There are so many styles of tattoos that incorporate different colors to the type of creations placed on the individual. Every tattooist is different from the work they create which is really interesting. Looking through @phawxx and @kandi.kasket on Instagram we can see as an example of how these two tattooists work and just how the art of tattoos varies from individual to individual. This week's feature is, Anastasia M.K or known as Phawxx (pronounced ‘fox’) @phawxx a local tattooist from the @hiddenleaftattoostudio.
Phawxx shares with us what she's been up to recently "lately I’ve been having a lot of fun drawing and getting to know my tattoo family around The Valley! I’ve been really lucky to meet a lot of fellow tattoo artists we have down here and it has brought a lot of new creative inspiration." Well I'm sure there must be a benefit to meeting other tattoo artists as she mentions "new creative inspiration" which is always good.
She goes on to mention her favorite local businesses and artists "I really admire the work of Sean Hughes, the curated community of Procured Life + Home, Bobcat & Birdie, and Cecilia Sierra. And I don’t know how I would even get my day started without all the coffee from Bandera Coffee Co. and 7th and Park." I do know of a couple of these, but I'll be sure to check out Sean and the curated community! The ones I do know create amazing work and I look forward to what they create.
Being able to draw is one thing for those who start and pursue their interest, but then transferring that drawing over to a canvas, but that canvas being an individual. How did Phawxx's transition to being a tattooist start? She shares her journey by saying "I had a bit of a bumpy road into tattooing. I was living on my own in San Antonio and had just quit art college. I was working 2 jobs at the mall while trying to find a serious apprenticeship. When I finally saw an ad for an apprenticeship on the door of (what was) Addiction Tattoo I jumped on it as fast as I could!" Being able to jump on the offer as soon as you could is something we can struggle with. We know it's something we want, but we take so many things into consideration before taking something we really want. I'm glad Phawxx took the initiative to go for the offer. She continues by saying "my first introduction to the world of tattooing was all thanks to Richard D.C. ( now artist and owner of Prestige Collective Tattoo)
He taught me a lot just in the small amount of time I got to spend there. He made me clean, ask questions, watch, draw, CLEAN AGAIN, and hold myself accountable as an artist. I really can’t thank that guy enough for setting the standard so high when I was first starting out. He wasn’t my appointed mentor but he taught me what it was going to take to be a tattoo artist." I mean we learn in different ways if one of them is "cleaning" there has to be some point to it. When I'm at work I was told I have to set up the station every time I get to work and put things aways which I didn't understand why at first, but the more I did it there's just something to it. It builds something so with what we learn from our "mentors" it isn't just making us do extra "work" but maybe it just builds character? Because I also had to "watch, ask questions, and hold myself accountable, and clean" I may not have my mentor anymore, but I appreciate everything she taught me to what I am currently at work.
Her journey continues by saying "I, unfortunately, had to leave Addiction Tattoo as I moved with my husband to Phoenix, Arizona. Once we got to Phoenix I tried again to pick up where I left off in San Antonio. I worked in a small shop outside the city and went through hell during that apprenticeship, but I learned a lot more. We moved back to Texas about a year after moving to Arizona and I again pursued a place to practice tattooing. I went everywhere I could- Port Isabel, South Padre Island, Harlingen, Los Fresnos... while also getting several jobs and a CNA license- I was determined to continue tattooing no matter what it took.
During my time working around the RGV, I continued trying to teach myself. I went through good days, BAD days, Hurricanes, humiliation, and even got my stuff stolen a few times (lol) but nothing could really stop me from finding a place to tattoo." Our Hurricanes sure are something, but we can't expect every day to be good without the bad. Things certainly can happen and our journeys can't be expected to be these rose-colored experiences when there are more colors in the spectrum. Phawxx surely has gone through the experiences of learning and going through the grind to becoming a tattoo artist. She has the confidence that her dream can come true, but she finishes off by saying " I’ve been working my *butt off for the past 6 years when it comes to tattooing so when I found Kevin Salinas, Manny Abete, and Mario Bentancourt at the Hidden Lead Tattoo Studio in Brownsville- it just feels so damn GOOD to have a place to call home! We’re building a shop together and I’m truly blessed to have found such a place, and with such talented artists to work with. I really feel like I’ve barely started my tattoo journey- there’s still so much work to do, but I’m more than ready to get started!" Phawxx surely has had a "bumpy" start on her journey but working at a studio with her new crew her new arc has begun. With more work being added under her belt we shall see what's to come for Phawxx which I only hope for the best.
