Tattoo Artist Profiles

Marisa Campinha

Where do you practice? I began at East Providence Tattoo about three years ago.

How did you get into this line of work? I was infatuated with art since I was a kid — always drawing, painting and tagging anything I could. I came into the shop with a friend one day and met one of the artists here at East Providence Tattoo (who is now my husband). Bruce sat me down and gave me something to draw one day. I aced the drawing in his eyes and he slowly brought me back to my passion with art. I started my apprenticeship and here I am, a two-year licensed tattoo artist. I can’t imagine doing anything else. If it wasn’t for Bruce helping me find my way back to my passion, I might have been lost forever.

What do you love about it? I love creating art for people and getting to be myself in a truly creative and free-spirited atmosphere. The music, the art and the vibes make this career fun and it never feels like you’re actually working.

What have been your greatest professional challenges? Do you think your gender has made a difference for you? The greatest challenge for me was getting people to give me a chance in the beginning. It’s hard gaining clients at first. People have to see your work to trust you and when you’re just starting out it’s a little hard to come by. But with persistence, heart and patience, it will come. Women in this industry have to be strong and forward. Although, I think in any industry woman have to push a bit harder to be taken seriously. We are just as creative.

What are your artistic influences? My mom was very creative and artistic. She had me set up with an entire basement of paints, pastels, charcoals and wood burning. I spent so much time down there with  my art, it was all I wanted to do. I fell apart from it for a few years until I went to East Providence Tattoo and met Bruce. He was my other huge influence. His positive vibe and confidence in me really gave me a push. Sometimes in life things we go through can break us and make us forget who we are. To my husband Bruce, thank you for believing in me and pushing me to the best of my ability. Without you I wouldn’t be doing what I am right now.

Michelle Carter

Where do you practice? I co-own and work at 1001 Troubles Tattoo out of Warren (the smallest town in the smallest state!), and couldn’t be happier with our location.

How did you get into this line of work? A local tattoo shop was scouting the campus during my senior year of college. I landed an interview for an apprenticeship and it went really well. I apprenticed under Fredd Cheetham, someone who is now my business partner and best friend. He gave me a shot, which is something I’ll always be grateful for.

What do you love about it? I love finding a client who is a kindred spirit, someone who is excited about my artwork and designs and really into the same interests as I am. When you can work freely and unhindered is when you create the best work and build great relationships, and in order to do that you need to meet great people. I enjoy designing and painting as much as tattooing, so it’s great to be able to work them into the same job and have them permanently running around the world on someone. I loved drawing as a kid and I never would have imagined being able to apply it to something as cool as this. The other perks are waking up late, wearing what you want at work and listening to music all day!

What are your greatest professional challenges?  It was daunting to jump into opening a business and rebuilding from scratch. Fredd and I decided Warren was going to be our new spot and joined forces to create a rad place to work and hang out. We never sacrificed the integrity of our art and tried to turn our shop into a place that was relaxing and engaging. It’s not as romanticized as you’d think though; there was a lot of paperwork. Before we set up shop in Warren it was still illegal to tattoo there! The stigma of gangs and drunken sailors had taken its toll on the town and it had some ancient laws still in effect. Our passion for the art shone through and we were able to put a lot of those stigmas to rest.

Do you think your gender has made a difference for you professionally? As a female artist I have a clientele made up of more women than men. I have met some bad-ass empowered women; they are some of my favorites to tattoo and I invite more to come hang out and get tattooed. In many cases I feel that women may be less intimidated for their first tattoos, or more comfortable if they need to have a private session.

I started in a shop that had more women than men, so I didn’t feel alienated or special; we were all just artists who worked hard and reaped the benefits. Personally I did feel that I had to prove myself somehow, to do un-girly work to show that I can, or to put in more hours and show my worth. Whether that was a product of my gender or just my personality, I don’t know. What I do know is I have been very lucky with the male and female artists I’ve met; they’ve all had a huge sense of humor and make my career interesting and worth long nights at the shop and weekends at conventions.

