A Pioneer in Water Color Tattooing Amanda Wachob is a New York City-based artist who is internationally known for her innovative and conceptual work with the tattoo medium. Her canvases include fruit, leather, linen, and skin. She has done projects with The Metropolitan Museum of Art, the New Museum, the Museum of Arts and Design, The Clyfford Still Museum, the Rubin Museum of Art, The Museum of Contemporary Art Denver, and The Whitney. Pioneering the watercolor tattoo movement and actively bridging the gap between tattooing and fine art, she has exhibited her work in galleries and museums worldwide. In an interview with Coveteur she stated, “Initially people thought that I was totally insane. [They] didn’t really understand what I was trying to do, especially when I started to make a lot of the abstract work. I had the idea that perhaps an abstract image is more capable of representing something intangible, like an emotion, since so much of who we are is an abstract thought. People would bring in a photograph of a flower from their garden and want it to look like [that]. It didn’t make sense for me to make [the tattoo] resemble a cartoon and throw a black outline around it. It was a very intentional act of rebellion and defiance against my industry to work that way. There is a lot of group-think, and it’s actually very conservative. There are right ways to do things, and there are wrong ways to do things." Watercolor Tattoos: These days, her method for creating some of the larger abstract tattoos begins with a painting for each person. “I tell people I’ll make three, but I usually wind up making ten to fifteen. I always ask [them] to bring a reference for me, [like] a photograph of a sunset, or a piece of fabric—anything that contains the colors they’d like to see in their tattoo so I can get a better sense of what they want.” I actually discovered her work back when I was in high school circa 2015. As a watercolor artist myself and a tattoo blogger at the time, I always found her work to be fascinating. Watercolor on skin!? What a concept. She goes on to say that, "[I love] just about anything involving a tattoo needle. On canvas, some fruit. I love the weight of the machine now. I feel like it grounds me." Alternative Canvases: I love her description of the marbled canvas, "This painting is a surrealistic technique called decalcomania. Max Ernst was one of the painters that used this technique. It’s kind of like a Rorschach." If you're here you know I am always looking for crossovers between psychology and art so it was exciting to find that connection point with Amanda's work. How often can one say that you and an artist that has inspired you both made works (while unaware of each other's project) that were inspired by the same thing [Rorschach's Ink Blots]?
I have to mention one more set of work by Amanda before ending this post because it has been one of my favorite tattoo series by her thus far. Protective Evil Eye Talismans:
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The Founding Father of Neuroscience was an Artist Santiago Ramón y Cajal was first and foremost an artist who later fell in love with the human body. With what little money he did have he set up a laboratory where he could study body tissue under his microscope. After discovering Camillo Golgi's method, a way to stain neurons, Cajal worked to perfect the method in order to creating accurate depictions to illustrate his papers. "Santiago Ramón y Cajal used drawing... as a vital way of thinking out loud, of giving form to ideas, of making arguments and fleshing out theories around the skeleton of observations."
--Maria Popova Through countless hours of observations, he came up with the idea that there was a gap separating neurons in which allowed for communication. This would later be named the synapse by Charles Sherrington. Cajal and Golgi went on to win the Nobel Prize in 1906 for their work on the structure of the Nervous System. His autobiography "Cajal: Recollections of My Life" was divided into two parts discussing his art and scientific career. Cajal was a true Renaissance Man and an inspiration to me personally. Sources: 1. 2. A Pioneer in Ceramics Gary Holt, an artist and owner of a pottery studio in California, uses a technique called “setting the color” in which his porcelain pieces have to be bisque fired between each layer of water-soluble metal salt (WSMS) application. Compared to traditional glazes, WSMS are simpler solutions and can be applied in a similar manner as watercolor. Holt, has been perfecting his method for more than twenty years and developed it through trial-and-error since research on WSMS was slim. Holt’s work has a colorful yet muted palette with soft brush strokes. There is an air of simplicity and serenity due to the organic nature of the forms.
