About Me
The Gist of It
My name is Sal, I like how neutral it sounds. I am non binary by the way- That´s right, I´m one of those they/thems or Hánns if you speak Icelandic (I don´t speak much of it but hey, I have enough to get by). I have a tendency to ramble, don´t suppose you picked up on that.
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I am originally from Dublin but thanks to Nickelodeon I never acquired the Irish accent (I´m sorry about it too). I´ve always wanted to work in a creative field but just didn´t know what was the best fit for me. I studied Production Design for Stage and Screen, at IADT in Dublin. From there I did a post graduate Erasmus in November 2021 and with very little research done, I chose to come to Iceland. I had a goal of getting into a tattoo studio and I did it. Since then tattooing has been my constant side hustle. I have worked a lot of jobs that I´ll be honest, I was not really qualified for - bartender, zip lining instructor and canoe guide to name but a few.
I am okay with being a bit shit at something until I eventually get the hang of it. I sort of fell into photography by simply having a camera on hand when it was needed and now I take what I would call pretty decent photos. I have always loved to draw and paint and I threw myself into digital art and I am now shamelessly an ipad adult. I want to be a designer one day, of what exactly I am not sure- product design perhaps.
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When I am not adding to my endless supply of tattoo flash or making digital art, I like to knit (another passion rather than skill activity) baking (I´m actually pretty good at this), crafting with my partner and spending time with friends
My Tattoo
Career
I started tattooing in March of 2022. I got lucky with my timing and managed to secure an apprenticeship at a walk in studio in Downtown Reykjavik. I worked there for a year and then moved to another studio to complete my apprenticeship. I threw myself into tattooing full time in 2023. It´s tough to make a name for yourself and posting social media presence has been a big part of that process. I have been tattooing ever since. Sometimes in a studio, sometimes in a cabin in Canada, and sometimes from my home studio.
Photography
I bought my first DSLR camera for a photography module in my second year of university. I got my first gig taking backstage photos for REC Arts first show at the end of 2023. It was just a hobby at the time, and a good way for me to practice. I got my first paid gig taking photos for Art School, an experimental drag show that usually takes place in Lemmy. I have kept taking on gigs whenever I get the chance. I have photographed a lot more drag shows since, as well as comedy performances, projects for Grapevine, Reykjavik Pride and the Reykjavik Fringe Festival. I am always working on ways to improve my skills and diversify my photography portolio.
