The camera turned on, and Bird , known artistically as Bird, smiled in greeting. Behind her, mounted on the wall, was the vertebrae of an unnamed creature, tapering just above her head. A black beanie crowned her ebony and white hair, embroidered at the fold with the iconic Twilight line: “This is the skin of a killer, Bella.” Colors and lines decorated her arms with florals, while her chest displayed a fox and rabbit.
She laughed when her beanie was complimented.
“Thanks, it was a gift from my boyfriend,” she said.
Bird is a Los Angeles-based tattoo artist whose work, as she describes it, “lives somewhere between reality and reverie.” She describes her work as “Neo-Romantic,” blending fantasy and emotion into story with every line.
If you scroll through Bird’s Instagram you’ll find design after design: delicate tattoos that channel elements of fantasy and femininity — each one telling a story in ink.
KPBS spoke with Bird just a few days before her arrival to San Diego LoveLitCon, a three-day convention for romance book lovers of all kinds, from romantasy diehards and western romance lovers to cozy fiction fans. It’s the convention’s inaugural year, welcoming readers to gush over their favorite titles, meet authors and commemorate the genre that brings them joy. Among the many booksellers, vendors and romance authors, a tattoo artist was on the list — specifically, Bird’s romance tattoos.
Bird is relatively new to tattooing as a profession; she's done it for about four years and completed her apprenticeship during the pandemic. The idea of becoming a tattoo artist appealed to her since childhood; she remembers her grandpa’s tattoos vividly, and the fascination stayed with her. Now, she works at Delicate Heart Tattoo.
Her artistic focus is unique, a niche that has proven lucrative, especially now that romance novels are the top-selling genre in America.
“The style that I do is very inspired by Renaissance paintings,” Bird said. “And I really wanted to do fantasy. I was doing a lot of fantasy work, and then one day, I just kind of did a fan art of it.”
Her fan art was shared on social media, and there she found that the two worlds need not be divided. Tattooing and books orbited each other, eclipsing until the two bodies collided.
“I was like, ‘Oh, I don't know if people will get it tattooed, but they'll know who this is, and they'll like it,’” she said.
The fan art was a sketch of Manon Blackbeak, an Ironteeth witch and wyvern rider from Sarah J. Maas’ “Throne of Glass” series. She received a message from a follower who was interested in getting the character tattooed.
“It went really well," she said. "And I realized that people did want those tattoos. And I was like, ‘Great!’ Because when I'm reading, all I want to do is draw what I'm seeing in my head.”
Bird saw artists selling their prints at conventions, but working at so many tattoo events and pop-ups, she knew it would be possible to also do tattoos in person at large events.
“I saw people selling art, like everyone does their art and stuff at conventions, and doing like so many tattoo conventions, and other pop ups … I was like, ‘I could sell prints, but I would want to do what I do — my art.’”
LoveLitCon will be Bird’s second convention this month, and people are already booking her for the event. Walk-ups are always welcomed. It’s a way for Bird to connect with people, who share her love for books.
“I love the chaos of the cons,” she said with a laugh. “I work great under pressure. It's so fun to just know that every person that comes into my chair that day I have something in common with.”
There’s just something about the weight of a good book and more so when it’s commemorated on your skin like a proud band.
“I think people who get bookish tattoos aren't just getting a book," she said. "It really is like symbolism within the book that they relate so heavily with, and with those characters. And I think that's why I really enjoy doing it. And not just like ‘Oh, I read this book. Will you do this tattoo for me?’ But like reading the books and drawing things that impacted me and seeing how much it's impacted like other people as well.”
Bird has prepared a template for LoveLitCon. Most of them are line art pieces like a heart on fire, an open book with the mountain backdrop of Velaris or a matchbook that says “Slow Burn” on the cardstock. Others are words or phrases like “Fireheart” from the “Throne of Glass” book series or “We didn’t even kiss” from “Heated Rivalry.”
She said the tattoos can take up to 30 minutes to ink in, and the cost depends on the size. Smaller tattoos that are 1 to 2 inches cost $80, while bigger tattoos that are 4 to 5 inches cost $250.
Bird said there's still time to sign up for a slot at her booth, and if you see her on the floor, stop by, say “hello” and maybe walk away with something memorable. I just might walk away with “You do not yield” tattooed along my forearm (IYKYK).
LoveLitCon kicks off on Friday, Feb. 13 and goes through until Sunday, Feb. 15.
