I first went to Red Cat studio at their Nanaimo location in 2019, got my second tattoo there. I had a fantastic experience, felt safe, secure, and that I was truly in professional but friendly hands.
So this last week on a business trip in Victoria, when I saw they had a studio a few blocks from my hotel it felt a bit like kismet.
I did a gum-ball machine tattoo to avoid decision paralysis. I liked that there was different styles of tattoos available and that there were examples of what was in each machine visible on the glass. I was happy with the design from my first roll and ended up with a beautifully shaded greyscale butterfly.
The new studio has a funky, artistic, put together energy. Brightly lit with natural light, very clean, and the live plants are a beautiful touch. I feel a need to acknowledge the tattoo benches. Truly the most comfortable seating I've ever had in any studio, supportive, but still well cushioned. I dozed right off and slept through most of my appointment.
Julianna and Dima are both absolute delights. We had a fun chat about my older piece and how well it's held up over the years.
Dima did amazing work on my newest ink, careful attention to details, placement and shading while still being super efficient. I made it out the door with plenty of time before my flight home later, and with a beautiful memento of my trip.
**forgot to take a picture when the tattoo was fresh, its in its healing process and that doesn't make for a good photo. Whoops. read more