I want to focus in on the first piece in the photo set above for a moment. It, much like the others, has a gentle presence about it and really highlights the salt marking effect. I was drawn to this piece because it reminds me of Wassily Kandinsky’s “Several Circles” (1926). Like Wassily, Holt’s piece has several orb forms and makes use of muted blues and pinks. The delicacy of his hand is very obvious and the time spent on each one is undeniable. Holt is a pioneer in his modern technique for application of the water-soluble metal salts and his work has left a mark on both ceramics as an art form and me personally. Pieces can be purchased from his studio Gary Holt Ceramics. 1449 Fifth St, Berkeley, CA 94710 Sources: 1. Blythe Mayfield (left)- Art Therapist at Solomon Family Solutions in Cleveland, TN Brooke Montague (right) - Art Expressionist at the Hart Gallery in Chattanooga, TN Tell me about what a job in your field really entails:
always changing. On Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays I usually have sessions in studio with individuals and then I go over to the office for supervised visitations. Wednesdays I got to Sweetwater and do Art Therapy at that branch with kids and families. On Fridays I go to two different schools and do groups there. Right now I work everyday of the week. Montague: The Hart Gallery is my base. I always come here to gather supplies and plan groups. As an Art Therapist I travel out into the community. I go to a lot of different places so it's never the same people or the same art process that I’m doing. My career as an Art Therapist pretty much varies depending on what I am doing from day to day. I am always challenged and on my toes.
are struggling (with mental illness or personal turmoil) so they are not at the most stable time in their life. Montague: A knowledge of art and how to make art. Very good listening skills, I do a lot of active listening. A lot of people close their ears to the homeless or those with mental illness. I think maybe that is one of the most profound experiences I can offer is to truly listen. I use all of the knowledge I gained in Graduate School and in life experience. Compassion. Good boundaries. How to facilitate groups. Crisis Management. Stress Relief.
seeing for many many months and I can only do so much within the hour with him. Knowing that at the end of the hour I have to send him home to an environment that’s not good for him legally or ethically. Basically just having to trust that what I’m doing is helpful. Also, I’ll be honest due to the lack of insurance I don’t have the benefits of paid time off. I don’t know how much I’ll be taking in weekly or monthly. However, I would still take this job any day because it is so fulfilling. Montague: Some of the physical part to traveling with art materials. I’m almost 50 and physically it's getting harder. I’ve been carrying art supplies out into the community since I was in my 30s. Sometimes just remaining calm and neutral when people are not at their best because you may have the best intention of helping and people can still see you as the enemy. To see each individual that comes before me with fresh eyes, sometimes when you’ve been doing something for a long time you forget to see the individual and you may make assumptions about people that are not true. You have to keep that in check.
expectation of working a full day and then a client will call in and cancel since there’s no penalty. Montague: I have two children and parents so I am in that sandwich where I take care of children and parents. Working full time is not an option for me. My Thursdays are very long days, I work 12 hours on those days when I have groups after work. My average day is between 8 and 10 hours. I work Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and occasional Saturdays. I work under 40 hours a week. Tell me about your career path:
not do a minor. Montague: I had a bachelor in Fine Arts, Drawing, and Painting. My minor was in Psychology.
Indianapolis. I was also able to get overrides for some of my courses through additional internships through the hospital. Montague: Yes, the way I discovered what I wanted to do was when I was studying abroad. As soon as I came back to the University of Georgia in the States I enrolled in as many Expressive Therapies courses as I could. I attended workshops where I knew Art Therapists were presenting. Meeting them, asking them questions, learning what they did. I took all the steps necessary to research Graduate Programs and volunteering in the community as much as I could with Art Therapists or people who were doing community art.
work but trusting that it is making a difference and it is helping because it does come back but it might be years later. Montague: Experience. Time.
