Tattoo artist Jaime Farmer forgot his phone at home during a recent visit to the movies. During the lead up to the film, he noticed the theater was lit up — not so much from the big screen, but the small screens ubiquitous in people’s hands.
“I was like oh my god this is wild,” Farmer recalled. “I’m usually on my phone so I don’t see it, but I would’ve been one of these people, just head down, not communicating with all the people around us.”
That’s not the case at work, where the personal connection of inking his clients’ skin is a salve for the soul. “They’re usually going through something, a big transition, career or life change, or just embracing a new part of themselves that they weren’t familiar with,” he said. “It’s so rewarding to get to chat with people, even if it’s just a quick 30-minute session.”
A former chef, Farmer started tattooing six years ago under the guise Black Marrow Tattoo — a poignant reference to Safiya Sinclair’s poetry and a feeling of not belonging.
His singular style has a storybook quality to it, told through whimsical animals and fantastical figures inked in vibrant hues. The inspiration, however unintentionally, can be traced back to his life’s early chapters in Hawaii, growing up in a children’s bookstore.
Nature is a through line in Farmer’s creative process. Little Sun Studio is a stunning collection of rivers sketched freehand on people’s limbs.
The project started when a client wanted to extend a flash piece. “He came in and I was like, ‘holy sh*t, you’re 6-foot-3,’ that’s a lot bigger than I have a stencil for,” he explained. “I asked him if it was okay to just draw it onto the skin. He was cool with it and I had such a good time.”
That’s the closest Farmer strays to custom tattoos. Most visitors to his Southeast Portland studio look through a book of 300 or so pre-drawn designs, bookmarking some as they search to keep it spontaneous and fresh for everyone.
Appointments open toward the end of every month.
