New favourite artist found at the V8 Vixens show

My partner and I wandered down to Kustom Lane Gallery in Hawthorn on Sunday. On show were Sara Ray (USA), Leighderhosen (QLD), Isobel Von Finklestein (SA), and local lass Kat Weir.

Beatnik de Milo by Sara Ray

Overall, it is one impressive show - the walls are bulging with lowbrow brilliance, by this fantastic foursome.

For me, the one stand out collection of work was by Leigh Carnachan (aka Leighderhosen). The ex tattoo artist had 18 pieces on show, and we found ourselves constantly going back to them. In fact, we liked them so much, we bought 3!

Leigh in front of some of her works.

Miss Talulah, inspired by the showgirls of vintage Burlesque, both past and present.

Ida the Goose. Watercolour & ink. 5/6 Gangs Of New York series. Former burlesque performer, prostitute & member of The Gophers gang in the 1800s, Hells Kitchen, New York.

DEAD RAIBEADS Watercolour and ink. 2 of 6 Gangs of New York series. . ‘DEAD RAIBEADS (Irish for Dead Rabbits)’ was inspired by John Morrissey also known as ‘Old Smoke’, an Irish bare-knuckle boxer and a Dead Rabbits gang member in New York in the 1850s. Later he became a Democratic State Senator and U.S. Congressman.

The show ends 23 November, Kustom Lane Gallery, Luton Place, just off of Glenferrie Rd.

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Those of you who have tattoos know how addictive they can be. Hence my new inked masterpiece by Danny Young at Tattoo Magic ...


It's a touch old skool, with a bunch of common tattoo motifs plonked together.

The green-eyed beauty is my gorgeous girlfriend.

The scroll says "Eternity" in some Sailor Jerry-like script. The meaning of this is two-fold. Firstly, I hope this whole love thing I'm feeling will be eternal. Secondly, my GF is from Sydney, where a homeless man known as Mr Eternity wrote the word on sidewalks all over the Harbour-side city. He had converted to Christianity, and this was his gentle way of spreading his gospel.

The nautical star is an old sailors' tattoo, which they had inked to help them sail home and protect them. The swallows are also a favourite tattoo motif for sailors. It’s often a sign that land is near. During migrations, swallows are known to travel far out to sea, but would alight on boats when close to land – a welcome sign for the sailor hoping for landfall. It’s a tradition for sailors -- after logging 5,000 miles at sea -- to have the swallow inked. Two swallows proclaims 10,000 sea miles. Since I've travelled a lot more than that, I feel comfortable about sporting the two swallows.

The cherry blossoms is my nod to the amazing tattoos of Japan, where they are a metaphor for life. Bushido, the samurai’s code, takes the cherry blossom as its emblem. The blooming of the cherry tree is the purest manifestation of beauty in Japanese culture, but then the blossom swiftly fades and is scattered by the wind. The essence of Bushido is that the true Samurai lives every day knowing it may well be his last. The cherry blossom is a powerful reminder that life is fleeting and we must live in the present and cherish every waking moment.

I'm swimming in dunnies...

... the kidrobot kind that is.

The last blind box revealed this black beauty by the Japanese graffiti artiste Reach.

This pink masterpiece was inked by JK5, a New York tattoo artist.

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