Kat von D is an extremely talented tattoo artist and reality star who’s also a bit tatted up herself. Her TLC show L.A. Ink is currently in it’s sixth season and features Kat’s relationship with Motley Crue bassist Nikki Sixx, which ended this January. Kat (real name Katherina von Drachenberg) was previously married to fellow tattoo artist Oliver Peck, who recently blabbed to the tabloids about her, but the walking pin-up is currently dating bad boy Jesse James.
We’re gonna try to provide a field guide of sorts to some of Kat’s many tats. This is Part One:
Kat’s very first tattoo actually began because of a boy (most tattoos do). She was in a 14-year-old puppy love affair with a kid named James, and had a punk neighborhood friend tattoo an Old English-style “J” on her ankle. This kid, Oliver Guthrie, went on to crudely ink three more tattoos on Kat, which she’s since had removed: a New York Dolls pinup on her left arm, a rose and wrench on right calf, and flaming music note on her left shoulder.
Some of the tattoos Kat most proudly displays now are the portrait of her mother on her left shoulder (pictured above), her New York Dolls inspired “Hollywood” written in red lipstick on her lower abdomen, and, of course, her “Starry Eyes” tattoos, which are her favorite.
Kat originally got one star on each temple (her right temple is now usually covered with her hair), but gradually started getting more stars. Her ex-husband Oliver Peck used to tell her she shouldn’t tattoo her face, so she went out and got seven more stars to spite him. She also has two stars on her left eyelid, but they’re usually covered with eye shadow. To top off the star theme, she’s got some tattooed into the cartilage of her ear. The inspiration for these stars are her favorite song: Motley Crue’s “Starry Eyes.”
Some of her more “hidden” tattoos include a heart on her left palm, a flower under her chin (from her drinking days, so people would have something to look at when she took a shot,) and a 13 inked on her earlobe.
Kat is currently promoting her new book The Tattoo Chronicles, her second after 2008’s High Voltage Tattoo, which is also the name of her Los Angeles tattoo shop. Both publications are autobiographies accented with stunning illustrations and photos, and a rich, glossy design. They’re really fun reads even if you’re not into tattoos.
