Cassie Chaos - NSW Model

Tell us a bit about yourself for those that doesn’t know you?

I was a mechanic in the army for just under seven years. I’m a mum and have recently started my career as an apprentice tattooer. I remember being completely infatuated with tattoos from at least my early teens and thinking they were so cool. In the 20 odd years since then not much has changed.

When did you get your first tattoo, describe it and have you added anything to the tattoo?

My first tattoo was the cross I have on my chest. I was 16 and was for my dad who passed away when I was 10. I got the dragon around the cross a couple of years later.

Then there is the eagle in flight mode on the other side, any meaning behind this one?

That was done by Genji at the Dead Man’s Hand in 2017 while I was posted to Townsville with the army. I’ve always been drawn to to traditional and neo traditional imagery and I think a lot of my tattoos lean into that.

Let us then move to your arms, there seems to be a battle going on there and a different dragon. Can you explain the tattoo and what it represents to you?

Absolutely nothing! I got it when I was 18 and will probably get it blasted over in the somewhat near future

On the left upper arm there is an owl next to a portrait of a woman. Is there a story to that one?

Again, no real meaning, I had gotten a lady holding a skull on my forearm earlier. The design was based off the work of Rik Lee and I felt it matched the style and flowed with what I had going on already. The Medusa I added a few years later, I’d seen a few of them done around that time and I really liked them.

Moving right along let us go straight to your left quadricep with the tattoo of Barbara Eden from I Dream of Jeannie. What made you so fascinated by her that you had to have her tattooed on you?

She was done by Halo back in the late 2000’s when he came out from the states. I feel like there are very few tattoos I have that hold any significant meaning as such, I definitely did love Jeannie growing up but I don’t really remember how we settled on her.

Then there is another woman with snakes, is this becoming a common theme or has a different meaning to the one on your hand?

That was done by my friend Bree Rennie. She is a tattooer I really look up to and has been so kind and supportive since I started in the industry. I’ve gotten to the point where the space I have left I’m saving for friends and people I look up to. Subject matter doesn’t matter to much as the opportunity to get tattooed by those people.

Tell us about the tattoos on your right leg, they seem pretty straight forward but yet again with some distinct meanings. Care to elaborate?

My right leg has so many random bangers some from friends while they have been apprenticing, a few I’ve done on myself and some ornamental stuff

Time to move to your back, is that a Coat of Arms and if so which ones and what do they represent to you?

It’s my family’s Coat of Arms, another one I got when I was really young. I am currently in the process of having everything on my back lasered to start a new back piece.

Then there is another Medusa, this one not coloured at the time of photo shoot. Are you or have you added colour to it since?

That was done by a close friend of mine Sasha King. We are actually looking at finding somewhere else to put it in the future.

On the other side we have a script, Sammy with some dates. This obviously is something personal to you?

Sammy is a childhood friend of mine who passed away suddenly during Covid while I was stuck up in Townsville. It was a tough and isolating period of my life, designing that tattoo really helped me through my grieving process. The shark tattoo there is a part of Sammy’s memorial tattoo, he was a massive sharks fan.

Is there any tattoos that we have missed that you would like to explain about?

In between doing the shoot and the interview I had a Ben Corday re-paint tattooed on my right knee by my friend Jake Straat while he was down from Cairns guesting at New Traditions. Jake is a great guy and absolute workhorse who’s constantly painting flash, travelling and tattooing. It meant a lot to be tattooed by someone I have so much respect for.

Which is your favourite tattoo that you have had done, please describe it and what sort of meaning it has for you?

I recently did a traditional eagle on a hamstring that was the biggest thing I’ve tattooed to date, I’m definitely my own worst critic and will try and pick everything apart but I was really happy throughout the entire process and with how it turned out.

What is the most painful tattoo you have had done, please describe the tattoo and its meaning. How many sessions did it take to complete?

The three most painful spots I’ve had tattooed were probably my collarbones, the tops of my hamstrings and my knee ditches. Still comes nowhere near how much laser on my back rattles me.

Your next tattoo, what have you decided on and where on your body is it going plus what type of meaning does it have for you?

I have a rough idea of what I’m going to do with the rest of the space I have left, as to what will actually be my next tattoo I’m not sure. Possibly some cute adornments on my feet. You have probably already guessed but it has no meaning.

Let’s move away from your tattoos and into the realm of you being a tattoo artist. As a kid, what type of stuff did you draw? What art were you inspired by and why?

When I was younger, I mostly drew cartoons that I was into. In my teens I was buying tattoo magazines from the newsagents and trying to draw the designs on my arm in class. I’d say from around then is probably when I first started really becoming drawn to traditional and neo traditional designs.

What was the first tattoo you ever made and how much do you feel you have either improved so far?

The first tattoo I ever made was a graffiti “S” on my partners ankle. I had absolutely no idea what I was doing and the entire thing is basically one big blowout. I’ve improved a lot since then but I’m still very early into my career and have a long way to go. Right now, I’m just focused on getting the fundamentals right and making consistent, solid tattoos.

As an apprentice have you studied with one particular studio or moved around trying to find out where you fit in and empower your growing style?

The studio I started at has since closed, unfortunately I had no positive experiences there and was given no guidance or mentorship and was often left in the shop on my own That said it was a foot in the door and gave me a space where I could bust my ass and give myself every opportunity to make it. I Started at Little Frankie’s here in Sydney in August and haven’t looked back it’s a wonderful studio full of amazing and supportive women. We all do our best to lift each other up and continue building on our incredible little community. I still don’t feel like I’ve ever worked a single day.

Was there a particular style you have picked up straight away or are you still experimenting while finding your niche. How do you describe your style and where do you feel it fits in industry?

I’m very heavily influenced by American Trad and it’s what I really enjoy doing at the moment, I like to use a lot of black and a fairly muted colour palette. I don’t particularly want to pigeon hole myself into a single style so early in my career. It’s important to me that I’m able to develop and build the skill set do all styles well.

Describe how you go about creating a tattoo concept to finished design or would you rather choose your clients by their own ideas?

I’m always trying to come up with new flash or doing re paints. Otherwise, it really depends on a whole lot of variables. So long as I’m comfortable in my ability to do a good job, I’m happy tattooing anything.

Depending on the concept you are working on would you go straight to your reference photos and design from there or are you more working freehand from a design in your head?

I’m definitely a reference girly, I like to be able to visualise multiple references and try to study their composition and deconstruct things in my head.

What artists have you looked up to over the years and how have they inspired you?

I’d say the common theme amongst those would be their work ethic, hunger to grow, their outlook on tattooing and dedication to the industry. There are so many this would end up being a book if I tried to name everyone so I’ll just name a few. Bree Rennie, Jake Straat, Zak Khanat, Onnie O’Leary, MJ Forrest, Justin Stubbs, Pete Pav, Hal Hunter.

Published In Baddass Kulture Mag #5 Dec 2024