Today we’d like to introduce you to Aline and Alena Petunia.
Aline and Alena, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today
Somehow it already started in our childhood. We used to draw cats and dinosaurs when we were little children. While growing up, we found a way to channel our emotions into art, so we made colorful acrylic paintings on canvas, which sometimes were really wild and sometimes calmingly beautiful.
Making art never felt like work to us, it’s more like having a vision and following your intuitions. Then, after we got our first tattoo by the age of 17 we fell in love with tattoos. This was the beginning of this beautiful journey. When we were still in high school we started tattooing ourselves and the word began to spread. It was crazy, everybody would come and want a tattoo. By this time, we knew that this was the right path for us. Right after our diploma, we found a studio where we could follow our passion. However, we never were alone: We’ve always had each other. People started knowing about us since there aren’t many female twins who are both tattoo artists. We started modeling for alternative fashion brands and adopted the name “Petunia Twins”.
Has it been a smooth road?
Every start is difficult – even more in the tattoo scene. As a new comer, you can’t tattoo a person right away. You have to practice and understand the human skin and body. As you proceed it’s very hard to find somebody who wants a tattoo from a newcomer. Also, tattooing is quite not the same as painting with a pencil, since it’s harder to make a straight line or fill out parts with color. For both of us, the nervousness was the most horrible thing. Have you ever tried drawing a straight line with a trembling hand? And then there is competition. It’s very big in the tattoo business and it takes some time until you gain respect in the scene. However, it’s important to not give up on your dreams just because the road might be tough. You got to commit and look forward to your goals.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
We live the American dream! On the 18th of December 2019, we opened up our modern and unique tattoo studio called “Petunia Twins Ink” in the heart of Hollywood. It’s focused on professional high end tattoos and custom designs for incomparable customer experience. Our inspiration is our nature, so we live a vegan lifestyle and offer vegan tattoos as a special service. Since the vegan lifestyle is on the rise, many people want their tattoos to be cruelty free.
We chose the petunia flower as our brand because the flower reflects us. Everybody’s searching for the best way to live and grow just like a petunia flower, which grows in positive energy and therefore develops strength. Our tattoo shop represents this positive place, so it’s completely pink!
We love vibrant colors and it’s very important to us that tattoos keep their shine over time. This might be the reason why I (Aline) found myself doing a lot of Neo-Traditional tattoos, for which I won some prices. In contrast to that, I (Alena) found my way to abstract watercolor artworks. I guess our affinity for strong colors comes from the acrylic paintings, which we still do a lot. Also, you can always find imagery of flora and fauna in our works. We like to combine animals with abstract elements. However, we try to not force ourselves into a certain thing, which allows us to grow. As an artist, you should be able to work without restraint and let yourself breathe from time to time. We have many female customers since there’s a lack of female tattoo artists, we think. As women we understand that bold tattoos can make you look very manly, so we always fit the tattoos to the customer’s needs. The thing we’re most proud about is probably the fact that we have each other: A soulmate who we can share our visions with. I (Aline) know it’s something very special and we are lucky to have each other.
Is our city a good place to do what you do?
We think LA is the best city for artists like us because people are so open-minded. Our experience is that people will generally support you and give you compliments for doing what you love. It’s amazing. I mean, we artists are sitting in the same boat and we can feel this connection here in LA. Also, people are brave when it comes to tattoos. You get to make the coolest designs! Everybody wants to be different, so tattoos are a very unique way to do so. And for a business, it’s also important to be different to get distinguished.
Pricing:
- Our hourly for tattoos is 180$
- Every piercing 50$
Contact Info:
- Address: 7928 Melrose ave
Los Angeles, CA 90046 - Website: www.petuniatwinsink.com
- Phone: (323)9798932
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/petunia.twins/
- Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/PetuniaTwins/
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/petunia-twins-ink-los-angeles
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