For my first interview, I invited Ruth, a sweet British girl who has the most amazing tattoos by the great Sway and Jemma Jones. I hope you enjoy reading what Ruth says about her collection as much as I enjoyed it.
"I come from a very small town in North Yorkshire where tattoos aren't something you see everyday. As a child I was fascinated by them, and when I started to grow up, I researched more into them.
I knew for my first tattoos I wanted swallows and roses on my chest. I had this idea for about a year, then it got put into place when I turned 18. I met a boy at college who was then my boyfriend (now ex) who introduced me to Sway at Sacred Electric [in Leeds]. I went there with my ex quite a few times. I wasn't old enough to get tattooed as I was 17, but I loved the shop and how amazing Sway's work was. I'm insanely lucky. If it wasn't for that situation and time in my life, I wouldn't have the amazing work I have today.
I booked my first tattoo with Sway four days after my 18th birthday. I'm pretty sure my appointment was at 12pm, and back then it was just Sway tattooing at the shop. I got two swallows and roses on my chest. I remember sitting well but it burning a lot. I remember being insanely nervous, and my mum's reaction at the size of them, and the smell of disinfectant and coughing when Sway put the stencil on. Three years on and they have stayed in perfectly and I still adore them.
My parents massively disapprove tattoos, and I really didn't think I would be back--especially not every month. I had quite big breaks when I started getting tattooed, but for the past two years I've been going to the shop to get tattooed at least once a month.
I have been a loyal customer at Sacred for three years now and just love it there. Everyone is so humble and it's such an amazing shop.
Ruth's sleeve by Sway
Tattoo by Sway // Sway tattooing Ruth
I mainly come up with ideas from old flash, like Bowery flash or Bert Grimm redraws. I am insanely in love with the full bodysuits Bert Grimm and Sailor Jerry did back in the day. They are amazing and show such dedication to the trade. I constantly get inspiration from flash and tattoos on Instagram, but mainly think of my own ideas. Every piece I have has been a custom piece and with that it gives the tattooer a lot of freedom. The only tattoo I spent a long time planning and thinking about was my backpiece, which extends onto my bum and the back of my thighs. I knew I wanted a mendhi bodysuit, but there's not a chance any of my ideas would be as amazing as what Sway drew for me and tattooed.
My bodysuit is my all time favourite, which took four intense sessions. I also love the lovers on my arm (also by Sway) and the baby pram on my shin (by Jemma Jones).
Most of my tattoos are by Sway, but I also have works by Jemma Jones, Joe Ellis and Hannah Pixie Sykes.
I like to stay loyal to Sway and Jemma, as they have been tattooing me for a number of years now and know what I like, and I can trust them fully. However, in the future I would love to get tatooed by Philip Yarnell, Max Kuhn, Rich Hadley and Bert Krak. That's just a few of many. I hope to one day travel around the world getting tattooed. I would love to go to Smith St. Tattoo in Brooklyn.
Ruth's backpiece by Sway // Baby pram by Jemma Jones
Moth by Hannah Snowdon // Lady head by Joe Ellis
I currently have a booking in September with Sway for gap fillers to finish one of my arms, then both will be gap free and totally finished. I also have an appointment with Jemma Jones in October for a Virgin Mary piece on the side of my thigh. I'm trying to fill up my legs, as I've been neglecting them for a long time.
My parents don't like tattoos at all, and it's been the hardest thing about me becoming heavily tattooed. We have had a lot of arguments over the years, which still continue now. They can't understand why I've got so many. That's the hardest part for me, but I'll be moving out of home next year, which will make things easier for them and me, and hopefully one day they may understand.
I'm a catering supervisor for a catering company. Everyone there accepts and loves my tattoos, and my boss is a very open minded person. Even for my birthday the girls I work with bought me an insane tattoo cake because they know how much I love them.
Tattoos by Jemma Jones
Being a tattoed girl, I get two types of attention: positive and negative. A lot of people are nosey and some are fascinated. Wherever you go, if you have a lot of tattoos, people will look at you, but it's worse if you're a woman. I get stared at a lot because I have a fair few now and I think girls who have a lot of coverage do shock people. Living in a small town I do get some abuse about my tattoos. I once had an elderly man at the bus stop stare at me and say I was looking for trouble. I have also being spat at once by another elderly man. But that was a long time ago. I'm pretty thick skinned and know that this world creates narrow minded people. The issue is with them not me. Apart from that, I get a lot of questions on if they hurt and who did them, and to be fair, a lot of positive comments about how well they are done and how good people think they look.
When I was younger I had no confidence and suffered with depression. Putting everything I had into getting tattooed and falling in love with everything about it helped that. I am proud of my body and the work I have, and I love adding to my collection and planning what I'm going to get next. When I got my bodysuit finished, some people said I had an ugly ass etc. I personally just laugh it off and understand it's someone behind a phone or a computer, it's not real. No one would say it to my face. And I sat through those sessions, took the pain. I have stayed very committed to getting tattooed.
Devil by Sway // Works on Ruth's legs by Sway and Jemma
I try to be kind to others on the Internet. Some younger people have come to me with questions about tattoos and I've always responded. I just think people should be kind and humble and encourage others to be kind too.
I would say to girls at 18 that there's no rush to get fully covered. Have fun with it. Skin will be there forever. And don't copy what others are doing because you want to be like them. Get the tattoos for you, not for anyone else, because they are a life mark. Do your research on the artists and even ask tattooers or look for healed photos of the artist's work.
If anyone reading this wants to know where to look for information about tattooers, watch the videos on Vice's channel on YouTube. They have some great ones on Valerie Vargas, Mike Rubendall and Freddy Corbin. I would also recon Ed Hardy 'Tattoo the world' as not many people are aware what he did for tattooing."
Thank you so much, Ruth!
If you wanna see more of the artwork on Ruth, follow her on Instagram @turdfishxoxo
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