Pictavia Tattoo

My craft work has always been imbued with Pictish art, and this has naturally led to tattooing; another ancient historical craft.

I spent years exploring traditional handpoke techniques, before joining the Sacred Knot Tattoo team and furthering my skills with machine work too, and learning from some of the best. I guest regularly in North Wales and Edinburgh, as well as having my own small studio in Dumfries & Galloway.

If you'd like to book a tattoo please fill out the contact form or DM me on Instagram.

My main passion in life is learning and sharing my interest in Pictish culture, through my art, giving lectures, podcasts, and working on documentaries.

My work is grounded in my archaeological knowledge of the Picts, taking my inspiration from the historical sources such as the stone carvings, manuscripts, and artefacts. Insular Celtic art (in this case Pictish) has various symbolic elements or formulas to it.

I want my work to reflect these, authentic to the historical examples we have, rather than proliferating a false image that the victorians created.

The Picts were potentially dubbed the "Pictii" meaning the painted people. There are various mentions of them being tattooed, some of them mistranslations, some of them indicating more than we think. You can read about my research into Pictish fashion which includes tattooing HERE.

You can also tune into my lectures with various museums, or podcasts i feature on, or see my tattooing on Alice Roberts latest show; Grounded.