Can you please start by introducing yourself and telling us about your journey as a tattoo artist?
Hey, everyone! My name is Erin, and I’m a tattoo artist and painter from Glastonbury, Somerset. Firstly, thank you so much for featuring me in your magazine. It’s an honour to speak with you.
I have been an artist for as long as I can remember. Some of my earliest memories of tattoos come from seeing the ones on my grandad and listening to the stories behind them. He had an ex-girlfriend’s name tattooed on his arm. When my Granny first saw it, she refused to see him because she thought he already had a girlfriend! Once she discovered that the tattoo belonged to his past, she agreed to see him again. It was the stories carried within those tattoos that first pulled me in and made me want to discover more.
By the age of 13, I knew that I wanted to become a tattoo artist. I watched tattoo programmes on television and bought magazines from the local newsagent. When I asked my teachers how I could get into tattooing, none of them could give me an answer. That was when I realised this was a path I would have to create and follow for myself.
At college, the primary focus was on preparing everyone for university. It felt as though I were the only person who didn’t want to go—all I wanted to do was tattoo! When I was offered a tattoo apprenticeship, I was still encouraged to pursue university instead. However, I was stubborn. I had made my decision, and that was that.
I have now been tattooing for ten years. I love exploring different styles and filling my mind with as much knowledge as possible. I specialise in colour realism and botanical and mystical tattooing. My love of witchcraft, botanical prints, tarot, philosophy, ancient texts and old books provides much of my inspiration. By combining strong colour with the delicacy of botanical art, I have gradually found a style that feels like my own.
You specialise mainly in realism and botanical tattoos. How would you describe your tattoo style, what drew you towards it, and why did you choose it?
The subject I am tattooing inspires me just as much as the style in which I tattoo it. I grew up with stories such as Harry Potter and The Lord of the Rings, and I developed a deep love of witchcraft and magical worlds.
These subjects are accompanied by such rich artwork: mythical creatures, elegant calligraphy, striking portraiture and spellbooks filled with botanical diagrams. As a child, I could lose myself for hours reading about these worlds, replicating their imagery and inventing my own plants and textbooks.
I believe that what we love as children can set us free as adults. When I study, observe and tattoo these magical subjects, I feel free. My style brings together the richness and impact of colour realism with the delicacy, curiosity and storytelling found in botanical and mystical illustration.
Your designs are amazing and original. How do you approach the design process, and where do you find inspiration?
Thank you so much! Every tattoo begins during my morning woodland walk. I explore the magical paths of ancient Avalon and Glastonbury, gathering inspiration from the landscape around me. I photograph, sketch and study what I observe, recording my botanical discoveries in my Woodland Compendium. It is filled with quick sketches, field notes and observations of the natural world. Whenever an idea appears, I write it down. This is where the designs are first born.
I then develop those ideas in my Da Vinci Notebook. This is where I explore my thoughts, reflections, feedback, colour palettes and compositions. From there, I create the final artwork in the Codex.
The Codex holds the finished outcomes before they are translated onto skin. I treat it as a record of my artistic legacy—a home for final concepts and “Codex Plates,” which are my collections of available tattoo designs.
My surroundings are my greatest source of inspiration, and I feel incredibly fortunate to live in a place as magical and steeped in history as Glastonbury.
You’ve taken part in several tattoo conventions and received awards for your work. What do these moments mean to you personally, and how do they shape your journey and motivation?
Awards are wonderful when I win them, but they are not the ultimate goal; they are a bonus. My ambition is much bigger. I want to leave behind a legacy of art and create a world filled with magic and curiosity on the skin of those who carry my work.
Awards are timestamps of achievement, but your legacy is what lives on afterwards.
Conventions are phenomenal opportunities for networking, meeting new people, exchanging ideas and surrounding yourself with artists from whom you can learn. I firmly believe that you have to design your own life and make things happen, rather than waiting for something to happen to you.
You have to put yourself out there, display your strongest work, represent your brand and create pieces that showcase what you are capable of. Work hard, work intelligently and remember that you are your business and your brand—not only a tattoo artist.
Every time I leave a convention, I feel inspired, filled with ideas and excited to return to the studio and create.
You own your own tattoo shop. What led you to create your own space, and what core values does your studio represent?