What are your artistic influences? On a traditional level? Salvador Dali, Caravaggio, Peter Mohrbacher, Alphonse Mucha, James Jean and the creatures of Guillermo del Toro’s movies. I love the stories behind Tarot cards; their imagery and meaning always sprout new artistic ideas. I draw influence from fantasy and from legends as well as from animals and nature. I love working off of Greek Gods, Goddesses and creatures or folklore. Their culture is rich with great imagery and storytelling. In my opinion, we know what reality looks like. Art is more beautiful when we create the impossible.

Tara D’Agostino

Where do you practice? I own, and tattoo at Iron Lion tattoo located at 1862 Broad Street in Cranston.

How did you get into this line of work? I’ve always had a passion for art. Although I wasn’t very good, I always found time to sketch as a kid. I was fascinated by tattoos and started begging my parents for one at the young age of 12! I was 15 when I got my very first tattoo, and fell in love with the art of tattooing. From the age of 15 on I would visit local tattoo shops, watch the artists tattoo, and ask multiple questions … only if they let me, of course. I practiced drawing non-stop for years until I finally started to get good at it. As soon as I built up a portfolio that I was proud of, I went to a reputable shop and begged for an apprenticeship.

What do you love about it? My favorite thing about tattooing is making people happy with art. I get to contribute something to a person’s body that they will wear every day for the rest of their lives! The client’s reaction after seeing their idea come to life on their skin is priceless. To some people it’s not only art, but therapy as well and I’m glad I can provide that for them. Not only do I get to do what I love for a living, I get to meet new people every day from all different walks of life. I feel truly blessed that I get to come to work every day and make art!

What are your greatest professional challenges? My greatest challenge is constantly trying to reinvent myself, to keep my art from getting stale and stagnant. I’m 10 years in the game and I am still constantly learning — teaching myself new techniques and trying to make my art better with every tattoo. There are a lot of amazing artists out there and I want to try and stand out from the rest!

Do you think your gender has made a difference for you professionally? My gender has actually had a positive impact on my career. There are many females out there who don’t feel comfortable going to a male artist, and well, let’s be honest — there are a lot of males who like having a female artist so honestly it’s a win-win for me. The frustrating part about being a female tattoo artist is the shock on people’s faces when they walk in the shop and find out that I’m the owner. For some reason — it seems more times than not — they expect to see a male as the shop owner. Another frustration is when people walk up to me and say, “Wow you have a lot of tattoos. Your boyfriend must be a tattoo artist!”

Who are your greatest influences? Because I specialize in black and grey, I am influenced by a lot of the black and grey artists on the West Coast — Steve Soto, Carlos Torres and Jose Lopez to name a few. I also love Asian-inspired tattoos influenced by Jess Yen and Nicklas Westin. Of course, I can’t leave out some of the godfathers of black and grey tattooing like Bob Tyrrell and Paul Booth.

Ashley Joslin

Where do you practice? Sin Alley Tattoo

How did you get into this line of work? I was the receptionist at a shop at age 17, and quickly was offered an apprenticeship when one of the artists saw my interest and drive in tattooing.

What do you love about it? I love taking the client’s idea and putting my own twist on it to make it a better tattoo. Nothing is better then making a client happy.

What have been your greatest professional challenges? And, do you think your gender has made a difference for you? I was fortunate enough to have a real deal apprenticeship. An older tattooer who hated female tattooers, filled with hazing. It wasn’t easy to learn tattooing and it wasn’t easy to take the medicine, so to speak. I would love to say gender doesn’t make a difference, but in my 10 years of tattooing and 12 years in the industry, I simply know that’s not true. As a woman, you’re somewhat intruding on “the boys club,” and some guys are great and have no problem, others not so much. As a woman it feels like you need a bigger drive and tougher skin. And don’t ever talk about it being different because you’re a woman!

What are your artistic influences? Ed Hardy is a huge influence for me, not only his work, but his story is amazing and always pushes me to do more and make my work better. I’m fortunate that I can find influence in all sorts of things and places. Silly pop song lyrics, a stroll down the aisle of a thrift store, random landscapes I drive by. I love looking at tattoos, but I try not to very often. It’s easy to love an idea that another artist came up with and rip off their style, sometimes without even realizing it. If I want to draw a rose, I’ll look at actual roses rather than pictures of rose tattoos.

