T H E S P A C E

Birds & Bones Studio was first conceived as an upscale, boutique style art space - a place where the creative fine arts and the traditions of tattoo culture blend together to form an inviting, but also engaging, space for artists and clients alike.

It all comes back to the space - the experience -

We believe a strong connection starts with a comfortable environment. When we sit down to discuss the permanence of altering the body with artwork, it’s important to have a good connection allowing you, the client, to walk away with a truly unique piece of artwork that clearly conveys your ideas.

Here at Birds & Bones we believe in working hard to achieve our goals and yours -

 

- PORTFOLIO -

T A T T O O S

F I N E A R T

 
 

. T H E A R T I S T .

S I O B H Á N G I L D E A

HELLO!

Just your local watercolor witch nestled in the heart of midcoast Maine! I have been a licensed tattoo artist since 2015 and am constantly striving to improve upon my artistic skills and stylistic direction.

I enjoy depicting the natural beauty of the animal kingdom and botanical world in abstracted, illustrative, and colorful ways. I am also a huge nerd! And absolutely love doing silly little fun tattoos and bringing my style to videogame/comic/sci-fi subject matter. I have a particular soft spot for birds of all types and of course this means dinosaurs too!

Coming from a painting and illustration background – I specialize predominantly in watercolor and painterly tattoos as well as illustrative and geometric.

Over the years I have acquired a deep respect and appreciation for tattooing as an art form, the artists themselves, and those who choose to adorn their bodies with the permanence and sacred nature of ink.

@siobhan.gildea

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A F T E R C A R E

Look at you, with that stunning new tattoo! I promise, the hardest part is behind you, but the next step to making sure your new art stays looking fresh is on you (and it’s super easy). 

o   Second Skin bandage:

With this bandage, you can leave it on for 3-6 days (but if it’s driving you nuts, you can remove it sooner; just refer to the aftercare section with Aquaphor below). It’s so low-maintenance you won’t even have to think about your tattoo. Keep in mind, your tattoo is gonna be seepy and weepy, so all that shmegy goodness will make a home under your bandage. IT WILL LOOK HONESTLY NASTY, but trust that nothing dreadful is occurring. To remove, we recommend doing so SLOWLY and under running water. Once you get it gone, wash wash wash that baby twice a day with antibacterial soap and moisturize with an all-natural/unscented lotion. Repeat process every day for 10-14 days. See below section for more on that.

o   Non-adhesive bandage:

Leave this bandage on for no more than three hours. First and foremost is making sure your tattoo is clean while healing, and for this we recommend using antibacterial soap and some warm water; give it a good bath once in the morning (or whenever you get up, I’m not a “morning person” either) and once at night. This might sting a little early on in the healing process, but after the first few days should settle right down. After each wash you’re going to want to moisturize - because honey, she thirsty - so grab that Aquaphor and apply a light coating. If your skin is looking super shiny, you’ve probably used too much, but you can just dab off any excess with a paper towel. After about 4 days of Aquaphor you can go ahead and switch to an an all-natural/unscented lotion.

An additional part of keeping your new tattoo clean is making sure pets, dirt, public pools, gym equipment, your Aunt Joni or even your own hands don’t get all up in your tattoo’s business. With fur babies at home, I know that pet part is tricky, they always want to rub on you! Just give Mittens and Spot some treats and they’ll forgive you in time. An extra measure of caution: Getting that good vitamin D is healthy, no arguments there, but make sure that you don’t have any sun damaged skin prior to getting a tattoo, and activate vampire-mode for 2 weeks after your tattoo appointment (no sun)! It may seem unbearable, but in the long run it’ll keep your tattoo looking fresh.

