Island Girl Artists: A Tattoo Special on the Few Female Artists in Aruba!

Recently, I went down to Aruba and had the pleasure of meeting Rache, one of the artists at Black Sheep Body Arts. And why not ick off the new year with an awesome tattoo blog? Upon talking with her whole she was tattooing me she told me that she was the only female artist on the island of Aruba when she started learning to tattoo. I knew that Aruba was a small island, but I had no idea it was that small! I was so excited when she wanted to do an interview on her tattoo journey thus far!

1. You said that when you started you were the only female tattooist on the island, what was that like for you? Was it difficult to start out or be taken seriously as an artist? I was bullied,called names and the lies & gossip was terrible too. Then I learned that through out history Female shamans & healers would create tattoos on their tribe members and that pushed me to create this safe space today to support not only female artist but anyone else who feels like they don't belong in that "my %^#^ is bigger then yours" mentality. 2. Apprenticeships can be extremely difficult, but extremely rewarding. What are some of your favourite memories of learning the art of tattooing and what are some of the not so great memories? I was self taught, what helped me was that I created art my whole life so translating my mediums into tattooing came a lil bit easier to me. The not so great memories, I had to learn boundaries because my social skills weren't that great when I started. My favorite memories are of some really great people I met who today have become like family to me. 3. Did you always know that you wanted to be an artist? At 15 I had already made up my mind about pursuing my art studies. And at 17 I left home to do exactly just that and I traveled to Amsterdam to attend the Art Academie. 4. What are some of your favourite tattoos to do? Are there any that you don't enjoy doing? I love doing large color pieces. I don't like doing tattoos when clients expect me to copy other people's tattoos. I really dislike being treated like a copy machine.

5. You've had one apprentice working under you and now you've taken on another young woman to learn, did you ever see yourself as a teacher? What are some of the challenges that come with teaching someone to tattoo? I never saw myself as a teacher at all, but I know what it's like starting up without a mentor. Also I think it's important to share knowledge and learn from other great artists. 6. Out of all the tattoos that you have done, which ones have been your most challenging and why? Sometimes I have to study in order to create a design, because I don't know anything/much about the topic. That can sometimes be a challenge time wise, because it makes the process so much longer. 7. So many tattoo artists travel, you said that you were going to travel in the coming year, how can people contact you about getting a piece from you when you travel? Are there any places that you really want to visit and tattoo in? When I travel I announce it on my FB or Instagram @rachepage I love traveling so I'd go pretty much anywhere lol I really liked L.A and would love to visit the UK in the near future. 8. What is the most difficult part about tattooing? Balancing my time between work and private life is difficult for me sometimes. I feel like there isn't enough time in a day. 9. Now that you are an accomplished artist, are you thinking about selling flash or other designs like so many artists do as another way to showcase their work and increase their potential client base? We are just starting a merch collection very soon. 10. You have a lot of tattoos yourself! What is your favourite tattoo that you have? It's hard to choose just one, but one of them is the Crystals and mushrooms tattoo my colleague Becca just did for me.

I can't wait to return to Aruba and have her showcase my skill with a new piece! Hopefully I can work it this year between all the travel that I have planned out! She does handle international clients too! You can book an appointment or a consult with her @ blacksheepbodyarts@gmail.com Instagram: RachePage Until Next Time!