Despite the fact that more and more women are getting tattoos today, the tattoo industry's artists are still predominantly male. Krys Noseworthy is the only female tattoo artist in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador - a city that boasts no less than six tattoo studios. Columnist Kelly Hickey talks with Krys about life as a female tattoo artist and how she got her start in the industry.

Krys got her first tattoo when she went to university. Not the greatest quality of work, she admits, but she didn't realize that at the time and the place was clean. She was happy, she remembers feeling "Yeah! I'm 18, and I got a tattoo!"

The early years found Krys bouncing around from university, to working for a local newspaper, to enlisting for the military. She heard back from the military and found out she had been rejected because of the curve in her spine. Says Krys, this may just of been the greatest thing that ever happened to her. At the end of that year she was 19 years old. When she got the idea in her head that she wanted to be a tattooist, she loaded up all her belongings into a U-Haul and moved over 800km. out to St. John's to live with some friends.

Krys remembers her first phone call to Dave, a well-known and experienced tattoo artist at one of the most prominent tattoo shops in town, who she wished to study under. She had tried to come by the shop several times with her "thrown together" portfolio but was never able to meet with him because he was so busy. One morning she actually caught him on the phone. She remembers the conversation well.

"Hi Dave, I was hoping I could set up a time to meet with you."

"What is this about?"

"I was really hoping I could ask you in person."

"Maybe you should tell me what it is now."

At the time, says Krys, Dave wasn't looking for an apprentice and felt that her portfolio needed to be more diversified. So, she says, "I just drew my ass off for a month, and then came back to him and had a crap load more drawings done." Throughout that year, Dave began working on her artwork with her. She continued to come back every 3 or 4 weeks for a year. She says: "It was more just my dedication, and tenacity that made him take me on as an apprentice because he really wasn't looking for anyone, but I just kept coming back!" So, Dave took her on. She had become an apprentice. About six months into her apprenticeship, Dave opened up his own shop and needed a receptionist. "It really worked out well for both of us. And then a year after that I started working as a tattooist."

Finally - after a year of art work and a year and a half of apprenticing - she's now been tattooing full time for 3 years.

But what makes the tattoo industry so male-nominated? Says Krys, "I think a lot of it is how we are brought up and what direction we're steered in. I mean, my parents certainly discouraged me from being a tattooist. Absolutely. They wanted me to go to art school after high school. The certainly wanted me to go to Art school when I dropped out of university. My parents definitely associated the negative stereotypes that accompany tattooing. And not just that, they didn't think could make a decent leaving for myself doing this. I was definitely dissuaded. We're discouraged, just out right."

Krys reports now, however, that her parents support her occupation and even tell their friends that their daughter is a tattoo artist, with pride.

The industry is certain to open up to more women with TLC's LA Ink now on the airwaves. Kat von D has left Miami Ink, left Miami, and started up her own shop and reality show in LA. She's left a shop where she was the only female tattoo artist (5:1) and created her own where there are 4 female tattooists and one guy. This should be interesting. Either way, you gotta love strong women just doing what they want to do and giving the middle finger to societal expectations!