Below Section – You will start to notice that your tattoo is peeling and flaking, and I regret to inform you that this does not signal your metamorphosis into a human-reptilian hybrid, but is in fact a totally normal part of the healing process. It is imperative to keep the skin moisturized, and by this point you can switch to an unscented or all-natural option; I suggest Lubriderm (not a paid endorsement). The tattoo will most likely get a little itchy at times while healing, and that want to scratch paired with the urge to peel the flakies MUST BE RESISTED. Your artist worked hard stabbing all that gorgeous color into your dermis, so unless you desire a big ol’ touch-up, hands off until that peel is all done (you can luxuriate in touching your tattoo after a couple of weeks). 

That’s pretty much it, but if you do have any questions regarding your healing, please feel free to email me at birdsandbonesstudio@gmail - because your experience doesn’t have to end when you walk out the door; keep me in the loop!

. C O N T A C T .

 

. THE STUDIO .

25 Oak Street

Rockland ME, 04841

(207)-573-1198

Tuesday - Saturday

10:00am - 6:00pm

I answer the phone between 10am and noon - After noon I am tattooing and not able to get to the phone as easily. Please leave a message! I promise I will give you a call back.

birdsandbonesstudio@gmail.com

 

. B O O K I N G .

. . . PLEASE READ the following prior to SUBMITTING YOUR form . . .

Siobhán’s Books are: CLOSED

- BOOKS OPEN DECEMBER 1ST - BOOKING for MAY -

( BOOKS OPEN AT 10:00AM EST ON THE FIRST OF EACH MONTH )

. . . THIS FORM ONLY ACCEPTS NEW REQUESTS WHEN BOOKS ARE OPEN . . .


. B O O K I N G .

. I N F O R M A T I O N .


- THE DEPOSIT POLICY -

All deposits are NON-REFUNDABLE and DO NOT go towards the total cost of your tattoo. The deposit taken for your appointment guarantees your date and time in the schedule - agreed upon by the artist. The deposit also compensates the artist for any work and time put into the tattoo project outside of the appointment time itself - such as any research or drawing that is needed in preparation for the tattoo.

I accept cash and cards, but CASH is PREFERRED for the final payment of the tattoo. Deposits will be taken over the phone when scheduling your appointment.

If you cancel or no-call no-show (sad face) for your appointment, you will forfeit your deposit. If you need to reschedule your appointment or would like to make major changes to your design (which may require rescheduling), please do so AT LEAST 48 hours prior to the scheduled time, and I will transfer your deposit to the new date. If you show up the day of your appointment with design changes that you failed to inform me of in advanced, I reserve the right to reschedule your appointment with a repayment of deposit. If you do not confirm your appointment 48 hours prior to the start time, I again reserve the right to reschedule and fill your appointment time. You will have several opportunities to confirm via text and email in the days leading up to your appointment.

Also, bear in mind that you are allotted 2 reschedules, with a 3rd reschedule REQUIRING a repayment of deposit. If you CHANGE YOUR DESIGN IDEA completely, after having already scheduled an appointment, you will need to resubmit this form for approval.

- THE DESIGN -

I DO NOT provide designs prior to your appointment, all designs are kept in house and seen the day of your appointment. I also DO NOT copy other fine art artists or tattoo artists’ work, as I prefer to bring my own unique take to your tattoo concepts.

We DO NOT support AI art in this house - Please DO NOT send AI generated images.

- THE APPOINTMENT -

Please note that if you arrive for your appointment 15 minutes late or more, I reserve the right to reschedule you and REQUIRE a repayment of deposit.

Some things to consider leading up to your appointment - I cannot tattoo over sunburns, scratches, pimples, or any other general skin abrasions. Please let me know ahead of time if you have anything going on in the area you are looking to get tattooed, as I may need to adjust your design or reschedule your appointment.

If you are sick or not feeling well prior to, or on the day of your appointment, PLEASE let me know as I reserve the right to reschedule your appointment. Please understand that I work all up in your personal bubble for sometimes several hours, and this greatly increases the chance of me contracting what germs you may have floating around with you, and I can only drink so much orange juice and hope to evade the seasonal sicks. I understand that you are excited to get that tat, and I am excited to give it to you, but if I get sick other people won’t get their tattoos, and that just super sucks :’( I appreciate your efforts to keep me healthy and well!

