By Alesha Capone
KASEY Watts’ parents were so impressed with their daughter’s tattoos, they went and got some too.
“I started it, they got theirs after I got mine,” the 25-year-old said.
The former Sunshine Heights Primary School and Sunshine West High School student jokes she “couldn’t count all the tattoos I have on three hands”.
Kasey was born and raised in Brimbank before moving to the country with her parents as a teenager.
She now runs a tattoo studio in Ararat.
Ms Watts recently entered a competition being run by the tattoo-industry ‘Inked Magazine’ called Miss Ink Australia 2011 and was thrilled to discover she made the top 10 finalists, out of hundreds of contestants.
“I was over the moon, I was so excited,” Ms Watts said.
“I opened the magazine and saw I was in the top 10, ‘I was like, ‘oh my God’.”
The young tattoo enthusiast said she considered her tattoos as “one work of art” and the many portraits adorning her body – including of her family and friends- meant a lot to her, especially a copy of her grandparents’ wedding photo which was originally taken more than 40 years ago.
Ms Watts also has many 1950s-style pin-up stars tattooed on her legs and hopes to add some more in the future. She and her husband often attract attention from strangers when they are out in public, which is usually positive – but not always.
“We like to look different on the outside, but are still the same on the inside,” Ms Watts said.
Ms Watts said she loved the tattoo industry, which included many people from all walks of life.
“I just love the whole thing about it. It’s so amazing there are so many talented artists out there,” she said.
She has no plans to ever stop collecting tattoos for her own skin.
“I’ll never stop, they’re addictive,” Ms Watts said.
Voting in the Miss Ink Australia 2011 competition will close 12 August,and for more information see www.missinkaustralia.com.
Ms Watts and her husband will also be at the Melbourne Tattoo & Body Art Expo from the 16-18 of September at the Melbourne Convention Exhibition Centre, see Artworx Tattoo Studio on Facebook to find out more.
