Being the best Brisbane, Vegan, Pop Culture Tattoo artist blogging // Kirby, Artisan Craft, Weatherproof merch, Tattoo & booking conditions, Burnout and Gratitude

Many thanks friends, familys and digital homies 🩷 How's everyone's existence been going lately on this complex, spinning, chaos flavoured, salt water mega rock

I'm writing these words today to satiate my digital presence for the SEO Gods, create a therepeutic string of consciousness for this blogpost to also go into detail on my latest merch drops as well as touch base briefly on a retrospective, introspective and future persepctive on what's been going on with me

Firstly, so jealous of everyone currently at Dark Mofo! I myself, have been impulsively ready to book a million things this year but reality has me tethered to my local responsibilities and I sadly have to miss out until I'm ready to break these chains

I've promised myself and some of my closest friends I will make it though to the Netherlands for the Easter period next year, which means I have to start saving, planning and booking ahead for that now

There's this festival in the Netherlands called; Roadburn. I've attended with my amazing friends Kai & Asheby years ago after the pandemic restrictions eased, and just havent been able to make it back since. Roadburn, the Netherlands, my Euro friends all mean the world to me, so in the meantime unitl our reunion approaches, I just have to suffer FOMO and understand it's all for the best

That was some great recent feedback on my Artisan Kirb' Flail I just released!! To go into a bit more detail on that;

Essentially, over the passed few years, as I've had to reintroduce myself as an artist and rebuild my skillset from scratch to become secure in my abilities, I've ventured to understand my best medium for perspective (sketch small), reference (preperation), time taken to execute (Keep It Simple Stupid) opportunites considering the final result (render digitally using Vector for linework & keep a decent DPI on it's canvas) and flow (conceptualising with Copic Markers)

If it isn't obvious to most (it will be for others who are invested even slightly in my artistic history) I've tried to keep an on going play every time I branch onto a medium using the character, Kirby

Since I first knew I was going to be investing a part of myself into garment merchandising, I needed a macguffin ( MacGuffin is a plot device that drives the action and motivates the characters in movies, for my circumstance & example, it’s within my branding & merch ) for each new medium

When I knew I needed a website, I used a half toned Kirby holding a knife illustration I did from the meme (IYKYK), half toned for my Webicon on my website, of which I also used the same design scaled to tote bag size for my first completely hand crafted, merchandised tote bags. This being to see the effect of half tones ( Half Tones are a reprographic printing technique that simulates grayscale images using tiny dots or an intermediate tone between light and shadow in art) both minimised then maximised in a polarising perspective to each other

The Kirby Macguffin continued onto my first debut merch line, being a lil smol Kirby face over whole pastel pink garments. This was to experiment with a few things in terms of what little actual print, would carry as much over as possible onto the garment

This was great help in now moving forward on how I can provide comfier merch items on multiple different garments using minimal printing materials

So the recent introduction of this Kirby Macguffin, is an illustration, that was built from ground up, completely hand crafted the whole way, maintaing garment knockout ( Garment Knockout typically refers to an image-editing technique used in custom apparel printing where specific colors are removed from a digital design so the fabric's natural color shows through, reducing ink use and creating a softer print)

So in my case for this Merch lines garment knockout, I've conceptualised this to have the pastel pink of the garment be the pink of the Kirby Flail

I'm currently needing a white underbase for all my CMYK printing for garments (CMYK is a subtractive color model used in color printing. It stands for Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, and Key (Black). It works by layering different percentages of these inks to block light from a white background, creating a full spectrum of colors)

I've kept the background element white being all the stars. So translating this illustration into my design keeping Garment Knockout paramount, was no doubt going to provide me with the comfiest result possible for this next experiment in my merchandising journey

Being Kirby is such an icon of Cosy gaming, the comfort combined with the current weather here in Australia, I knew I wanted the garments to be climate appropriate for my immediate audience, which has us where we have landed now with this Artisan Kirb' Flail merch line

Sadly, my supplier has no pastel Pink AS colour staple long sleeves in pink, so these are all hand dyed and ONLY available for pre order, which finishes at the end of the month in just over a week (as of me typing this blog ✨)

My Camo and weatherproof merch items as well that have coincided with this Kirb' release, I don't have as much clarity to provide. So I'll keep it sweet, simple & consice to what applies there.

For years now I've been wearing the Windbreaker from this Weatherproof Camo Merch drop, just as a personal pleasure for myself. It's honestly the best weather jacket apparel item I've ever used

I've used H&M windbreakers for Euro festivals of which are the same cost to the public, and my item for the same price is infinitely better in all ways imaginable.

I didn't put it out for profit, I know it will give most wide berth due to it's cost, but I know it's value and I simply want it available to share with people. Those who will wear it & need it for weatherproof occasions, I know will agree

The camo items (the hat & the shorts) are also the same, made for me by me, just for my own pleasure. After feeling the results in the wear, I knew I had to share it with any audience that passes through my digital foot print and keep it available, because these are items I couldn't be more confident in as High quality, durable, aestheically awesome wears that will provide maximum long term value to the wearer.

The Camo Surf caps especially, (as they are often sold out due to their popularity) are a rare opportuniy for those reading to help in their decision of scoring yourself one while they are hot. Regardless though of Camo being in vogue currently (and always 'cause Camo print F***in' RULES), this item will more than last the test of time & conditions it's put through

These are all currently on pre order until the end of the month, once pre order finishes, many will remain SOLD OUT, so grab yours ASAP

If you have any queries on any of these merch items or anything at all, hit me up ✨

I'm currently (as of the time writing this here blog) booking from early July onwards for Tattooing here in Brisbane

I'm loving recently my affirmation in self value as I really feel like I'm coming closer to a booking & condition system that perfectly balances results for both myself as the facilitator and artist, as well as for my clients

This is now all translated as well in my updated FAQ/Booking conditions

I do wish I didn't have to have so many booking conditions to keep folks cognisent of, but after years in the game I'm more confident than ever it's what's fair and best for the result at hand for all parties involved

I would say my least favourite part of this world's shitification, is the volume of people I have oblivious to my time's value as well as my work life balance.

I still get enquiries turn into what's similar to Facebook Marketplace insanity and show zero concern for creating extra admin for me instead of just making appointments they can actually attend

To have blind faith in every enquiry & client is what brings me to burn out when I don't always receive the courtesy I feel is bare minimum and I HAVE to protect myself from that & always be present of the danger of Burnout.

So thank you to everyone out there with me on this journey who has secure trust in me, values the process as well as communication & accountability along the way 🙏🏻🫶🏻

Thank you for reading, I've got a lot coming up which has me a little paralysed in my online presence, I'm just living in the mantra of 'it's a marathon note a race' and whenever I can practicing the attitude of gratitude as I venture forwards always

Mad love for any & all who made it this far with me 🤍\