Hey there!

I’m Alena Pollitt (they/she), also known as Loon Calls. I’m a multi-disciplinary creative: tattoo artist, illustrator, photographer, painter, and writer. I’m from the US, and currently based in Amsterdam with my wife and two dogs.

I’ve been making art my whole life and discovered tattooing as a new favorite medium in 2022. Read more about my tattoo journey and approach to tattooing below.

About Loon Calls

You might not know much about loons, as they’re not native to Europe, but I got to know loons long ago in Maine in the US. I’d get visits from them on the lake I spent summers at throughout my life, and I’ve always felt a deep connection to them. I love their haunting beautiful calls across the lake and I love their unique black and white markings.


The first tattoo I got is a loon — a present I gave myself a couple of weeks after I had publicly declared my queerness on the internet. I chose a loon in this wings-spread, coming-out-of-the-water pose because of one of my best memories from Maine. I was alone in the middle of the lake, surrounded by loons dancing on the water, diving under my yellow kayak, and calling all around me for what felt like an hour (it was probably about 5 minutes). I don’t think anyone would have believed me if my Dad hadn’t been there to see it all happen from the dock — sadly we didn’t get any photos or video. But between this memory and coming out, the tattoo felt like an important record. It felt good to mark my body with something that felt like a true reminder of my little kid self, feeling wild and free on the lake, coming out of the water.

A close-up of a loon bird with its wings extended while floating on calm water.
A woman in a red and black checkered shirt smiling while taking a selfie in a mirror. She has short blonde hair, a tattoo of a bird on her forearm, and is wearing a ring on her finger. In the background, there is another woman with glasses on her head, looking at her phone.

As it happened, the artist I worked with had just opened her own studio. The idea of a woman running her own shop, creating a welcoming space that was all her own was new to me. Getting this tattoo when I was finally feeling like myself and seeing her get to open her dream shop like that planted the seed of “hey, maybe I could do this too!”

A person's arm with a tattoo of a bird in flight on the forearm, wearing a red and black shirt, with other clothing and a patterned carpet in the background.


A loon’s markings look like they’re painted with dots and they blend with reflecting water movement on the lake. They make me want to make marks, too.

In 2022, I bought some basic tattoo supplies and started handpoking tatoos on my friends and family. I really enjoyed it and wanted to learn more. I bought a machine and began practicing on fake skin. The more I learned, the more I loved it. I couldn’t wait to do more. For the next few years, I was balancing a full-time job in tech and some personal health issues, while practicing and drawing as much as I could.

Once we began planning our move abroad to Amsterdam early 2025, I decided I wanted to take a break from the tech world, double-down, focus on tattooing, and learn from some experienced artists while I honed my style and skill. I reached out to artists I admired, asked for feedback, and took courses in handpoke and machine, and have been tattooing regularly since.

So, I’ll make my art and make tattoos, mark myself, and you, if you’ll let me — be it for a memory, a (loon) call back, if you will. Or for a little magic, a promise, a reclamation. Or for some silliness, some beauty, or to mirror nature. 🤍🖤

A young woman with light skin and long hair lying back with her head tilted, receiving an injection in her upper arm from a medical professional wearing black gloves. The scene is in a medical setting.
A person receiving a tattoo on their thigh from a tattoo artist wearing black gloves. The artist is using a tattoo machine. The person has a feather tattoo on their shoulder and a smaller tattoo on their thigh. The person is lying on a protective plastic covered surface.
A woman getting a tattoo on her calf by a tattoo artist in a studio.