Grace LaMorte

Where do you practice? I am a licensed tattoo artist currently working at The Boston Tattoo Company in Somerville, Mass.

Audrey Mello

Chrystal Santos

Where do you practice? East Providence Tattoo

How did you get into this line of work? I have been creating artwork since I was in the womb. When I was in high school I was always told that I could be a tattoo artist, but I never considered it because of how intimidating it is, especially being a female in a male-dominant industry. But, when I was 16 I saw my mom get her first tattoo. That was also my first time watching the whole process in person, and since that day, I have been completely hooked.

What do you love about it? I feel like tattooing is part of my soul. I always get excited to do new pieces and meet a bunch of great people! But, what I love most about tattooing, and even art in general, is that there are so many different styles and ways that people can create and grow their abilities. I love being able to put my own style and personal touch on people’s ideas to make the tattoo the best it can be! It’s the collaborative effort that makes the process so much fun. A piece of artwork is part of the artist’s soul in the palm of the viewer’s hands. I have always believed that there is no right or wrong way to create artwork and beautiful tattoos as long as you and your client love it!

What have been your greatest professional challenges? Do you think your gender has made a difference for you? I believe that one of my greatest professional challenges in this industry is my age. I am only 19 years old so I think that people underestimate me. No matter how young I am I will always put my 110% into something I love. Also, I believe that it is harder for me because I am a female in the tattooing world. When someone mentions a tattoo artist, people automatically think of a male — even I do. It isn’t a bad thing, at all, but being a young female in this industry I know I have some big shoes to fill and I wouldn’t have it any other way! I like a challenge! You won’t grow as a person, or an artist for that matter, if you don’t have some obstacles to get around.

What are your artistic influences? Honestly, despite the rocky roads we have crossed these past couple of years, my father is one of my biggest artistic influences and has been since I was a child. Whenever I drew or built something when I was young, he would be the first person I showed. He would critique my artwork and give his 100% honest opinion and would speak to me as if I was a young adult in a college art class. He would always help me to improve my work and I thank him for that. As for other tattoo artists, I always look to the closest ones around me here at East Providence Tattoo. Marisa, her husband Bruce, and the owner, Jesus, have been helping me better my tattooing skills since I have been here. Being with other artists who love to do what I also love to do is so inspiring. Lastly, the artist that I look up to through social media is Kat Abdy from the UK. I fell in love with her work because she does beautiful neo-traditional pieces, and that is my favorite style to create!

Rhiannon Spaziano

Where do you practice? I am the owner and artist of Phoenix Tattoo and Wellness Center, located at 30 Phenix Ave in Cranston.

How did you get into this line of work? I have been getting tattooed since I was 18 years old. I would get tattooed at an all female shop, which was called Body Vogue at the time, and that is where I got my start. I learned from a very talented woman named Autumne who got me started and licensed back in 1996. I have been tattooing ever since.

What do you love about it? The one thing I love the most about it is the ability to be myself. To be creative and see the simple joy on my clients’ faces when the piece they wanted is exactly what they wanted and more.

What have been your greatest professional challenges? My greatest professional challenges were being a female in a male-dominated industry, more early on than now. I have had a lot of bumps in the road, but always managed to pick myself up and dust myself off.

Do you think gender makes a difference in the profession? I think at times it does. There are many clients who prefer women artists over male, and vice versa. As for a difference in the profession as a whole, what it boils down to is your skills and how you treat people.

What have been your influences? My influences are other tattooers, whether they be local, national or world-wide. I love learning from other artists.

What’s your most memorable piece of tattoo art? This is a tough one. I have been tattooing for over 20 years. The most recent memorable piece of tattoo art was a client who came in with a full back piece as her first tattoo; it was in honor of her son who has autism. Not too many people get full back pieces for their first tattoo.

What about on your own body? My two favorite tattoos are on my left thigh and my right forearm. My right thigh is by Autumne; she did a full color Dimebag Darrell portrait. Dimebag was the guitarist from Pantera. My forearm tattoo is a portrait of Peter Steele from Type O Negative, and that was done by Aaron Marco.

What’s the strangest request you remember receiving? Someone wanted a snake head above his groin area, and wanted the body to go lower down onto his penis. I did not do his tattoo just for the record.