My Deer Tattoo

I have no idea why, but for the last 10 years (at least) I’ve really, really wanted a tattoo of a deer’s head on my thigh. I just think deer (and stags) are magnificent animals and really majestic ♥

It was after following her IG account back in 2017 that I knew I wanted it to be done by the incredibly talented Gee Hawkes. Known for her outstanding line work tattoos and beautiful floral pieces, I knew she’d be the perfect tattooist to make my idea a reality. Then I found out that she had a waiting list as long as the Eiffel Tower, and her books weren’t open very often, so I put my dreams on hold.

Then, in August last year, I got to meet her as she was working at Death’s Door Tattoo alongside Lou who did my potion bottle tattoo 🙂

She was just as lovely as I’d imagined and it reignited my need for her work to be on me forever, so I basically stalked her Instagram until her books reopened at the end of September (booking for Jan-March) and quickly fired off an email, hoping to get a slot! As her weekend slots get booked up super fast, I decided to use up some annual leave so I could be free go on a weekday, which meant I ended up being booked in for Friday 11th January 😀

Since I’d first met her, she’d moved over to Top Boy Tattoo in Hove, so I excitedly travelled there in the afternoon to check out her new studio (and to get tattooed, obviously).

The studio was absolutely massive and looked incredible!! I loved the neon signs and all the plants dotted around! There was a really relaxed vibe about it!

Although I was really specific about what I wanted (she had to be facing right and I wanted some anemones and holly leaves around her neck to tie in with tattoos I already have and I wanted to have a bit of lace work on her antlers), I was still really nervous about seeing my tattoo, because you never know if someone’s vision matches your own. I needn’t have worried though as Gee nailed it perfectly! (Can you spot the design??)

I still hadn’t decided on exact placement on my thigh but I didn’t think she looked like a top thigh deer and looked more like a side thigh deer 😂😂😂 We tried a couple of places and soon settled on the perfect placement 🙂

This was probably my least painful tattoo to date. I don’t know if that’s because line work is different or because Gee is super gentle or because it was on my thigh! I think the tattoo took about an hour and a half in total but the time went so quickly and Gee was so easy to chat to!

Anyway, here’s a photo of my beautiful deer tattoo (freshly inked) 😍❤️🥰

This photo shows the placement a little better:

I’m absolutely in love with my deer and so grateful to Gee for drawing her so beautifully and tattooing it on me ❤️ To give you a rough guide, my tattoo is about hand size (palm to fingertips) and cost £150. I’d definitely recommend Gee if you’re looking for delicate line work and her books will be open again at the end of March 2019 to book in for May-September ❤️

By the way, I use Protect The Hive balm for helping my tattoos heal quickly. I’ve used it on my last two and it’s amazing, plus it smells incredible and it’s vegan!! What more could you want?

What do you think of my deer tattoo? Do you have any tattoos, are you tempted to get one? Let me know in the comments below 🙂 x

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