Check Out Arielle Rose’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Arielle Rose

Hi Arielle, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
Entering the tattoo industry was an adjacent move within the arts for me. I worked as a corporate art curator for about 8 years before I had a change of heart during the pandemic and decided I wanted to get back to creating with my hands. I am a lifelong multimedia artist and went to school for painting (BFA focused in painting). I have always loved tattoos and started getting tattooed young. I was intrigued by the artform. I watched a childhood friend of mine come up in the tattoo world with his talented wife, and he was a wonderful guide and cheerleader to me when I started out. He taught me a lot. I hit the ground running, looking for a traditional apprenticeship for the entire summer in 2022. It became apparent to me quickly that I was unable to take on a 1-2 year long unpaid apprenticeship, as my daughter was only 1 year old at the time and we didn’t have formal childcare. I was encouraged to go the self taught route by my small tattoo community, so I am largely self/community taught. It was a hard as hell route to take- and while I don’t necessarily condone or support the way that American Traditional apprenticeships are structured, they are very outdated in my opinion, however going the self taught route is incredibly difficult, requires a lot of trial and error and a very strong drive. I went from tattooing for free out of my house for practice, to being accepted into a shop, to an extended guest stay at a reputable shop, to moving into my sweet little private studio, which is a safe space for my community- primarily women, queer community, and neurodivergent community (and anywhere in between!). Because I entered the industry as a full blown adult in my 30s, with a lot of existing life perspective, I feel like I can offer a special experience to my clients. I successfully bypassed most of the high school style drama that is so prevalent in this industry. I treat my clients with not only respect but gratitude. My childhood friend who taught me so much about tattooing in the beginning.. the first thing he taught me was “don’t ever forget that first and foremost, you are a technician. You may be an artist, but you are bringing your client’s visions to life. Don’t forget that. Check your ego at the door”. I try to embody this sentiment everyday.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
No, not at all. The first shop I entered as a self taught tattooer with like 5 months experience tattooing skin turned out to be a toxic situation pretty quickly. I learned that there are some very cruel, damaged tattooers in this world, who need to bring others down in order to lift themselves up. I learned a hard lesson at this shop. And through this hard lesson I also learned to check myself. I think I let my attitude get the best of me on Instagram one day, and through an unfortunate series of events and a very angry bully male tattooer, I lost my booth at my first shop. It was humiliating and I swear I wanted to quit tattooing right then and there. I was told “welcome to the tattoo industry”. And it really made me think.. do I want to be apart of this? Instead of quitting though, I decided to pick myself up by my bootstraps and become one of the “new wave tattooers” that the traditional tattoo scene is so afraid of. There is a new wave of tattoo artists, largely [womxn] and self taught, who were not groomed within the very tight confounds of the American traditional apprenticeship. We are outside thinkers, accepting of different tattoo styles as long as they are a safe technique, and we truly respect our client’s wishes and boundaries. There are of course many trad tattooers who have evolved with the industry’s changes, and embody the same beliefs. But there is a large population of tattooers who embody so much hate and gatekeeping and are honestly brainwashed to believe there is only one way to tattoo. I believe you can be self taught and experiment with style, while also being a safe, sterile tattooer, maintain respect for this ancient artform, and have respect for the way your tattoos are healing on your client to ensure they will hold up with time. Taking the self taught route takes so much courage and perseverance, and honestly I don’t think I would have made it if I didn’t have the fundamental art training I came into it with. Designing for tattoos requires a solid understanding of composition and the right amount of contrast so a tattoo holds up. Designing for tattoos is a huge part of an apprenticeship. I don’t think I would have been able to teach myself if I didn’t already know how to draw.

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I am a fineline tattooer known for floral compositions, all things femme, sentimental, cute, and delicate. I am here for the girlies. There are tattooers who turn their nose up at tattooing someone’s kid’s name or tattooing birth flowers. This is not me. I will tattoo your kid’s name across your chest if you ask me to.

I am most proud of my evolution in designing for tattoos. When I began tattooing I thought I wanted to be an ignorant style tattooer. These were the type of tattoos I was inspired by and I loved the idea of spending my time drawing silly, cute content. Over time, I absolutely fell in love with the idea of tattooing floral and foliage. I never get sick of tattooing flowers, honest to god. I am proud that in just two years, I went from only being trusted with tiny linework tattoos to very large, detailed floral compositions with shading and more complex techniques, sleeves and thigh and spine pieces. I am truly honored whenever I get requests for large pieces like this.

We’d be interested to hear your thoughts on luck and what role, if any, you feel it’s played for you?
I believe I am lucky in a sense, but I also believe I am a hard worker and I have a certain amount of blind faith and confidence that helps me along. When I decided I wanted to become a tattooer, not a single negative thought entered my mind. Failure didn’t even occur to me. You bet your ass that imposter syndrome plagues me everyday now that I am so exposed! But in the beginning I was blindly confident that I would be successful. Largely because I understand branding. And I could see by example of other successful tattooer platforms that it is not only about well executed tattoos. A successful technician or artist of any type, this day in age, needs to understand how to become their own brand. And I believed right out the gate that I could create a successful platform. I am super proud of my growth in tattooing as well as branding. I have so much room to grow in both divisions and continue to learn everyday.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @ariellerosetattoo

Image Credits
Maddy B Creates
@maddybcreates