Leaving a mark on skin means also leaving one on the world at this Draguignan tattoo studio.
Last summer, Aurélie Dalmais Ferran and her wife spent weeks nursing fifteen swifts back to health. A small flock of tiny birds, cupped in their hands, kept alive and monitored until they were strong enough to fly. When later a post from Totem PACA, the Provence-based wildlife rescue association, crossed her social media feed, announcing a fundraising drive for a new wildlife care centre, the decision was immediate. Aurélie, the owner of Le Dernier Trait, a Draguignan-based tattoo studio, was going to help in her own way.
Le Dernier Trait is Aurélie’s second act, after overcoming quite a few hurdles in her earlier years. Now 40, she reinvented herself as a tattooist at 35 and has been spending the last five years working in ink, specialising in black-and-grey realism, and mostly animal motifs. The name says it all: in French, “le dernier trait” is both the artist’s final stroke and the line drawn under a chapter that is over.
Curiosity duly piqued, we sat down with Aurélie to find out more about her work and her connection with the young association striving to build permanent wildlife rescue centres across the region – and which depends on this kind of grassroots support to make it happen.
Aurélie, please tell us about yourself. What path has led you to where you are today?
I was born in Apt, in the Vaucluse, and ended up in Draguignan somewhat by circumstance. As a kid, my family moved a lot due to my father’s career in the military. It was a complex childhood. My mother was fragile, and I had two younger brothers to look after – but I’ve always been a fighter.
My mother was a hairdresser, so that’s the path I followed. I trained, qualified, got married very young, had two daughters. Sixteen years later, after my divorce, I finally made the career change I’d always dreamed of but had never been allowed to pursue. That’s when I truly found my place. When I met my wife, she restored my confidence in my own abilities and pushed me to surpass myself and embrace my passion. We live with three cats: Nikita, Touillette, and our latest addition, Wedding.
Drawing has been my passion for as long as I can remember: from the moment I could hold a pencil, I never stopped. It was the one subject I excelled in at school. Today I still spend my life drawing, whether digitally for clients or on paper for pure pleasure. I also love reading (my favourite author is Donato Carrisi), gardening, and DIY. But the list could go on… I love learning to do all sorts of things. I’m very hands-on and have an endless appetite for acquiring new skills.
When did you first become interested in tattooing? What led you to make it your profession, and how long have you been working as a tattooist?
I knew I wanted to be a tattooist the day I walked into a shop for the first time at 16 to get my navel pierced. But it wasn’t something my family approved of. On my mother’s side, everyone was a hairdresser, and on the other side, it simply “wasn’t a real job.” So I waited until I was 35 to take the leap. I don’t really think of it as work… to me, it’s a form of sharing.
Do you specialise in any particular techniques or use specific colour palettes?
I work across many different styles, but my real passion is black-and-grey realism, especially animals. I rarely do colour tattoos, as there is less demand for them.
What is your connection to Totem PACA?
I came across one of their posts about swifts and their project to build a new rescue centre, and it went straight to my heart. After my wife and I had already rescued fifteen swifts ourselves, I felt I had to help in whatever way I could.
What does your solidarity initiative with Totem PACA involve?
At first, I planned a single flash-tattoo day dedicated to the association, but that didn’t feel like enough. So, I decided that for every tattoo featuring an animal – any animal, any size – a portion of the proceeds would go directly to the association. These tattoos range from €50 for flash designs to well over a hundred euros for larger pieces. And I’ve decided to keep this going for as long as it takes to contribute as much as possible to wildlife rescue.
I also offer what I call “solidary cover-ups” – tattooing over old ink to help people draw a final line under a difficult chapter or something they regret. I ask for a maximum contribution of €100, regardless of the size or time involved, though I limit this to two or three people per month so it remains manageable.
Do you support other causes through similar initiatives?
Outside of tattooing, I donate blood and, until recently (before I turned 40), I also donated eggs. I sign a great many petitions concerning animals, particularly wolves, because it is we humans who are encroaching on their territory, not the other way around.
Is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers?
Peace in the world… but above all, more humanity from humans. And I hope for lots of donations and volunteers for Totem PACA.
Artists who use their craft to give back are always worth celebrating, and Aurélie is a fine example of a growing generation of creatives who understand that a business can be a force for good. The gesture may be small in the face of the enormous need, but conservation has always run on exactly this kind of quiet, persistent commitment, and the conviction that individual actions add up. If a rescued swift could express an opinion on the matter, it would probably agree.
PRACTICAL INFORMATION
Studio Le Dernier Trait
Association TOTEM PACA
PHOTO CREDITS
- Lead image by Orfeas Green on Unsplash, licenced under the Unsplash License
- All other photos courtesy Studio Le Dernier Trait
- Poster courtesy Association TOTEM PACA
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