I am so happy, grateful, and lucky to have worked with the amazing Kat McCulloch, owner of Workhorse, twice this year. First, she did the mandala on my ankle/calf, which is a cover-up. I'm not sure wh... Read More
I am so happy, grateful, and lucky to have worked with the amazing Kat McCulloch, owner of Workhorse, twice this year. First, she did the mandala on my ankle/calf, which is a cover-up. I'm not sure where to begin this review, other than to say my standards/expectations of a tattoo artist have gone way, way up.
For the mandala, I went to Kat with a bunch of vaguely related ideas to cover a tattoo that took up an awkward portion of space. It was pretty challenging, because the original didn't have beautiful proportions, and it included thick, black text about 3/4 inch above and 3/4 below a central image. So I wanted something that didn't get too much bigger than the original, but also made a better use of the allotted space, and which managed to cover all parts of the original. One of the images I brought in included a mandala, and Kat took the basic idea and made it entirely her own, so that the end result was unique and exquisite. During the sessions for the cover-up, I started talking about another tattoo I eventually wanted - a collection of poisonous plants in a botanical illustration drawing style - and Kat's eyes lit up. By the time we were finished with the cover-up, I had gotten so excited about her enthusiasm and how many tattoos in her portfolio matched the exact style I wanted, that we started on the poisonous project just a week or two after finishing the mandala.
I think the end result speaks for itself - I don't need to tell you that she is a perfectionist and a stickler for detail. You can see that in the incredible work she did here.
The Workhorse studio is also incredibly cool. It's in a house, with artists working in different parts of the house, allowing for an experience that is private and comfortable. My sessions included binge watching Netflix shows, listening to podcasts, and even reading. Between the house setting, the drama-free atmosphere, and the friendliness between all of the artists and clients, it feels like entering into a home where everyone in the family just happens to be a great artist. Everything is fully professional, with all the hygiene and equipment you would expect, but with the added level of coziness that I've never experienced in a more traditional shop setting. Read Less