Tattoo artist celebrates self-expression

Tattoo artist Siobhan Creedon of Jamaica Plain works on Carlo Tarallo of Boston at Roxbury's Darkwave Tattoos. (Tom Herde for The Boston Globe)

There's no such thing as too many tattoos. Ask Siobhan Creedon, a tattoo artist at Darkwave Tattoos in Roxbury, who believes that tattoos are the ultimate form of self-expression and decoration.

No longer just the domain of bikers and sailors, tattoos are unique body art, says Creedon, who sports "ink" from head to toe, from the number "22" on her head (you can't see it now, because her head isn't shaved) to the cat on her foot.

Even her knuckles are tattooed, with the motto "sink or swim," a slogan she added to her hands when she first got her tattooing license two years ago.

"I figure it was one or the other, as far as my tattooing career was concerned."

Creedon, 28, is doing swimmingly now as a tattoo artist, earning about $120 an hour for tattoos ranging from the stereotypical butterfly on the ankle to large torso-sized masterpieces covering an entire chest or back.

Clients from all walks of life stroll into the custom tattoo parlor - "last week we had an anesthesiologist and a stripper in here on the same day," says Creedon.

"The anesthesiologist was getting a koi fish tattoo on his back, and the stripper was putting a tattoo, well, I can't say where; you wouldn't want to print it." She adds, "We see everyone from 18-year-olds to 70-year-olds and up."

The old standbys - crosses, skulls, roses, and even "Mom" are still popular as tattoos, as are the names of loved ones.

"But we have so many people who have the names of their boyfriends or girlfriends tattooed, almost as a sort of totem. They think, 'now that person isn't going to leave me.' But that's not true. We cover as many names as we tattoo," says Creedon.

Creedon's own interest in tattooing started when her mother got her first tattoo. When Creedon was 16, her mother decided to get her children's names tattooed on her upper arm. "Tattooing was still illegal then, so she had someone come to the house. I thought it was the coolest thing ever, my mom getting the tattoo. Needless to say, today, my mom is very supportive of my career."

What is that tattoo on the side of your thigh - it looks like a squirrel in a bike wheel, delivering letters?
I used to work as a bike courier, and I earned the nickname "Squirrel" and "Crouching Squirrel" when I accidentally ran over a squirrel in the Boston Common. I felt awful about it. So this tattoo commemorates my nickname and that incident.

What does it feel like to get a tattoo? Does it hurt?
It can feel like being scratched by a cat, sort of a sharp scraping feeling. It can be even more painful in bony places like your sternum or collarbone, elbow, or rib cage. In the fleshy parts of your body, though, it's usually not too bad.

Let's say I want to get a small daisy tattooed around my toe, like Britney Spears has. What's the procedure?
I work with the client to decide what kind of style of daisy they'd want, sketching out some ideas. The drawing is transferred onto a stencil, and after the skin is cleaned and shaved, an outline of the daisy is transferred onto the skin with special transfer paper. Once that's in place, you can see how the tattoo will look on your body. Then the actual tattooing begins, using sterilized needles that are filled with ink, making the image a permanent part of your skin. The tattoo really comes to life when we add the colors, or shading.

How long does it take to get a tattoo?
I'm working on one now that's a shoulder-to-elbow tattoo, also called "half-sleeve." It's for a kid from Florida, and he wants a train going through an orange grove, with an antique postcard from Florida as a background, on the inside of the arm. It's a custom piece, and it will probably take about 20 hours to do the entire thing. He'll sit for about 4 to 5 hours at a time, for about 5 to 6 sittings. On the other hand, we get walk-ins; people who will come in and out on the same day for a small tattoo.

How did you become a tattoo artist?
I studied illustration and fine art printmaking at Mass. Art, and then apprenticed here at Darkwave. To earn a tattooing license, you need to pass the state test and meet any local board of health requirements. I needed to take classes that covered skin borne pathogens, antimicrobial agents, and cross contamination.

What are some of the unusual tattoos you've done lately?
I don't know what "unusual" is anymore, but this weekend I did a bar of soap on a guy's leg. He's a cyclist, and the grease on the bike chain makes his leg dirty, so hence, a bar of soap. I'm also working on a large owl piece for a woman from Vermont. She's a knitter, and she wanted an owl holding knitting needles. But she didn't want it too cutesy, so the needles have skulls on them.

You mentioned that your mom has tattoos. What about your dad?
No, not yet. But his 50th birthday is coming up, and I think he's going to get a Harley-Davidson tattoo to celebrate.

And you'll be the one to do it, right?
A: Yes, of course. I'll try not to make it hurt too much.