Newark tattoo artist, from Tiny Tattoos, based on Hawton Road celebrating one year in business.

An independent tattoo artist is celebrating her first anniversary in business after setting up shop on her own.

Danielle Lister is the woman behind Tiny Tattoos, which she runs out of a dedicated studio at her home on Hawton Road, Newark.

She specialises in small, meaningful, fine line pieces, working closely with clients to create the perfect design for them — although becoming a tattoo artist wasn’t always the plan.

Danielle originally began work in the beauty industry in her early twenties, started out tanning for friends and family, before eventually setting up her business full time as Salon 172.

She trained and expanded her knowledge to offer services such as eyebrow threading and eventually semi-permanent makeup, which was her first experience in the world of tattooing.

“I would go into a salon and leave feeling like I could do better myself,” she said.

“I got this love for beauty and I have so much passion, so I went away, paid for all the courses myself and started building up my own business.

“When you get your love and passion for something people pick up on that energy, that’s what what people want, someone that enjoys what they do and does a good job.”

At the start of 2023 expressed an interest in learning to become a tattoo artist, but sadly had to put her plans on hold after her dad fell ill and eventually passed away.

Then last summer she was reminded about her tattoo plans and decided to go for it, traveling to Liverpool for a course and self-funding her training.

After qualifying, she dedicated her first piece — a small, fine line flat cap on her forearm — to the memory of her dad.

Through word of mouth she has slowly grown her business, designing tattoos with meaning for clients and learning about the stories behind them — an aspect of the job Danielle said she loves.

She said: “From that first day training, I came home and just thought ‘this is what I want to do’.

“When I designed the tattoo for my dad I felt comfort from it, and I realised everyone that comes through that door has a story to tell.

“It’s not just a tattoo, they all have meaning, it’s an emotional connection to an animal they’ve lost, or a favourite memory.

“For anyone nervous about getting a tattoo I think I offer something a bit different.

“I’m bright, I’m cheerful, and I think it’s more approachable than a classic tattoo parlour which can be quite dark and daunting.

“It was hard at first, but since then it’s gone from strength to strength, month to month, and I’m determined to keep going.”

Anyone interested in finding out more about Danielle’s work can visit Tiny Tattoos on Facebook, or by calling 07891 940437.