“I am an animal lover and very passionate about nature,” Hayward says.

“This passion for conservation and nature has grown during my tattoo journey, as a result of meeting so many clients who hold such a strong connection to New Zealand that they need it embedded into their skin as a beautiful representation of how much it means to them.”

Hayward’s journey began over seven years ago – and before that she made graphite drawings of native birds and nature. It seemed natural, then, to specialise in tattoo designs depicting places, plants and animals of Aotearoa.

“The most common bird I tattoo would have to be the fantail,” she says. “They hold a lot of meaning to many Kiwis, as they seem to have a funny way of showing up loudly and unannounced at significant times of our lives.”

Hayward’s custom-drawn designs are transferred onto special paper and pressed onto a client’s skin and leave a pattern to follow, similar to a stencil. She then etches the design with her tattoo machine, adding shading and detail as desired by the client.

Tattooing is an artistic process, she says, but also involves communication with a client so they’re comfortable, they understand what’s happening and are happy with the design – after all, it’s meant to be a permanent part of them.

Hayward created a tūī for Becs McCallum as part of a design that also incorporates the bush and sea of the North Island’s west coast.

“Most mornings I like to wake up, make a coffee and sit on my deck. I watch the sun rise and the tūī, tauhou and fantails dancing around the mānuka and flaxes,” says McCallum.

Bella Berman’s design doesn’t just help centre her – it inspires her to act to help the environment.

“It had always been a dream of mine to have a kōtare tattoo. Kōtare (kingfisher) are particularly important to me given my lifelong connection to the activists of the Kōtare Trust – as well, a kōtare’s inherent qualities are aspirational. Kōtare are inquisitive ruminators who take their time to think but will dive into action when required.”

Tattoos to cherish – and conserve – natural taonga

Anecdotally, New Zealand has one of the highest percentages of tattooed people in the world.

Outdoors-inspired designs are among the most popular.

Megan Speight has a kingfisher tattoo that’s so bright and vivid it looks like it’s resting on her.

“Whenever I see or hear a kingfisher, I remember my beautiful nana and her smile. It fills me with love and keeps her memory alive.”

Pāpāmoa-based Makkala Rose created the kingfisher.

“Nature has always been a huge drawcard for me, particularly flowers,” Rose explains. “It’s a subject I connect with from the heart. It’s important to my clients and to me – and I love that we get to share that … I know we both appreciate nature’s creations.”

Rose has been tattooing full time at her studio, Love Craft Atelier, since 2013.

“There will always be a place for a fern,” she says of the requests clients come to her with. “Fantails  and tūī are popular, along with pōhutukawa and kōwhai. But what really excites me are the more unusual ideas and native birds and flowers we don’t typically see tattooed, like poroporo (New Zealand nightshade), puarangi (hibiscus), Mt Cook lily, rifleman, kererū and bellbirds.”

More than skin deep

Do tattoos inspired by New Zealand’s natural places, flora and fauna encourage people to look after the environment and promote sustainability? Rose thinks they can.

“I think the more we see nature and the outdoors being loved, enjoyed and appreciated in all forms, including art of any kind, the more it encourages us to get out there and be a part of it ourselves,” she says.

Katy Hayward agrees. She even sets an example through more than just the designs she puts on people’s bodies.

“My husband and I purchased a 4.2ha block a few years back,” she says. “Our focus has been restoring it to bush by planting it with natives, to encourage birdlife to return and to make it a beautiful place for our daughter to grow up in. We have planted over 6000 trees now, thanks to help from friends, whānau and the many people who have contributed through my tattoo giveaways and tree fundraisers.”

Hayward says she has plans for more tattoo fundraisers in the future for native tree planting. She believes a tattoo’s design can promote conservation.

“It promotes a positive and prideful sense of nature and how we need to continue to do our best to conserve it and live amongst it.”

Pointed memories

There are a few things to consider when getting a tattoo.

“One of the back-and-forth things I have with clients is specifying which variety or species of flora they are after,” Hayward says.

“Lots of flowers have different varieties. If it’s a bird you want, is there a particular angle you visualise it at? If you can be specific and clear about what you want, it can save a lot of time.”

Hayward is often booked out months in advance, with clients coming to her from across Aotearoa.

Jess Perillo feels the wait for her tattoo was worth it.

“Since a young age, I have always had a strong connection and love for our native birds,” she says.

“I grew up in Titirangi surrounded by native bush and the birds that call it home, and was always drawn to watching kererū from my bedroom window, feeding, interacting and gliding above the canopy. I was so lucky to connect with Katy to express this love so beautifully into something permanent to carry with me.”

Hayward says one way to gain inspiration for a tattoo design is simply to be outdoors. It can call to you, speaking in a way with deeply personal meaning.

Makkala Rose offers more advice: “It’s important to consider placement, size, your ideas and also your own flexibility around those ideas. Doing your research and finding an artist you trust whose work excites you really pays off.”

Hayward adds one more thing.

“Get excited, as tattoos are a wonderful way to express yourself.”