Kelsey lives a double life

I was getting my eyebrows and freckles done and I thought it was kind of cool. I was intimidated by body tattooing, but always wanted to do it. I applied for apprenticeships many years ago but wasn’t interested in American Traditional. I brought my portfolio (full of contemporary art) and they’d say you absolutely can’t work here - it’d never work. Cosmetic tattooing felt like a gateway into body tattooing. I’ve fallen in love and now I’m focused on both.

I am genuinely in love with tattooing. It's humbling. It's challenging. I'm connecting with a lot of people and driven by the relationships I have with my clients.

Cosmetic tattoos can sometimes be more emotional and impactful than body tattoos, which is something I would’ve never ever expected. I didn’t realize how important improving a small thing a person sees everyday can increase their confidence. I’ve had a few people reach out to me and say that it’s changed their life and gave them confidence that’s long lasting. That always blows me away. It feels silly that eyebrows have this impact but they kind of do.

Kelsey approaches her art with deep empathy and puts a lot of attention on making sure her clients feel heard

With cosmetic services and any beauty services, it’s not a space I’ve felt very welcome in. As someone who’s queer and kind of fem-presenting - I’m not one of the girlies so I never felt welcome or comfortable in those spaces. There’s a vulnerability to say "Hey there’s this thing about the way I look and I want it to look a little different or improve in some way." Being able to offer that open dialogue and space to work with clients is really important to me. Even for body tattooing it’s the same feeling getting your first tattoo. It’s still really scary walking in to a space to ask for what you want, especially as a woman. For body tattoos, Kelsey handpokes and she pushes herself and the boundaries of what's possible with the needle. "I romanticize having a really basic tool that has limitations. A lot of my work is really large scale. I love the challenge of pushing the medium as far as I can. I'm inspired by artists who do handpoke back pieces or pieces that look like they're done by machine. I'm trying to explore unique ways of using handpoking that makes it look unrecognizable.

I am genuinely in love with tattooing. It's humbling. It's challenging. I'm connecting with a lot of people and driven by the relationships I have with my clients. I'm in awe of all of it and I'm constantly falling in love with it in different ways.

‍@_forgooddays books are open. She’ll be guesting at @nicetrytattoo in NYC this October, but you’ll mostly find her living her double life at @noon.tattoos, a private studio in Toronto.