Life & Work with Margaret Benbow of Santa Paula

Today we’d like to introduce you to Margaret Benbow

Hi Margaret, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I’ve been an Artist all my life. I started drawing as a small child and began selling pet portraits when I was 15. In my late 20’s I got into tattooing. I was going through a divorce and needed a way to support my kids. I did an apprenticeship and fell in love with the craft. I’ve been tattooing for 6 years now and can’t imagine doing anything else with my life.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Tattooing is not a lifestyle for the weak. The highs are very high and the lows can be very low. Surviving through my apprenticeship and first two years of tattooing was really hard. At one point I was working 5 jobs altogether, just to make ends meet. It was exhausting. I’ve worked really hard to build my clientele and I feel very fortunate to have reached a point where I can now survive off my tattoo income alone.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I would consider myself a versatile artist. While I think that it can be cool to specialize in one style as a tattooer, I think it’s more important to learn a variety of styles so I can tattoo anyone who walks through the door. I also enjoy learning and want to learn everything I can about my craft. With that said, I am most drawn to Neotraditional tattoos. I am also known for my realism pet portraits that I sell on the side.

I’m very proud of myself for how hard I’ve worked to get where I am today. It’s not easy being a single mom and making a living on Art in Southern California. I want to show my kids that they really can do anything they want if they truly have a passion for it.

So, before we go, how can our readers or others connect or collaborate with you? How can they support you?
Come get tattooed! I enjoy meeting new people, tattooing them, hearing their stories.

I work at Handmade Tattoo in Santa Paula, a little North of LA, and I think it is the coolest tattoo shop I’ve ever seen so come on by and check it out!

Pricing:

• Tattoos: $150/hour for large tattoos, priced by the piece for smaller ones
• Pet portraits: $300

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.margaretirene.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/margaret_irene_tattoos?igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ==