(Photo Credit: Rubicon Photos)
When did you realize that you wanted to get into tattooing?
I've always thought about it in the back of my mind but never felt like I was or could be good enough to do it. I have always struggled with corporate jobs and the feeling that I was never going to find something I was passionate about. I have always felt a sort of dread when people wanted to know my dream job. The flat out truth was I didn't have one. It was more than I just 'didn't want to work', because who does? It was more a deep unhappiness because I was never going to love anything and nothing was ever going to just click. Now that I'm 30 and have had more life experience I am definitely more confident and in tune with myself and that's when I revisited tattooing. I was miserable in my current job, I was only there for the money and I found out real fast it was worth it. I had an opportunity arise and I kind of felt like it was the universe telling me that it was finally my turn I'm finally ready. The fire and passion that I have been looking for my whole life finally arose.
What is it about the House of Lexx that made you seek it out to expand your creative horizons?
Initially it was because of a friend that worked there. His name is CJ and I met him through my husband. I expressed interest and he was kind enough to offer to mentor me. After I got in the shop I found so many talented and creative people with a huge wealth of information they were more than happy to share with me. I'm extremely grateful to Lexx for welcoming me in and to everyone there that's been helping me grow.
Who is your favorite tattoo artist and why?
My favorite "famous" artists are probably Nikko Hurtado and Ryan Ashley. But I'm gonna have to shout out one of my friends Teryn LeBlanc who owns The Black Hare Tattoo in Conway Arkansas. I have watched him grow from almost the beginning of his career and have seen his art grow into something truly extraordinary. He is a big inspiration to me because watching how his work have progressed makes me feel like mine could be like that someday. He had also helped mentor me a little bit from a long distance which I'm grateful for.
What is your favorite style of tattoo?
My all time favorite style is definitely Neo Traditional. I'm in love with the bold colors and stylized designs. That's the style I really want to focus on in the future.
Do you know of how many tattoo’s you have?
I don't even know! They all are starting to kind of blend together so it's hard to tell if it's one whole piece or individual ones. I was never the kind of person to count them or track my hours behind the machine. If I had to guess I would say I'm probably nearing 100.
What is the best piece of advice that you’ve been told about tattooing? Go easy on myself. We are our own worst critics. I have to stop and remind myself when I get frustrated that I am still very new and I am doing really well for the amount of time I have put in so far. I'm working on it but it's definitely the best piece of advice I have gotten and can give. Go easy on yourself, relax, and have fun. We are creating art after all.
We know that you also do burlesque, what are your three favorite songs to perform to?
Oh man I don't think I could really pick a favorite. Music is kind of a tool in my opinion. A diverse one that you can use for whatever mood you want to amplify. For my Burlesque I tend to lean more on the darker metal/alternative music because that fits the mood of my stage persona. I'll answer by giving my favorite routine songs. First would probably be "Sick" by In This Moment. I did a Carrie routine to this song. The prom scene to be exact. It was one of my all time favorite routines. It was bloody, sexy, and had some crowd interaction as well. Second would be "Blues Deluxe" by Joe Bonamassa. This routine was a classic Burlesque act and kind of opened a door into blues music for me and I fell in love with it. Third I'll give to my most recent routine "Call Me Little Sunshine" by Ghost. Now when I first discovered this band I didn't like them. I didn't think the sound fit the stage persona but I gave them a chance and now I'm pretty obsessed with them so I knew I wanted to do a routine to one of their songs. I picked this one for its story telling. It fit my character pretty well. Ghosts songs are open for multiple interpretations but mine is basically finding companionship with the devil/darkness. That it will always be there for you.
Where can we find you at?
Instagram: Tetra Tormenta
Facebook: Tetra Tormenta
TikTok: Tetra_Tormenta
House of Lexx Shop links:
Instagram: House of Lexx
Facebook: House of Lexx
Houseoflexx.com
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