I have always loved little dens, private spaces, secret rooms and anything tucked away or hidden. My studio is nestled within mysterious Glastonbury, yet it remains easily accessible and thriving.
Perhaps opening it partly came down to my stubbornness and desire to have a place of my own, but with that came creative freedom and privacy. It is somewhere I can find peace and focus, while also welcoming guest artists from whom I can learn and grow. I believe it is important to leave the studio, experience new things and expand your knowledge—and then bring that knowledge home with you to create.
The name Temperance comes from the Major Arcana tarot card. It represents patience, balance, healing, harmony and divine timing.
The studio’s core value is the giving and receiving of respect: respect everyone who walks through the door, and only allow respect to walk through it. Temperance Tattoo is a creative space in which people can learn, share, talk, listen and laugh.
Being a brand ambassador for tattoo-supply companies is a great achievement for any artist. How has this influenced your career?
I’m incredibly grateful for my sponsors, and I’m proud to be part of their teams. The support I have received is more than I could ever have asked for, and it has greatly influenced my career.
Instead of approaching my goal with the mindset of, “I want Killer Ink to sponsor me,” I asked myself, “How do I become the artist Killer Ink would want to sponsor?” Then I challenged myself to step up and become that artist.
That goal encouraged me to leave my comfort zone, improve my work and earn the opportunity. It taught me that achieving something isn’t only about wanting it; it’s about developing yourself into someone capable of carrying it well.
Was there a turning point in your career that significantly improved your work, whether it was related to equipment, education or technique?
Absolutely: January 2024.
I returned to the convention scene and began investing significantly more time in my practice. I had been tattooing for eight years at that point, but I remember telling myself, “Pretend you know nothing.” I returned to the foundations, invested in the machine I had always wanted, and committed myself to listening, learning, watching and getting tattooed—a lot! It became a major turning point. I saw the quality of my work improve, my tattoos began healing better, and I understood my practice more deeply than I ever had before. One of the best things any artist can do is put their ego aside and welcome new knowledge. I also began travelling, attending more conventions, working guest spots and participating in international events. That helped me grow as a person as well as an artist. I became less of a hermit in Glastonbury and started stepping beyond my comfort zone. Whenever an opportunity arose, I showed up.
What do you enjoy most about being a tattoo artist, and what still challenges you the most today?
I love that every day is different. Even when we experience burnout or feel trapped in a repetitive cycle, there can be something exciting within it, because those are often the moments that inspire change. I love being able to create art every day. As clichéd as it may sound, it is true, and I feel incredibly fortunate that my days are filled with my passion. I meet people from many different walks of life, each carrying remarkable stories. What a privilege it is to honour those experiences through a permanent piece of art.
Time management is still one of my greatest challenges. I can keep going and going, and I sometimes struggle to stop. Tattooing is an all-encompassing career because the work doesn’t necessarily finish when you leave the studio.
Rest, recovery and play are just as important as the practice itself. I sometimes forget this and continue until I crash. Making time for stillness and creating space to stop are essential ways of protecting the mind.
Do you have any special or exciting plans in the near future?
Yes! I have an incredible opportunity to set sail with Squid Ink aboard Virgin Voyages, travelling from Athens to Barcelona. I will be tattooing alongside other phenomenal artists aboard Scarlet Lady. I feel incredibly fortunate to travel with my work and experience the world while tattooing—whether on land or at sea.
I also have some wonderful guest spots planned in Scotland and London, as well as exciting collaborative projects with Killer Ink and Tattoo Spray.
How do you like to spend your free time relaxing and recharging outside of tattooing?
I love beginning my morning at the gym. Strength training energises me and helps prepare both my body and mind for the day. Afterwards, I take my dogs on long walks, photographing Glastonbury and the surrounding natural landscape. Those observations often find their way back into my artwork and eventually become tattoos.
Painting and working in my sketchbook are true places of calm for me. I also have several practices that help protect my peace and keep me grounded in high-stress environments, including meditation, journalling and gratitude.
We are currently building a log cabin at home, which will become another special place for me to create, rest and find stillness.
Thank you so much for having me. I’m genuinely grateful for everything you do and for the support you give to us as artists.
Until next time…
Erin
