Jake and Luke

A pinstriping tattoo on Jake's leg and an owl for Luke.

Fish Tattoo

A client came to me asking for a fish tattoo, (not my normal specialty, but I am capable of creating custom designs of any sort).  After I drew the image I realized it closely resembled a fellow tattoo artists flash; Brandon Holt.  Unconsciously, I had impressed the image of his fish flash into my brain and when it came time to draw the image, I regurgitated what I had established as an icon for a walleye tattoo from my image lexicon.  I made my client aware of the situation and it's resemblance to the fellow tattoo artists flash but he loved the image and decided to go froward with that tattoo.  And here it sits!

Music Should Never Be Harmless

This tattoo on Angela has been in the works for a long time and is finally completed.  The tattoo is an ode to some personal things to her, as well as her love of music.  The quote and concept were Angela's own.

Vaginal Wrench

I was fortunate enough to have a client ask to have one of my paintings tattooed on him today.  The painting is titled "Vaginal Wrench" and is from nearly seven years ago.  I do have prints available for sale of the painting, if interested, please email me; misskitty@misskittytattoo.com

Maizie's chest

This is obviously a work in progress, a simple sacred heart on Maizie's chest.  Hopefully to be completed soon...

Devil's Music Tattoo

This tattoo was commissioned to me as a piece that would represent Orpheus of Greek mythology and embody "the devil's music."  The piece is on the outside of an arm and took only a few hours.  The outer border is a cave of icicles, something the client and I decided would be an aesthetically pleasing addition.

Hallies' side

Hallie's gypsy side piece, a cover-up, after a final addition of some white and some finishing touches.  The picture is a bit low quality, as it is from my phone.

Paintings for sale

Here is a series of paintings I did in the spirit of the Seven Deadly Sins.  I have decided to part with them, they are for sale.  You may message me or send me an email for inquiries.  Misskitty@misskittytattoo.com

The Tattooed Lady: A History

Erika, fellow co-worker, and I will be sponsoring, hosting and doing a question and answer session for the event of the book release of "The Tattooed Lady: A History," by Amelia Osterud.  The event will be held this January 31, 2010 at Magers and Quinn Booksellers in uptown, at 5pm.  We will be representing not only tattooed ladies, but women of the tattoo industry.  The information is also listed on my website.  

The event information:

Today, almost a quarter of Americans now have tattoos. Yet there was a time--not very long ago at all--when tattoos were not at all acceptable in mainstream society. To be tattooed was to be an outcast and a freak. Many women found freedom in their decorations, traveling the country, performing nearly nude on carnival stages, making a living as "The Tattooed Lady."

The first book of its kind, The Tattooed Lady: A History uncovers the true stories behind these tattooed women of the circus sideshow, bringing them out of the sideshow and examining their working-class lives. These gutsy women spun amazing tall tales about abductions and forced tattooing at the hands of savages, but shared little of their real lives, and though they spawned a cultural acceptance of tattooing that we still see today, they have largely faded into history. Combining thorough research with more than a hundred historical photos, this lushly illustrated social history reveals tattoo origins, women’s history, and circus lore. The Tattooed Lady uncovers the remarkable women of the sideshow--many of whom were born and lived in the Midwest. 

Amelia Klem Osterud is a tattooed academic librarian from Milwaukee, Wisconsin. She has a Masters in history from University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and writes and lectures on the subject. The Tattooed Lady is her first book. Visit her blog at www.tattooedladyhistory.vox.com.

She'll be reading at Magers & Quinn Booksellers (3038 Hennepin Ave S; 612/822-4611), Sunday, January 31, at 5:00pm. This event is free and open to the public. Amelia Oterud's appearance is co-sponsored by Live Fast Die Young Tattoos.