Montague: My Masters was in a dual program at a small private Catholic college in Belmont California called the College of Notre Dame so I have my Masters in Art Therapy and Marriage/Family/Child Counseling. I’m a Chattanooga native, I left at 18 and came back at 30. Tell me about preparing for a career in this field:
with people first hand. As far as courses go probably Abnormal Psychology. Montague: My studio art classes where I learned how to use all the materials. You can not facilitate another person on the creative process if you do not know how the materials work. My psychology classes helped me better understand human behavior especially Abnormal Psychology.
they don’t usually understand it. In that situation I will say let me do a session for free so people can get a grasp on the process and that it's not just arts and crafts. Once they can see what it is they are with it and on board. There aren’t a lot of Art Therapy jobs posted. It is very rare to find anything posted, usually jobs will call for a recreational therapist because it's kind of an umbrella term. Montague: I am not licensed and registered in Tennessee. It has not thwarted me but I can say I have a Master’s Degree in Art Therapy but I have to call what I do Art Expression. It has not been a problem for me since I am very good at what I do. I feel confident in what I do will be spread through word of mouth.
and Ethics. Montague: Yes. A lot of my Master’s training was surrounding Ethics. The number one thing as a therapist is to do no harm. You have to learn boundaries, what’s appropriate, transference, and countertransference. It’s very important to know when you are working with someone’s emotional state. You can do damage if you push someone when their psyche is not ready. I think that is the most important thing: to not push a person past what their defenses are ready to do.
credibility. Montague: No. I probably will now that things have settled down. What other insight can you give to someone pursuing this field of study: Mayfield: I would say it needs to be something you are passionate about. You will have to trust
that work will come but you’ll probably have to educate people on it along the way. It’s not easy. You won’t go out for a position labeled Art Therapist and clock in at 9 o’clock everyday. It takes a lot of flexibility and faith. Montague: It’s very important to be able to write grants. A lot of young people when asking me about a degree and what they should pursue, unless you’re good at writing grants and figuring out how to produce an income in order to do what you love to do, you might choose something that allows you to bill insurance. Often times if someone is very interested in Art Therapy in Tennessee I recommend that maybe they pursue Occupational Therapy where their hours can be billed and put their focus on art. It just makes it a little bit easier on how you get paid. Make sure that you are passionate so that you want to show up. Serving others is draining and requires a lot of energy. Always take care of yourself so that you don’t get burned out and depleted. Part of my Graduate program requirements were that I be under the care of a therapist. Chiara Bautista aka "Milk" is a 38 year old Mexican artist currently residing in Tucson, Arizona. She has a bachelor's degree in Graphic Design and worked as an illustrator for many years at Arizona Daily Star (newspaper). While her color usage and unique style is phenomenal the part of her work that draws in so many admirers stems from the characters and heart-wrenching stories she has created. The Mermaid and the Skeletal Crow: The Bunny and the Wolf: The Octopus and the Man: When asked where her inspiration for the characters came from she replied, "The characters and their ongoing stories are made as gifts for people I love. They are usually born from conversations, most of them from a single sentence said at the right time." Chiara and her muse, Ilka, have held an online relationship for years but never officially met. It is speculated that the emotion people feel when looking at her work is that of her own personal sorrow due to a long distance relationship. It is also apparent that her love of music and religious background play a role in some of the works.
Where exactly did she start? This is what she had to say when asked a similar question, "I've always liked drawing and painting, and since I was a little girl I knew I wanted to work on something related to that field. As for my personal work, I create the illustrations in order to work as part of a small conversation and use them to express something I can't find the right words for. After more than a decade of condensing big amounts of text into single images on a daily basis, I find using visual communication as normal as any other language. We can say things through music, words and actions. I'm one of those who like to say it using figures and colors." Like writing a paper her work consists of many revisions and refinements, "I always start with something I need to say, usually a feeling I can't put into words, and that's why I have to use images. I never sketch a final version of an illustration because I always end changing almost everything. My work process is messy and I go back and forth, changing stuff constantly while I'm working. It's like... when you're writing an email to an ex-boyfriend, and you have to go back and read again that last paragraph, and after reading it a couple of times you change something here and there because you don't want him to misunderstand your words. Yes, it's just like that. My [messy] work process includes: pencil & paper, a basic sketch of the main layer, scanner, computer, a vector program (Freehand Mx/Adobe Illustrator), and Adobe Photoshop." Bautista is quite the elusive artist, giving little insight into her personal life, and no one is quite sure what she looks like either. She currently has many projects in process and would love to pursue comic books and graphic novels in the future. If you are interested in seeing more you can check out her Facebook page. Sources: 1. 2. 3. |
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February 2021
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