ifs, whys and ‘who’s your best tattoo artist to put a cool portrait of my cat on me?’ Holly and Dani have stood strong in a once was male-dominated industry and created their own place, in their own way. Okay, let’s ask them a question or six.
1. What started you both tattooing?
Dani: “I was always quite creative. I wanted to get into a career with art. I was really into portraits, and realism. I did really well at school with art. I was going to go to uni, and then I got a bit alternative when I was in my teens. Got lots of piercings and stuff. And then I kinda discovered tattoos online, and it was like proper back in the day, like the old internet. I remember going on a website called BMEzine and just seeing tattoos, and I loved how it… to me it was just art. Just on your skin. And I thought that’s a really cool thing to get into. And of course it was when Miami Ink had just started. And it was becoming more for younger people… more accessible. It wasn’t just like ‘Oh, if you’re a wrong un, you’ve got tattoos’, it was more about the art. I got really interested in that, and I thought it’s be really cool to do something where I could draw all day for a living. I’d be myself completely, and also be able to do stuff for people that means something to them as well, and give them something they’ll be able to keep with them forever. I thought that’d be a nice thing to be able to do.” Holly: “I was the same. I was just glued to Miami Ink. There was people on my estate that used to tattoo. My cousin used to be into tattoos, and I used to go to the tattoo shop and watch him get tattooed. I never thought I could really do it as a job, so I dropped out of college and I was just so persistent that I was going to get a tattoo apprenticeship, and that’s what happened.” Photo: Holly Tunnicliffe and Dani Rhodes of Tabula Rasa tattoo studio, Chesterfield
2. How would you describe your styles?
Dani: “We’re all quite different in here, but we’re similar in ways. So I really like realism. Colour and black and grey realism. I do a lot of animal tattoos. I love animal portraits. But I also, on the polar end, I really enjoy doing graphic novel style pieces. Pop culture, stuff like that. But the thing I’ve always been quite good at is animal portraits. So, that’s my favourite.” Holly: “We’ve got someone to cater for every single style. And that’s what we want really. I like doing traditional, neo-traditional watercolour. Neo-traditional is like a new version of traditional, more detailed, a bit more brighter colours.” Dani: “We’ve got Laura who does a lot of anime. We’ve got Tash who does some amazing colour realism. We do quite a lot of styles, so we do cater for everyone.” Photo: Tash Cope, tattoo artist at Tabula Rasa, Chesterfield
3. What advice would you give to someone having their first tattoo?
Holly: “It’s really hard because you want to tell them not to over-think it, but don’t under-think it either. Because if I got covered in stuff I wanted to when I was younger, I’d be having it all lasered off. But some people over-think it as well so they wait years for one, and then they go ‘Oh, I should have had one done sooner’ as soon as they’ve got it.” Dani: “I’d say definitely research your artist. Don’t just go to any studio. Research the studio, see who’s work you like… Got a good reputation. If you’re going in for the tattoo… big breakfast. Make sure you’re in a good headspace. If you’re poorly, don’t come in for a tattoo. Mainly, research who you’re going to. You get a lot of people coming in here that have gone to certain studios, and they’ve gone in with no expectation, and come out and had something that we’ve needed to fix. Make sure you do your research. It’s really important.” Photo: Tash tattooing a disco snail
4. Can people come into the studio for a chat before they decide on a tattoo?
Dani: “We’re always open for consultations. If you want to come and have a chat, that’s fine. Often, before we do a tattoo, we’ll have a sit down and have a consultation first. To make sure they’re happy with what they want, or we can chat about what they want and find the right artist for them. Go through ideas. We want them to have the most comfortable experience they can. We like to get people in first for consultations before their tattoo so they can meet me first, get a feel for the studio. It helps with nerves.” Holly: “We’re quite honest with people, so if somebody comes to me for a certain style, and it’s something I’d not be best for, and there’s somebody better in the studio, we’ll always pass work to each other. You want the customer to have the best tattoo and the best experience.” Photo: Laura Farmer, Dani Rhodes and Holly Tunnicliffe of Tabula Rasa tattoo studio, Chesterfield