I started my tattoo apprenticeship in 2015 and opened Emerald Artistry Studio in March of 2018.  It was a dream come true for me!  I have found that tattooing offers a unique opportunity to get to know the people I serve, what they love and dream of, how they see themselves.  And I always have someone to hang out with while I work!

I’ve been happy to find that our society values the expression of art through many mediums, including tattoos, possibly more than ever.  Which made it a good thing that I had some extra time during 2020 to reconsider how I spent my time, and I reorganized my schedule in a way to support prioritizing my family, self-care (extremely necessary for artistic inspiration!), and simply making sure I was living my life according to my values.  

Over the past several years of tattooing, I’ve come to especially love doing coverups and blackwork.  Coverups take a certain “go with the flow” attitude, and I am passionate about giving a person a fresh start with artwork they love to see on themselves.  I have had the honor to work with very special people who have done the hard work of healing their hearts after coming out of tragic situations, and a tattoo coverup bolstered their efforts.

Before I began tattooing, I would say my choice medium was charcoal and graphite.  I think blackwork is the style of tattooing most like this and is probably why I love it so much.  I love the contrast and the detail I’m able to create, as well as how it holds up over time.  It’s classic and sophisticated, and I haven’t met a person it didn’t look good on!

As for tattooing focuses, flora and fauna are my thing.  I love wild animals, livestock animals, house pets, all animals! As well as flowers and plants!  I have fun when my clients bring me ideas of things they love within a theme, and then we can work together to come up with the perfect tattoo for them.  

Coverups can be more limiting as far as what image can be used, and often they do require color to fully cover, but even still, I like to make sure the new tattoo is an expansion of their identity.  Quality artwork is a must, as well as full coverage.

I do love my job, and I am thankful God gave me the opportunity to use art to make a living!

I'm LaRae, working for the family business to help spread art and beauty to the community. Creativity and art have always been an important part of my life. Between my sisters and me, the fridge was always plastered with new sketches and drawings.

Currently, I work as a virtual assistant for the studio, and I take commissions for paintings and drawings as a studio artist.