Geometric, ornamental and dotwork artist Tasha-Leigh Stewart creates detailed blackwork tattoos from her own studio, Kaleidoscope Tattoo Collective, in West Sussex.

Inspired by the intersection of maths and art, Tasha-Leigh has developed her skills over the years to become a globally award-winning artist with her predominantly ornamental blackwork.

We had a chat with Tasha-Leigh Stewart about working alongside her husband, finding geometry in everything around her, and the funniest award she’s won to date!

When you were younger, what did you want to be when you grew up?

The first thing I remember wanting to be was an architect. I don’t really know when that dissipated, but from a young age, art and maths were my greatest passions - I guess that’s how I ended up a geometric tattooist!

Who helped you most at the beginning of your tattoo career?

This one’s a tricky one to answer. Is it okay to say myself? Because all I had for the first couple of years of my career were people telling me I was no good, tearing me down, trying to make me quit. It had to be a passion of mine to overcome those years, and to progress to where I feel am today.

The people I deem that helped me the most were the ones who let me tattoo them in my early days. Without them, I’d be nowhere.

When did you set up Kaleidoscope Tattoo Collective, and how did it come about?

I had a little shop before Kaleidoscope Tattoo Collective, but I grew to despise the name, so decided to rebrand. On doing so, myself and my husband - who is also a tattoo artist - decided to go it together, and thus, Kaleidoscope Tattoo Collective was born.

The name came from a mix of our work; geometric patterning (my style), with abstract watercolours (his style), creates a kaleidoscope.

Who works at Kaleidoscope with you?

Myself and my husband. We work so well together, and Kaleidoscope is like a home away from home for us.

Can you remember the first tattoo you ever did?

I can! I was dating a tattoo artist, and he had a cancellation, so he asked me if I wanted to put my nickname on his scribble leg! He had so many names of friends etc on there, so I thought, why not! It was like an addiction from that moment on, and I never looked back. I was offered an apprenticeship based off that tattoo and the line-work!

How do you think your work has improved since the beginning of your career?

Looking back makes me cringe, but also makes me proud. I unfortunately didn’t have much support in the beginning, so didn’t know much about the industry at all; I really had to submerge myself in it to understand. Over the years I was forced to take it more and more seriously and really concentrate on who I wanted to be as an artist.

I’ve had a couple of major blips along the way – I had a stroke in 2016, and it definitely set my career backwards and took me a long while to feel able again. Fast forward past Covid, and that era really pushed me to understand that this is all I want to do and I’d better knuckle back down!

This past year or so I have taken it more seriously than ever and I’m at the peak of pushing that even further. I spend more time outside work using different art media, travelling and speaking with other artists, which has really helped me gain so much knowledge that I can put into my work.

These days I will finish my piece, then put another 30-60 minutes into it, and that is where the progress happens.

Is there anything you’d love to tattoo that you haven’t had the chance to yet?

A full body suit of geometric, or even just head to toes on the front or back!

Do you freehand or use stencils for your geometric tattoos?

Predominantly stencils, because I want the mathematics to be absolutely second to none in the geometry. I have dabbled a bit with freehand this year and will sometimes do certain body parts freehand, but I try to use stencils where possible. 

Which techniques do you use most often?

I love to try and get a good mix of linework, dot work and stippling into my work. I use stippling as my drop shading, which most will use a mag for, but I just love the way it looks and love stippling! I’ve not really seen it done before either, so I like that it’s different.

Who in the tattoo industry is doing inspiring work right now?

There’s too many to name, but I absolutely love Damian Gorski, Rich Harris, Debora Cherrys, Simon Brown, Little Andy, Anthony Lennox...they all make me want to start my entire body of tattoos again and pick up some colours!

What’s the largest tattoo you’ve ever done?

Probably the back pieces I’ve done.

Where do you get pattern inspiration for your pieces?

Pretty much everywhere I look. I tend to see the geometry in most things and travelling with my work this past year has really shown me some beautiful sites and given me so much inspiration for my work. I’ve been on a bit of a break lately, due to working and travelling so much, but I intend to really try to incorporate all I’ve seen into my 2024 work.

Have you experimented much with colour in your work?

I had a time where I loved to tattoo gems and that was my fill of colour, but it’s just not my passion. Where people see blackwork, I see many, many shades of black, and to me, that is my colour.

Could you please talk us through your workstation?

My FK Irons Flux is my favourite machine, and Killer Ink Stellar cartridges have always been my staple. I use Dynamic Triple Black or Radiant Turbo Black and Dynamic White. Biotat Blush Glide and Hybrid Glide are my go-tos for process butters, Biotat Concentrated Green Soap, and the rest I use are Killer Ink’s own sundries, like cartridge trays, lap cloths, and pink grip tape.

The reason why I use two glides is because the Hybrid is slightly thicker, and I like to leave that on the already-tattooed areas to keep them from drying out while working on another area. It’s also got amazing redness-reducing qualities, so it brings down inflammation while I continue working.

I use the Blush Glide while working on new areas as it’s really good at softening skin ready for linework and that first needle penetration.

They both have genuinely good levels of natural numbing agent which really help with redness, pain and swelling, and I find using these two together a perfect mix for my work!

How do you get into the zone for tattooing?

My life is 100mph, seriously! I have four children, alongside tattooing and actually owning the business. I get about 10 minutes of quiet time before my clients arrive, so I’ve learned to ease into that zone pretty quickly!

How do you relax after a day at work?

Tattooing is very social - for me it is anyway, as I can talk for England! - so I usually like to wind down by going for walks, cooking, reading…or preparing for the next days client, of course, because that’s what I really do after work, and the rest is just a myth.

I do try to fit those things in on my days off though, and moving to the countryside this year has really helped to actually make that a reality.

Do you have any awards you’d like to tell us about?

I’ve won a few awards this year, and I’m particularly proud of that, because I have the biggest imposter syndrome out there! I talk myself out of entering right up until the final moment, where I want the world to swallow me whole.

I think my proudest was winning 1st place in Ornamental, Dotwork and Geometric at my first ever international convention in Spain. Especially because it categorises my work so well. I have awards on my shelves that say “best tribal” for a dot work piece, which always makes me laugh. Blackwork has come a long way!

Will we see you at any tattoo conventions in 2023?

Absolutely. I’ve been invited to some incredible ones, and I cannot wait! There’s a good mix of UK and international ones in 2024.

What does the future hold for Tasha-Leigh Stewart?

Now I’ve finished growing my family, I’m afraid you’ll be seeing a lot more of me out there! I have some exciting things lined up and I can’t wait to share them!

We hope you’ve enjoyed our chat with Tasha-Leigh Stewart! Make sure to check out her work on Instagram and Facebook as well as Kaleidoscope Tattoo Collective, or catch her at a convention in 2024!