Art is not limited to canvas or paper or lens or brush, and Rebecca Trawick embraces that aesthetic. Being married to a tattoo artist, this professional illustrator is very comfortable with the idea of art on the body. The next step, of course, was to combine these elements, and so 50 Tattooed Ladies were born.

More than the name suggests, the focus of this exhibit is not just women sporting body art. Rather, Trawick takes the novel approach of preparing meticulous collages based on ’40s- and ’50s-era pinups, found items, and paper ephemera and then designing and applying her own tattoo creations to the pinups. As such these art pieces are multifaceted creations: vibrant, engrossing collage; saucy ladies; and intricate tattoo design combined in a framed package.

Blue Ruin first found Trawick’s work in Bust magazine and later in features in Somerset Studios and International Tattoo magazines. Trawick is also known for her skill in fine handwriting.

Through Bluebird Studios, her lettering/illustration business, she has licensed her lettering for items such as stickers, notes, and rubber stamps. Her clients include ME's Home Companion, Garage Magazine, Lunalux Art & Design Studio, Sonia Design Group, Blue Nightingale/A Fine Romance, and Lollipop Magazine. No stranger to the gallery circuit, Trawick is assistant curator for the Wignall Museum Gallery at Chaffey College. It’s no surprise that she is also an avid mail artist, an art form combining her love for calligraphy, illustration, and collage, and has taught classes on the subject. What appeals most to Trawick about these art forms is the obvious time, energy, and affection that go into the individualized pieces.