Looking through the work Phawxx has done I had to ask about her art style and if she's gone through any changes with it as she replied with "I have a little slogan I like to say when it comes to my art style: 'Just a little girl from Texas creating art from the heart..'
Cheesy, I know! But honest. A lot of my tattoo flash and art style is inspired by things and people that have helped shape me into the person I am today. A few things that inspire me are: my mixed heritage, punk and emo, 90s cartoons and anime, the land of Texas, German and Mexican folk art, and lots of music. I always work to better and improve myself artistically so I wouldn’t say my style has changed over the years, but has become more refined." That slogan is just wonderful! I recall seeing her rootin tootin cowboy cats and just fell in love with them. I certainly see the inspirations in some of your work from the 90s, anime, and Texas pieces. Art styles don't always change, but they can also be worked on as Phawxx mentioned "I wouldn't say my style has changed over the years, but has become more refined." With more time to come, she shall refine her style even more.
With so many inspirations and tattoos being made does she have any favorite piece she has created to which she says "It’s so hard for me to decide which is my favorite! But I have a very special place in my heart for all the tattoos I have created this year during 2020." With that, I'm sure all your customers have enjoyed the art you have placed upon them.
With her journey beginning once again, how would she like to grow as a tattooist/artist?
She explains by saying "I wish to grow in ways that will keep me constantly motivated to pursue not only tattooing but other types of artwork. I also like to create my own comics when I’m not tattooing and I hope to one day create my own comic book." A comic book sounds really nice! I can see a comic of cowboy cats, but there's a lot to work with for sure.
What is the difficult transition from drawing to tattooing? The transition being from paper to an individual as she says "probably finding the right client or 'home' for the piece. I have so many ideas for tattoos but I only know so many people (lol)"
Did Phawxx always want to be a tattoo artist? She shares the root of it by saying "In high school, I would take markers from the art room so I could doodle emo lyrics and flowers on my best friend’s arm (lol) I was constantly drawing on walls, my shoes, my friend’s legs, and arms, binders, the desks at school... my homework. I feel it was pretty much destined to happen (as much as my mother was against it in the beginning.)" I mean we all start somewhere and look where it has lead Phawxx now! The long journey has paid off and now her new beginnings have begun.
I keep bringing up the cowboy cats that I just had to ask about the Texas themed pieces and the process behind them as she explains "I really enjoy researching and discovering traditional tattoo flash. I like how simple and yet so defined it is. Relating it to my life and experiences it reminds me of my grandmother’s embroidery patterns she would make for us when she would bring over homemade tortillas. I wanted to replicate those designs she would make so I could relive those little memories; as they mean everything to me now.
I researched a lot of old embroidery designs and found some cute cowboys similar to the ones I remembered. I drew them with a bolder outline and added bright colors; everything I did drawing it up turned into plans for how to carry out the tattoo. I’m really happy so many people enjoy them!" It must be nice seeing it come to life and knowing that it's more than just a tattoo being put out there, but it carries more than just that as mentioned. It carries a piece of the artist and what it means to them.
Phawxx shares her thoughts on the local art and business scene in the valley,
"I truly appreciate all the artwork and local businesses from the Rio Grande Valley. Seeing so many talented people so close to me really inspires me to continue working as an artist. I have met so many people that have helped me in some way to continue being ‘Phawxx’ and couldn’t be more grateful. I only hope to return all the love I have been given."
She continues by adding in,
"If you’re interested in anime, music, or cool art come and see me and the boys at the Hidden Leaf Tattoo Studio in Brownsville sometime! We’re gonna change how people see tattooing down here. And don’t forget your mask!"
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