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What do a family photo, British bulldogs and Beauty and the Beast have in common?
Love.
Three different people, with entirely different tattoos, cited the same motivation for having those images marked in their skin.
Jade Mckenzie, whose grandparents’ wedding portrait is etched on her arm, was very close to her grandfather.
“He was my sole grandparent for just over 10 years,” she said.
“Once I turned 18 I was so excited to be able to play bingo with him.”
Her grandfather, Christopher Gibson, died two years ago. His wife, Mary, passed away in 2004.
The pair were married in in 1955.
Jade said the beaming faces in her grandparents’ wedding photograph were no bigger than a 20 cent piece.
“To have my amazing tattooist transform it into such an artwork is pretty special to me,” she said.
Bendigo tattooist Samara Belz, from The Gallery Tattoo Studio, started working on the portraits on Jade’s 20th birthday.
“I sat for three sessions, totalling 12 hours, to complete the portraits and backing that wrapped around the bottom half of my arm,” Jade said.
The two tattoos Laura Barnes had Wesley Harrison, from Black Wren Tattoo, create were of her beloved British bulldogs.
“My passion for animals is huge,” the veterinary nurse said.
One of the tattoos was inspired by Pebbles, who died on Christmas in 2015.
“The other one is her son Sherman, who lives with me and is a show dog,” Laura said.
Sherman walked for British designer Ben Sherman during the 2014 Melbourne Spring Fashion Week.
Shannon Denny has been a fan of Beauty and the Beast since she was four years old.
“I love the message of not judging a book by its cover,” she said.
“Fall in love with what’s on the inside.”
She and her mother are counting down the days until the new movie.
The enchanted rose and the teacup Chip were immortalised in her colourful tattoos by Sarah at King of Rings.
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