March 14, 2017

Meet Edwin Marin of Evol Arts Studio in Downtown Los Angeles

Local Stories

Today we’d like to introduce you to Edwin Marin.

Edwin, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
My story is a bit different than most tattoo artist – I didn’t actually search for a career as a tattoo artist, thankfully my tattoo life actually found me.

My plan was simple – after I finished my military service; enroll in college and become a successful artist. My first two years I religiously studied, drawing, oil painting and art history. After two years I realized that even with success I would most likely still struggle hence I changed my major to Graphic Design but still minored in oil painting. I worked three jobs to make it but I finally graduated and got a job as a graphic designer.

After 5 years as graphic designer and another 5 as an Art Director I was completely burned out of the corporate world. So, one day driving home from work, I walked into a tattoo shop that I would pass every day, with my sketch book in hand. I simply wanted to know how much a tattoo would cost based on a sketch I drew up. The owner curiously flipped through my entire sketch book and out of the blue he asks me – “Do you want an apprenticeship?” Life is all about timing so I said yes right on the spot. On my first day I felt more comfortable in that shop right in the middle of Inglewood than I had my entire ten years in the corporate world. I knew I was home and everything beforehand was prologue to that day.

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?
There have been a few bumps on the road, some have been like an upgrade going up a hill and one was a mountain but as “they” say, “you can’t make an omelet without cracking a few eggs.

The first was going from a healthy paycheck every two weeks to having to learn to hustle because there is no longer that security of a guaranteed paycheck, paid vacations or paid sick days. This completely takes me out of my comfort zone because I’m fairly introverted. I love tattooing, drawing and oil painting, I love getting my art out there but putting myself out there feels like hard work. I’ve all ways wanted to believe that the art will sell itself but it doesn’t – with social media and reality shows people don’t just want an awesome tattoo anymore – they also want to know their artist and expect a great experience, minus the pain that is.

My mountain was most definitely a huge set back, it was a near death experience as far as life and work. Sitting at a red light on night, waiting for the light to change a drunk driver flying up the street hits me head on at 65mph. All I remember before getting hit was messing with radio, putting on my seatbelt then waking up in the ambulance for a few seconds and another few seconds while the doctor was holding an artery shut with her hand before going into surgery. The next morning I awoke to find all arteries, veins and ligaments in my ankle had been severed and were reattached during surgery along with having acute brain swelling. After having to relearn to walk I was finally able to get back to work about 4 months later and by that time it was like starting all over. By that time all of my clients had disappeared but I would rather start all over than go back to any type of 9-5 or corporate job without a doubt.

So, as you know, we’re impressed with Evol Arts Studio – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
I opened Evol Arts Studio in Feb of 2012. Evol Arts is in the heart of Downtown LA, a private studio, normally by appointment only but on days clients reschedule, I have been known to take walk-ins. I am a professional Los Angeles artist, a tattoo artist, born and raised in LA – drawing since I can remember, oil painting on and off for 25 years and about 12 years growing in the artistry of tattooing. When you walk in the studio you won’t see any flash on the walls or anywhere in the studio, only my oil paintings hanging as well as paintings from other artists. I never use flash, just about everything I tattoo is drawn by hand unless it’s a portrait. I may use Google nor Pinterest for reference but definitely not as the new flash – just downloading and tattooing. Almost every tattoo I create no matter how big or small, no matter how important or trivial is a collaboration using the client concept and utilize my imagination, creativity, experience and craftsmanship. Every tattoo is a one of a kind custom piece of original art using my unique style and artistry. My niche at Evol Arts Studio in DTLA is original art and craftsmanship, utilizing techniques from just about every style of tattooing which includes; color tattoos, black & grey tattoos, portraiture, realism, neo traditional, traditional, Japanese, cover-ups…etc. in order to conceive an authentic original style that doesn’t fit into any traditional category but for lack of a better term – stylized realism or surrealism.

So, what’s next? Any big plans?
I will continue to travel, doing guest spots and tattoo conventions on the East Coast and Australia maybe adding Japan or Amsterdam. As far as Evol Arts Studio, I have guest artists coming through and will possibly be expanding and adding two possibly three artists to the line-up.

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