Kare Davis

Kare Davis: Turning Stories into Blackwork

For Kare Davis (@kareless_tattoos47), tattooing has always been about more than just putting art on skin. Every piece carries a story, a memory, or a moment someone wants to hold onto.

Growing up, Kare’s first inspiration for art came from her mom. That early influence planted the seed, but tattooing brought a deeper meaning to her work. Over time, it was her clients who became one of her biggest creative drivers. Each person who sits in her chair brings their own story, and those stories shape the artwork that follows.

For Kare, tattooing isn’t just about creating something visually striking—it’s about creating something that means something.

Blackwork and the Art of Stipple

Kare’s style leans heavily into blackwork, with stipple shading becoming a signature part of many of her designs. The texture and depth created through dotwork allows her pieces to carry both boldness and subtle detail at the same time.

Earlier in her career, Kare worked primarily in American traditional tattooing. But once she began experimenting with stipple techniques, everything shifted. The move into Gothic blackwork opened up an entirely new direction for her art and changed the way she approached tattooing altogether.

That evolution helped shape the style she’s known for today.

Collaboration Behind Every Tattoo

For Kare, the tattoo process begins long before the machine starts buzzing. She believes the best tattoos come from collaboration.

Consultations are an important part of her process. By sitting down with clients and getting a feel for what they’re looking for, Kare can start brainstorming ideas together with them. Whether it takes hours or days to refine the design, her goal is always the same—to make sure her clients walk away with something they truly love.

Not just another tattoo, but a piece that feels personal.

Finding Her Way to Sullen

Kare’s introduction to Sullen happened during the Arizona Invitational Tattoo Convention.

She was attending with her husband, tattoo artist Matthew Foster, when they stopped by the Sullen booth where Hoon and Mohawk Matt were set up. After a bit of encouragement from Matthew, Kare finally gathered the courage to ask Matt if he’d be willing to look at her drawings.

It happened fast. Matt glanced at the artwork for only a few seconds before telling her to send the designs over.

Trying to keep her cool, Kare followed up after the convention. Some time passed before she heard that the drawings had been liked, and soon after, Ryan from Sullen reached out saying he had mocked up her design on a shirt.

What started as a moment of bravery at a convention quickly turned into an opportunity to join the Sullen Artist Series.

A Design Close to the Heart

The design Kare created for the Sullen Artist Series carries deep personal meaning.

The piece blends soft black and gray tones with bold traditional tattoo elements—representing both where she started in tattooing and the direction her style has grown toward. Pink accents appear throughout the artwork as a tribute to her mom and her fight against breast cancer.

The angel, wings, halo, and badge elements all serve as symbols of her mom watching over her, making the design both a tribute and a reflection of Kare’s journey as an artist.

Carrying the Inspiration Forward

Sullen has been part of Kare’s world for a long time. Growing up, she remembers seeing artists’ names printed on Sullen shirts and realizing how much the tattoo community supported its artists.

For Kare and her mom, it became a dream that one day someone might be wearing a shirt with her artwork on it.

Now that dream has come full circle.

Through her tattoos and her artwork, Kare hopes people feel something when they see it—whether that’s happiness, inspiration, or simply the motivation to keep pushing forward.

About Kare Davis

Kare Davis is a tattoo artist from Oklahoma specializing in blackwork and stipple tattooing. Her work blends Gothic-inspired imagery with detailed dotwork techniques that create depth, contrast, and texture throughout her pieces.

Driven by the stories and experiences of her clients, Kare approaches every tattoo as a collaborative process, making sure each piece reflects both her artistic style and the meaning behind the design.

As part of the Sullen Artist Series, Kare Davis brings her personal story and evolving style into apparel design, sharing artwork that represents both her artistic journey and the inspiration she carries forward.