We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Mel Guerrero a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Mel, appreciate you joining us today. We’d love to hear about a project that you’ve worked on that’s meant a lot to you.
It’s hard to pick just one so to me, the most meaningful tattoos I’ve done are on my parents and my wonderful husband. All the tattoos are still in progress.
In the 90’s, my father got a tattoo done in someone’s kitchen (I think) all the way in Colombia. Over the years it turned into a blob and he can’t remember what it said underneath it! He’d been wanting it covered up for years and I finally felt ready to take on the challenge. There is still a long way to go and it’s turning out better than I expected. The blob is hidden inside the mouth of a big fierce lion now. It’s kind of surreal to be covering up the only tattoo I ever saw on my dad growing up. It also feels good to hear him say that he’s proud and that he loves showing off his new ink.
I recently started my mother’s first tattoo ever. 5 years ago if you had told me that my mom would get a tattoo I wouldn’t have believed it. Her tattoo has the same concept as my first tattoo but a much more delicate version that suits her feminine essence. Our tattoos have 2 small silhouettes of girls holding hands and standing on a crescent moon. The two girls represent my little sister and me.
My husband let me practice doing small tattoos on him when we had just started dating. He’s been there for me since the beginning of my career and I love that he always gives me complete creative freedom. Last year, I started a large forearm piece of a tiger that will soon complete his sleeve. I get to see the healing process on his skin every day too which is interesting for me.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
I drew a lot since I was little stopped for some time and picked it up again in high school. Around this time, a lot of the musicians that I enjoyed listening to were covered in tattoos. I think this is what began my infatuation with tattoos and the commitment to putting art on skin. I liked to use sharpies on my skin while I was in class.
When I turned 19 I was living on my own for the first time. I decided to drop out of college so I could finally go for an apprenticeship at a shop. It was mainly a lot of cleaning and scrubbing tubes for a while in the beginning which was the norm. Served tables early in the morning, swept around the shop at night, and repeat (until I finally got to quit serving tables a year later). Two years after I started I completed my apprenticeship and it felt so good.
I’m proud that I’ve paid my dues and that I’ve gotten out of my comfort zone. For the most part I’m pretty introverted but this profession makes me want to open up some more. When I meet a client that I bond really well with and their tattoo ideas are right up my alley it honestly feels like fate.
What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?
The ultimate goal is to one day be able to tattoo a lot more original artwork than custom work. I cherish the total freedom that painting on a canvas and drawing on paper brings without the pressure to meet certain expectations. I know I need to dedicate more of my free time to drawing and painting original stuff again so I can put it out there and see what happens.
What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?
The most rewarding aspect is that I can enjoy my own company and fully be myself. When I put time into a painting, that’s me time. I can listen to whatever I want (sometimes on repeat) and wear the comfiest clothes. I get to experiment with a million colors and make mistakes because nothing is permanent. I love the feeling of when I finish painting an image that’s been cooking up in my head for weeks or even months.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @Melbootstattoo