CREATIVE CONVERSATIONS
With My Sister
Lianna DeGuzman
is the co-owner of With My Sister, a private tattoo and floral design studio in Oakland, California, offering a new approach to giving and receiving flowers and tattoos. Their colorful and creative studio is a safe space for all clients to express themselves and experience art while connecting permanence and impermanence.
Where you can find Lianna
Studio (by appointment only):
5636 Shattuck Ave, Oakland, CA
What’s your earliest memory involving flowers?
My entire childhood consisted of my mom always gardening and having fresh flowers growing in the yard. If she wasn’t gardening, she would be painting flowers. I think that’s where it all started for me.
What role do flowers and floral designs play in your life?
There’s so much versatility when it comes to designing a floral tattoo. I love that you can create imaginary floral arrangements made up of flowers from different seasons, terrains, climates, and sizes. Putting together some unlikely flowers that would most likely never be seen together in real life puts my creativity skills to the test and I love it.
Can you share a bit about the flowers & botanicals in places you’ve lived?
I used to live in a neighborhood in Oakland where almost every house had some kind of flowers or vegetables growing in the front yard. Walking my dog every morning around the block and seeing flowers and plants change based on the season was really one of my favorite memories there. To name just a few, we would see garden roses, California poppies, dahlias, passion flower vines, and even pumpkins, limes, and pomegranate trees.
What led you and your sister-in-law to open your own shop together?
In the early days of my tattoo apprenticeship, Veronica got me a part time job at the flower company she was working for at the time. That’s where the idea of flowers + tattoos first intersected for us. It was a fun idea we had tossed around for years, but it wasn’t until the right place opened at the right time. It was meant to be!
What’s been a key lesson that you’ve learned while working in flowers & tattoo design?
Some flowers are best enjoyed in person – not all flowers make great tattoos! Especially if you want it to be as close as possible to the real thing — yarrow and Queen Anne's lace are two examples. I love these flowers, but I prefer not to tattoo them and other flowers alike due to the small details needed.
“I love being the messenger to
create botanical art
that holds meaning for a client.”
The info your clients receive after they book appointments is so kind and calming. How do you help make people feel comfortable about the tattooing process and their feelings about their bodies?
Getting tattooed can be intimidating, especially when it involves your body, altering your appearance, and inflicting pain–not to mention having to trust a stranger with the heavy tasks. I want to set the tone of booking with me even before setting foot in the studio. If I can help ease any nerves or offer support to my clients in any way, I will take the extra steps to hold that space for them. I’ve been a tattoo client many times, and there were times when I got tattooed wishing I had someone make the experience more comfortable.
Can you describe the process for creating a custom design with someone and incorporating favorite flowers or special tributes?
My creative process begins with having my client share details or their story for their vision (some people have shared mood boards, music, sketches, back stories, physical objects, etc.).
If I'm creating a design based off of a special tribute, such as a wedding bouquet, the client will usually share photos of their wedding day or close-ups of the bouquet for reference. It’s fun for me to see what their vibe is and then add my creative input on it for their tattoo.
Though it doesn’t always have to be in depth—sometimes someone just comes to me saying they want a cool flower tattoo, and we do exactly that.
Tell us about your wildest floral design or experience.
I once did a memorial tattoo of eucalyptus leaves and flowers tattooed with the ashes of my client’s late daughter (her ashes were mixed in the tattoo ink). It was a special kind of wild. That tattoo session was emotional and beautiful — I still think about it often.
What drives your creativity?
Connection. I love being the messenger to create botanical art that holds meaning for a client. I’ve tattooed flowers to commemorate a wedding bouquet, memorialize a loved one, birth flowers, a favorite floral scent, or state flowers, to name a few. I love that I can create a floral design for someone to get tattooed as a reminder of a time period or what/who they love.
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve been given that’s helped shape your work?
The best piece of advice I’ve gotten is that you disrespect yourself every time you say yes when you really wanted to say no. This has made me be more mindful and intentional about the pieces I choose to tattoo. I feel really disconnected from doing designs that don’t bring me joy.
What are some of the myths about tattooing different skin tones that have resulted in discrimination in the tattoo industry?
Even though tattoo culture presents itself as progressive, there are still some uneducated folks who discriminate against certain clients because of their skin tone. One of the biggest myths in tattooing is that darker skin tones are unable to be tattooed. It's a false narrative that’s been created mostly by white male tattoo artists who are discriminative and are only willing to work with clients who have an "ideal skin type" — one that fits into their own narrow opinions. An “ideal skin type” does not exist in tattooing. Tattooing is for everyone, no matter the skin tone, sexual orientation, or gender identity. This practice has always been and will always be a sacred practice, and if someone turns a client away for having skin they say is “too dark” to tattoo, it's racism at its core.
What’s a non-negotiable for your creative workspace?
Music! Music is necessary to completely zone out while in my creative workspace. We’re always playing something different in the studio! Depending on our vibe, it can range from R&B-funk-alternative-psychedelic-alternative-pop, as we’re always switching it up!
Handpicked
A few of Lianna’s favorites…
Favorite flower
Iris and banksia!
Favorite season
I love the transition between spring and summer, right when the sun is really starting to come out more often and the flowers that bloom around this time frame are always fun.
Current color obsession
Green! I love a good sage or jade green.
Thank you so much, Lianna!
Image credits: Lianna DeGuzman
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