her mark!

Tattooist

needles the

opposition

to showcase

her talent

Lisa makes her mark1A FEMALE tattooist from East Lancashire has needled the opposition at an international competition for body artists.

Lisa Clark, who owns Fantasy Tat2 in Colne, came second in the International Tattoo Convention which attracts competitors from as far afield as Thailand, Greece and Holland.

The two day event is held every year in Slough, Berkshire, to showcase the best talent in the industry and culminates in a competition to judge the best work.

And it marks a marvellous comeback to the industry for the 24-year-old who took time off to start a family before returning a year ago.

Lisa, 24, became a tattoo artist in 1996, winning the award for best newcomer that year and most outrageous tattoo in 1997 at another tattoo competition.

She said: "I have always been really interested in art and my dad was a tattoo artist ever since I was a little girl, and I wanted to follow in his footsteps.

"It is still a stereotypical industry dominated by men and not many women get invited to these conventions.

"Just to get invited was a feat but to win something was fantastic."

Lisa, who opened her shop in Albert Road in 2002, painted a graffiti-style tattoo on Tammy Nuttall, 23, from Blackburn, for the convention.

Lisa added: "Some people will spend months before the convention working on a big piece.

"But the one that won I did on her of graffiti took just three and a half hours.

"When it was announced I was placed it was really quite amazing."