Andrea

In Andrea’s own words

Here’s some lore! I was born a second-gen Mexican immigrant in Cali, and moved to Garden City, Kansas at a young age. I’ve traveled between places a lot but no matter where I was I always remember the milestones in my skill to draw, and just like with any artist, it started with copying and studying the shapes in everyday things. I copied whatever I thought looked cool, from video games to cartoons. Right at the start I knew I had to be an artist; it wasn’t a dream to me but rather a part of my life, a goal I HAD to achieve eventually. It wasn’t until people jumped with excitement and had a smile on their face with my drawings that I actually fell in love with what I did.

However, the issue with making art a career was that I had no idea where to start. I had this weird perception of art and money. No matter how many entry level programs you set in front of me, my brain could not see myself doing any of it as a living. For some years I considered tattooing; however, I was too critical of my portfolio to show it to a shop and ended up postponing and making excuses for a long time. One day I figured if I didn’t start now, I never would, so I had nothing to show except my sketchbook and I was sure I wouldn’t get the spot. Still, I insisted and insisted, and I fortunately was annoying enough to start apprenticing!

So far my tattoo journey has made me fall in love with art all over again; seeing people happy with their bodies overwhelms me with joy and a feeling of fulfilling my purpose. I’ve grown familiar with 3-liner shading and some color here and there. I especially enjoy drawing characters and animals. I am so incredibly grateful to everyone who’s been teaching me such a beautiful trade, and as of right now, Blind Fox has become my second home.