CHARITY OETGEN is a wildlife artist with a master’s of fine art degree from Laguna College of Art + Design. In all artistic pursuits, she combines her passions for art and conservation to create work that inspires and strengthens the bonds between humans and nature. As a watercolor painter who has been published by National Geographic, and has works in Dr. Jane Goodall’s art collection, watercolor tattoos with vivid color are her favorite style. Her designs are meticulously researched and then traditionally painted in watercolor before they are put on skin. Charity believes that a watercolor style tattoo is best created by making an actual watercolor painting to create an added layer of authenticity to the design. So when she creates a piece for you, she is essentially creating two.
Charity could talk about animals (especially bonobos and okapis), conservation, world travel, philosophy, psychology, and core early life experiences all day with her clients. A bookworm of the highest order, you will easily walk out of your appointment with two or more book recommendations.
A tattooer for fifteen years and counting, Charity has worked in shops from California to Texas to Florida. She moved to Columbus from Laguna Beach where she received her classical education in drawing and painting. However, she’s originally from Illinois, so before you start worrying about her handling the Ohio cold… Don’t worry, she’s fine. When she isn’t painting or tattooing, you can spot her talking to animals, skipping in the rain, photographing roadkill, becoming best friends with a stranger, organizing spaces for fun, hiking/camping, sitting on the floor in a bookshop surrounded by stacks of children’s books, or watching animal documentaries.
National Geographic
In 2017, I was given the opportunity of a lifetime when I was asked to paint a series of watercolors for a spread on The Gorillas of Karisoke for National Geographic magazine - and I only had 3 weeks to get it done.
My love for primates spans a lifetime, so having the opportunity to paint Digit, Cantsbee, Gasore, Inshuti, Maggie, Gufasha and Poppy was a dream come true, and one that I never saw coming.
The paintings were published in the September 2017 issue of National Geographic in a feature called, The Gorillas of Karisoke.
The icing on the cake for me with this very special project was when Jane Goodall herself recognized the feature and my work.
In Danger
In Danger is a high-end art book produced by Expedition Art in collaboration with some of the most well-known concept artists, designers and fine artists in the world. They selected 51 different artists from 8 countries to create imagery of 97 unique animals. And I was one of them. Each animal portrayed in the book has a detailed description, interesting fun-facts about the creature as well as insightful thoughts from the artist. The goal of In Danger is to educate and raise awareness through art. Published in 2018.
Pricing + Policies
GENERAL PRICING:
Charity charges $300/hour.
A full day is session is 6 hours, a half day session is 3 hours
All tattoos include an original watercolor painting of your design, gifted to you once your tattoo has been completed.
Many factors can affect the total investment in your tattoo, but here are some general ranges of prices to give you an idea of what you can expect.
SMALLER PROJECTS:
For reference, we are using a palm of hand vs. a full hand to help describe sizes for small tattoos:
Palm of Hand size: 2-3 hours | $500 - $750
Full Hand size: 4-6 hours | $1,000 - $1,500
LARGER PROJECTS:
Arm panel (wrist to elbow, or elbow to shoulder): 2-3 full day sessions | $3,000-$4,500
Arm half sleeve: 3-5 full day sessions | $4,500 - $7,500
Arm sleeve: 6-8 full day sessions | $9,000 - $12,000
Leg panel (ankle to knee or knee to upper thigh/hip, not wrapping around) | 2-4 sessions $3,000-$6,000
Leg half sleeve (lower): 3-5 full day sessions | $4,500 - $7,500
Leg half sleeve (upper): 5-7 full day sessions | $7,500 - $10,500
Leg full sleeve: 10-12 full day sessions | $15,000 - $18,000
Back piece: 7-10 full day sessions | $10,500 - $15,000
DEPOSIT:
For smaller projects, it is a $200 deposit for each appointment. For a half sleeve or larger projects, it is an $800 deposit.
All deposits are deducted from the final cost of your tattoo, and can be made during the consultation, either in person or virtually through the Evolved POS. We accept cash, debit, credit, and contactless pay.
CANCELLATION + RESCHEDULING
We require one week's notice to reschedule any appointment. Last minute cancellations will lose their deposits and a new deposit must be paid to schedule a new appointment (there are some exceptions).
If a client reschedules 3 times in a row, their tattoo will be on hold until the next booking period and a new deposit will be required. (Old deposit is void.)
BOOKING PROCEDURE:
Consultations are scheduled twice a year. Once it is time to schedule your consultation, you will meet with Charity and talk about your project in depth. She will have lots of questions for you and you’re encouraged to ask lots of questions as well. Once creative direction has been confirmed, we will schedule your tattoo appointment/s, and take a nonrefundable deposit to hold the date/s.
We expect clients starting multi-session projects to schedule at least one half or full day every month. This is a commitment for both artist and client, and we prefer it be treated as such. For traveling clients we can discuss scheduling expectations (for example: two days in a row or two sessions in a month).
Clients with continuing projects will have highest booking priority. They will receive an email before anyone else to ensure they can get scheduled. However, if they don’t respond to the email within one week, availability isn’t guaranteed.
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