My name is Linda Looman, I turned 29 this summer, and I have been working as a Tattoo Artist for 10 years in Norway next summer. I specialize in realistic motives, colour, black&gray&white, portraits and fantasy art.

Since I was a little girl, I have had a big talent in art, and it was actually my mothers idea for me to start tattooing, so she helped me to get in touch with Birdie at Personal Art Tattoo Studio In Ski in the summer of 2000. I started that very same day as an apprentice, and worked for him for 8 years before I flew out of Birdie's nest, and opened my own shop called ATTITUDE at Storgata 7 in Moss, Norway.

On this site, you will be able to see some of my work, and get in touch with me if there is anything on your mind. Please dont hesitate to do so.

-Where are you from?
I am born and raised in Stockholm, Sweden. When I was 15 I moved to Norway. My shop is in a town called Moss, about one hour south from Oslo.

-What is your favorite style of tattoo?
My favorites are color realistic, fantasy and fineline (fine art).

-When did you first realize you are an artist?
I have loved to draw and paint ever since I can remember. I actually drew portraits for people for quite a while. When I was a teenager, my mother said that my desk looked like it had been tattooed, because I had drawn lots of diffirent drawings and sketches everytime I was in the phone in my room. So I went to Birdie at Personal Art Tattoo in Ski, Norway, showed him my portfolie full of fantasy art and portraits, and got the apprenticeship that very moment.

-What inspires you to create art and how do you keep motivated?
Tattoo artists give me a tecnical inspiration in many diffirent ways, you learn something new everytime you meet. I am very happy that tattoo artists are more like a big family now that in was when I started tattooing in year 2000. My customers give me an artistic motivation, and by that I mean that the actual photographs, paintings or just the ideas that the customer has, inspires me to to the coolest tattoo ever. For every tattoo I make, I want to overcome myself and do better than ever before. My friends and family are also a big motivation, because they support me so much, but they also make me feel invincible, like I can do anything. That's motivation...

-How would you describe your style?
My style is mostly described as a soft colour realism with a female touch.

-Have you had any art education/training? (Formal classes or apprenticeship)
I have a High School Degree in Art.

-Who would you credit as your inspiration?
Tattoo artists who has inspired me the most are Robert Hernandez, Bob Tyrell, Mike DeVries, Mike DeMasi, Alex De Pase, Benjamin Moss and Paul Acker...

-What did your family and friends think about you getting into the business?
They're the ones that got me into it! :) But my dad wasn't really proud the first years, but now that I'm doing very well for myself, with a long waitinglist and a bigger studio, he is very proud of his daughter, and is actually thinking about getting a tattoo next summer, for my 10 year anniversary.

-Have you had any unusual experiences during your career as a tattoo artist?
Not that I can think of, no. It seems like nothing is actually unusual after you've tattooed a while. You learn that people are different, and that that's normal.

-What question do you ask yourself the most when you're planning a tattoo?
Does it fit to the customers' idea? Can we make it bigger? Is it colourful enough?

-Do you own your own shop? If so, where?
I own my own shop, Attitude Tattoo Studio in Moss, Norway.

-Do you have any current projects?
I am working on several cool projects these days, a Pink Floyd Collage full sleeve in colour, a Star Wars Comic Strip full sleeve plus chest in colour, and I'm almost done with an Edward Scissorhands / Phantom Of The Opera Full Sleeve in colour.

-Do you have a piece that you would consider as an example of your finest work?
Well, I have many that are examples of my finest work, but one and only one... My favorites for use in advertising etc are: my first Michael Jackson portrait, a colour portrait of a wife with yellow lilies, and a custom made pinup vampire.

-If you could tattoo anyone, yes anyone, who would you do and why?
That was a very rare and difficult question. I can't think of any in specific, like a celebrity or anything, just anyone who has a good idea of what they want and that it fits my style of tattooing.

-If you could tattoo anywhere in the world, where would it be?
Probably somewhere hotter than here in Noway. I would love to go somewhere closer to the equator... I'm getting tired of the cold and long winters and the very short but OK summers.

-When did you first become interested in the art of tattoo?
Actually, I wasn't very interested in tattoos when I started my apprenticeship. I hardly even knew what it was before I got there. It was first when I had tattooed for a couple of years, grown into it a bit, that it actually started to become my lifestyle and my biggest interest. Now it's just growing deeper and deeper into my soul, like it's taking over everything I know.... Muahahaha...

-When did you do your first tattoo? Can you tell us about it?
I made my very first tattoo after being an apprentice for only a couple of months, and it was a Cherry Creek wooden cross, like stuck in the skin, you know? I made it on our at that time shop keeper Roy. I saw it a couple of years ago, and it looks great. I was kind of stunned that it actually healed that well.

-How long do you plan on continuing to tattoo? Any plans for the future?
My plans for the future contains lots of tattooing, growing, learning, evolving, and maybe even expanding. As I see my career right now, I hope it will stay on this nice wave for a long time.

-What advice would you give to an artist just starting out?
Connections, friends, fellow artists. Talk to them, learn from them, take advice from those who have experience. Listen and learn!

-In addition to the art of tattoo are you involved in other art forms?
Since I was about 6 years old, I have had the pleasure of using my fathers' home music studio, pretending to be a producer, playing with the instruments and buttons. After a while, I learned to edit wave, play instruments, sing and mix etc. I have not had time to do this since I started tattooing, but when I move closer to the shop next summer, I plan to make my own home music studio, like my father had. I also paint and draw as much as I can. But sadly it's not as often as I want it to be.

-What are your other intersts? (music, hobbies, sports etc.)
My biggest love in life besides tattooing is music. I can't live without music. I don't like any kind of sports, well maybe just a bit of ice skating. My mother was a professional in her younger days, so she taught me a bit.

-When you tattoo do you listen to music? Do you allow clients to bring their own?
I allow clients to bring music to the shop, but they never do, cause I play so much different types of music during the day. Everything from chillling Buddah Bar to energetic Methods Of Mayhem etc. I can't tattoo without music. It kills me everytime the music is turned down because someone has a hard time hearing the customers on the phone.

-How would you describe the current status of tattoo by the general public?
The current status of tattoos are very commerce these days. It's hyped up to a hip thing, almost like a mysterious hard to get artwork which people seek. People want to express themselves, with bigger, better, more colourful and less provocative tattoos. There are less prejudices these day.

-What do you think of the "scratchers" that are out there?
I feel sorry for them, because they weren't introduced to the artform the way I was, and most other tattoo artists. And as soon as a "scratcher" begins his or her tattooing at home or whatever, it will probably ruin a future chance of becoming an tattoo apprentice or ever getting a job in a studio. They will not have the same respect from other tattooers, ever. I would never take a scratcher into my shop. But then you have the customers who got tattooed by a scratcher. They often come to me wanting a cover up, and I must admit it is something I am not that fond of anymore. The canvas is used and broken, you know?

-Do you have any other information about yourself you would like to share?
To this day I have won 20 international awards, 13 of them in 2009.

-Do you like our website ? ( http://tattooinkt.nl )
Yes, it's nice. I registered and uploaded a couple of pics.

-Whats your myspace or website URL ?
Web: http://www.electriclinda.com
Studio Web: http://www.attitudetattoostudio.com
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/electriclindatattoo