Quick Review: Great experience once I got there, not so much before. Found a great young artist who I highly recommend.
Full Review: I had need to be in Buffalo for two one week trips over the course of a month during the late summer of 2017. I decided that getting a tattoo from the area would be a nice way to spend some "me time" in an otherwise really busy schedule. I did some research and found Artemis to be highly recommended on a number of "Best Of" reviews. Since I had always wanted to try a female tattoo artist and Artemis is staffed completely (I think) by women, it seemed like a perfect match.
I called Artemis during my first visit to the area, figuring that I would not be able to get in; I was correct, I could not. However, they provided me with some instructions about sending an email detailing what I wanted done and they pledged to try to match the design with an appropriate artist who had time available on such relatively short notice (my follow up trip was ~2.5 weeks out).
I sent a detailed email, including designs, along with my preferences and thoughts on the designs. This pre-process was the one, albeit minor, complaint that I had with the process at Artemis. Soon after sending the email, I got a call from a receptionist who asked me all the questions that I had already answered in my email. This was sort of a waste of time since I had to restate everything to her, then once again to the artist, even though all the details were in the email.
Appointments were set up. I was scheduled for one, waste of time, 10 minute "consult", and two sessions with whom I assumed was a "B Team" artist. Let me explain these statements. First, I have done this enough times that I do understand the "need" for the consult. Tattoo studies get "all kinds" and they have to be sure that their clients have realistic expectations, especially when they are new. However, the level of detail in my email should have made the 30 minute drive from where I was based for a 10 minute chat about nothing unnecessary. I was also charged a double deposit ($100) for each of the two actual sessions that were scheduled (i.e., $200). Again..."all kinds", so I do understand. And, spoiler alert, the "B Team" comment is going to be the major punch line to this review. As for any good studio, the primary artists are often booked months, sometimes even a year, in advance. So, while I was hoping for time with either Esther or Eyrica, it probably was not surprising that with a 2-2.5 week lead time that I could not get time with either. Instead, I got Kaylee, the "B Team"...and if this is the "B Team" then it is hard to imagine the skill of the "A Team".
Kaylee is a quiet, seemingly introverted woman consistent with her young age of 18. Yes. At my "somewhat" older age of 52, I was going to have two designs done by somebody who could have been my granddaughter (in some regions of the country). I was a bit horrified to learn this but said, "what the hell, it's not like it's forever" (oh, wait, tattoos sort of are!).
Cutting to the punch line, Kaylee is a burgeoning super star. To give context to what I had done, there were two designs, black ink only, one simple and one significantly more complex. She KILLED both (in a good way). She put some redesign effort into the more complex piece, making it cleaner, more executable, and more likely to last. She also scaled it down to a size that made it even more challenging. My philosophy for most designs is to make them as small as is reasonably executable and lasting so that I have as much room as possible to maximize the number of pieces that I can have done over the years: Kaylee achieved this goal.
Kaylee's line work is amazingly steady, solid, and flawless. She executed curls and straight lines to perfection. She also has a light touch that is nonetheless contradictory to the sexist cliche often voiced about potential longevity of designs female tattoo artists execute. She SATURATED the designs and got sufficient ink penetration to ensure these will be bold and impressive for the rest of my lifetime. If you are worried or squeamish about pain, Kaylee minimizes this while still giving you a top quality piece of art that will last.
I can't comment from personal experience on her ability to work in color or shadows. However, for black ink designs, Kaylee's design eye is superb, her hand is rock steady yet light, her attention to detail is superb, she produces clean art that will no doubt be lasting and durable. No offense to the skills of Esther or Eyrica but whenever I am back in town I am Kaylee's client for as long as she chooses to do this. Considering she has only been doing it for a year or two and she is only 18, I can't even imagine the skill that she will possess in five years...ten years. She is awesome and highly recommend her both because of her skill and accessibility, though I am sure the latter will decease as more and more people discover her talent. Thank you, Kaylee! read more
