Daily Inspiration: Meet Violet De la Vega

Today, we’d like to introduce you to Violet De la Vega.

Thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I began my entrance into the tattoo industry at eighteen years old. I would answer phones, book appointments, mop floors, and draw with any spare time. It wasn’t until I was about 20 that I was offered an apprenticeship.

You see, at that time, it was uncouth to ask for an apprenticeship; one had to be offered to you. After having proven my dedication to the craft, my mentor, John Knox, proposed my apprenticeship. Without his guidance, care, and fatherly love, I wouldn’t be where I am today.

I made the move to a shop here in Nashville 5 years ago. Hoping to be closer to home and further my art in a larger pool of creatives, I took the leap. That prospect brought me closer to every goal I had ever made for myself, and allowed me to push myself in ways I never thought possible.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Whew, what a question. There have been more struggles than I can count.

At the beginning of my tattoo journey, I faced various obstacles. Anywhere from, my family not understanding that tattooing is a real career, other artist hoping (and planning) for my demise, alongside the omnipresent fact that I am a woman in a male dominant industry.

It took many years for my family to come around to the idea that tattooing was more than just a bunch of degenerates drawing on each other all day. Some family members didn’t speak to me until years after I was settled into my career. Times changed, and tattoos became more mainstream.

Only then was what I do accepted. As far as others, hoping I’d fail, it created a competitiveness and a hunger to excel in my craft. It gave me an undying yearning, lighting a fire hard pressed to snuff out.

Being a woman in a male dominant industry is no easy cross to bare. You’re constantly having to prove to yourself and others that you deserve a spot at the table. It seems that you have to put in more work, time and effort to even be considered close to where our male counterparts lay.

However, this concept is nothing new in any industry. Women around the world know this battle all too well.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
My tattooing specializes in black and grey and illustrative blackwork.

I am most known for creating a quasi style of blackwork traditional tattoos that rely heavily on large panels of black and bold hatching/cross hatching lines in pace of shading. I derived this style from old woodcut artists such as Albrecht Dürer and structurally from classic American Traditional concepts by masters like Sailor Jerry, Bert Grimm, and Bob Shaw.

I am most proud of my manipulation of different styles across the board. I focus on releasing flash weekly that covers different genres of tattooing like realism, traditional, illustrative and ornamental work.

What sets me apart from others is that I am a fine artist first and able to apply concepts found in oil painting, watercolor, and charcoal to tattooing directly. Having a deeper understanding of art in general has always helped set me up for success.

Do you have any memories from childhood that you can share with us?
My favorite childhood memory has to be my father and I sitting on our back patio in Southern California working on art. My father is a multi medium artist with over 40 years of experience.

When I got old enough, he offered to teach me to draw. Properly. He told me that this craft requires sacrifice. He asked, “Are you willing to sacrifice time with your friends to learn this?”. I think we all know what my answer was.

So he and I would sit on the back patio with our 18×24 news print pads, and he would instruct me to draw 500 perfect lines and 500 perfect circles. I could draw 3,000 of them but if 500 weren’t up to his standard, I had to keep going. This memory is burned into my mind because it was my introduction to the world of art. Without the discipline and sacrifice instilled in these moments, I genuinely feel I’d only be half the artist I am today.

Pricing:

• For large work and session pieces, I am $150 an hour.
• My available designs are flat rates, and the pricing is available upon request.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vdvtattoos

Image Credits
Jacob Smith @jhs.photo and Hunter Harthis @hunterhartphoto