Today we’d like to introduce you to Carmen Monoxide.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Carmen. So, let’s start at the beginning, and we can move on from there.
I started drawing at such a young age that by the time I reached kindergarten, I made friends with every kid in my class by offering everyone my doodles of their favorite cartoon characters. They’d line up at my desk every day before school with a list of requests, and I was so proud to serve them.
At home, my parents were constantly arguing, often to a frighteningly aggressive degree. I couldn’t keep track of the number of occasions I’d seen such theatrics as my dad grabbing hold of the nearest furniture and smashing it into a wall, or my mom spitefully scraping a pair of keys across the fresh metallic paint on my dad’s new car. Fearful of facing the vengeful environment our parents created, my brother and I learned to make our presence scarce during these times. We hid in the bedroom we shared and spent countless hours entertaining ourselves by drawing cartoons all over the white walls.
Despite the resentment our parents displayed toward each other, it was apparent that they only ever wanted to provide the best opportunities for us. My mom eventually signed us up for art classes for as long as she could afford it. With age, my passion for drawing and painting grew more intent. I supplemented the income from my retail jobs by painting my designs on shoes and jackets or taking on any commissioned art jobs I could find. When I got into tattooing, I knew I’d found the perfect outlet for my art, that it would push me to live for what I do best.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
I have to say my apprenticeship was . I was trained by Graham Chaffee, the owner of Purple Panther, the shop I work out of today. His teaching has been loaded with a compassionate understanding of the challenges of starting a career in tattooing. Sometimes the lack of financial reward fills me with self-doubt and my mentor has to remind me to keep pressing onward, to never give up! Since these challenges are natural in any professional trade, I try to maintain focus on challenging myself to be a better artist every day; training my technical skills with persistent practice and surrounding myself with art and the people who truly inspire me to keep on creating!
We’d love to hear more about what you do.
I have cultivated my own style of tattooing mostly based on classic Americana designs, applying the traditional bold lines and vibrant colors to subjects derived from a variety of my interests; Ancient Mythology, 1980s pop culture and HEAVY METAL.
My favorite part of the process is painting with ink and watercolor. Finessing my line work, choosing a color palette, and committing it to an entire page is rewardingly challenging, and tattooing the designs is equally satisfying!
While I paint a ton of flash, I love working with my clients to create custom tattoos as well. Fine-tuning designs with the person who will be excited to carry my work on their eternal journey brings me back to the pride I felt as a young artist, taking drawing requests from my kindergarten peers. I didn’t know it back then, but I had found my true calling providing creative services on a personal basis!
What were you like growing up?
I was always a brainiac with a commitment to my sense of humor. If I wasn’t reading a book, I was watching nature and science documentaries and drawing anything that captured my eye. I have always aimed for spending most of every day finding something to laugh about, no matter how dark it may be. I have made a point to translate this character in the work I do, whether I’m adding funny details into my tattoo designs or simply entertaining my clients and coworkers with joy!
Pricing:
- $100 minimum
- $150 hourly rate
Contact Info:
- Address: Purple Panther Tattoo 1228 W. 7th Street Los Angeles, CA 90017
- Website: www.carmenmonoxide.com
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: @carmen_monoxide
Image Credit:
Adam L. Murray
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