Rose:

Hello, my name is Rose Guilfoyle. I am originally from a tiny town in the Mojave Desert; Las Vegas. I journeyed North in 1999, following a friend who was living and studying in Portland. I felt so instantly at home here that I only returned to Nevada for long enough to save the money that it took to make Portland my forever home.

I do not remember a time when I was not making art. Depending on your school of thought, you could describe my parents as old fashioned, artistic, frugal or ahead of their time. We rarely bought new things, we made castles out of cardboard boxes, I learned to sew and paint, and how to spot a thrift store score at fifty yards. When I'm not tattooing I make mixed media art and photographs, using mostly re-appropriated materials. My parents' home is filled with treasures found on long walks in the desert, antiques from used stores and flea markets... I think most of the imagery that I find interesting or attractive, and my choice in the materials that I choose to make art out of, can be traced back to elements of the home that I grew up in.

This can also be said about tattoos, and my endless fascination for the art, craft and mystery that surround them. I do not have words to describe how cool I thought the tattoos on my Dad, Mom and their friends were when I was growing up. I was a very shy child, too shy to ask to stare at these pieces of folk art on the skin; but you can bet that I was stealing glances and letting my imagination run wild.

Through several unexpected twists in my life, I was offered the chance to learn to tattoo, from Saad Sweilem, here at Pussycat Tattoo. I could not have tried to create a better opportunity. I get to tattoo with my best friends, who are ALL very talented; and, it never feels too much like work!
In addition to making art and tattoos I love to (try to) garden, I collect skeleton keys and antique locks, I try to make time to read, and I am obsessed with most things Victorian, Pit Bulls, fine champagne and the northern Oregon Coast.