- THE PHOTOS -

When submitting the tattoo request form PLEASE INCLUDE a clear photo of the area you are looking to have tattooed. Photo requirements:

. Clear and straight on

. Ideally taken by someone other than yourself

. Some kind of measurement reference

- IF YOU ARE TRAVELING -

There is conveniently a very cute AirBnB right upstairs! The address is the same - 25 Oak Street - and can be found easily by searching for AirBnB’s in Rockland Maine.


- PLEASE ALLOW UP TO 7 DAYS FOR A RESPONSE -

( I am a one woman show and it can take me a little while to get through all of the emails that come through when books open )

IF YOU DO NOT RECEIVE A RESPONSE PLEASE CHECK YOUR SPAM FOLDER OR EMAIL ME TO LET ME KNOW YOU DID NOT RECEIVE A RESPONSE TO YOUR REQUEST

. . . By submitting thIS form, you acknowledge that you have read and AGREE TO the above information . . .

Fill out my online form.

. F A Q .

DO I NEED TO WEAR A MASK?

Wearing a mask is totally optional and based on your personal preference! If it makes you feel more comfortable to wear a mask, please don’t hesitate to do so.

How old do I need to be to get tattooed?

I don’t want to break any hearts but unfortunately, it is Maine State Law that you MUST be 18 years of age or older to be tattooed (but let’s be honest, we all make questionable choices in our teens, so this is probably for the best).

Do I need an appointment?

I operate on an appointment-only basis, with the exception of cancellations and flash events - which I will post on my social media sites (Instagram or Facebook). I don’t offer walk-ins mostly because my neurospicy brain finds them really overwhelming.. having time to prepare for upcoming appointments is definitely my preference!

How do I set up an appointment?

The best way to get started on this process is to fill out the request form above when books are open.

how do consultations work?

The biggest thing people ask about consultations is “how much does it cost?” I don’t actually charge anything for consults - they are totally free. We can sit down and chat about your tattoo ideas anytime - just let me know when filling out the form that a consult is something that you are interested in.

How do I pay?

I accept cash and cards, but CASH is always PREFERRED.

What if I’m pregnant/have a medical condition/allergy?

For general safety, I will not tattoo anyone who is pregnant or breastfeeding. If you have a medical condition or a particular allergy please DO NOT keep that information to yourself - I want to ensure you have both a safe and awesome experience.

I use nitrile gloves instead of latex, as well as vegan and organic products.

What do I need to bring?

A PHOTO ID (this is super duper important, that’s why it’s in bold) that clearly states your name and birthdate.

A snack and maybe a water is always good to bring!

What should I wear?

I always suggest wearing something you feel totally comfortable in - something loose that you don’t mind lounging around in for a few hours and that allows me access to the area you are looking to have tattooed. For example, if you are getting a back piece done, maybe wear a backless top or bring a zippy sweatshirt that could easily be worn backwards - getting a piece on your upper thigh might warrant shorts etc.

(How much) does it hurt?

You know the feeling of kitten whiskers on your skin? It’s not that. Everyone experiences being tattooed differently - some people will say it feels kind of like an irritation, while others say it’s a bit spicy. The most important thing to remember is the pain is temporary, the beautiful art is forever.

How long does it take to heal?

For the most part, it takes about 4 to 6 weeks for your tattoo to fully heal up, but depending on your skin type it could vary. If you have any specific questions or concerns regarding your healing process, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me.

WHAT IF I AM TRAVELING?

There is conveniently an adorable little Airbnb in the same building as my studio space! I would suggest booking in advance because things can book up quickly during peak tourism season. The Airbnb is listed under the same address at 25 Oak street and can be easily found with a search for Airbnb’s in Rockland Maine

Do you offer piercing?

I love that you love to get stabbed by me, but unfortunately I do not offer piercings.