Meet Deanna
Founder Deanna James sat down with us to unpack her passion for art and tattooing.
What got you into tattooing?
Deanna: While going to an art magnet high school, I got bored with the idea of wanting to make a living selling commissioned paintings. I got my first tattoos when I was 16. The tattoos weren’t great, and I thought I could bring something new to the table in the tattoo industry with my art background, and that it would be a fun artistic outlet.
How long have you been tattooing?
D: I have been tattooing for 7 years this December.
What’s your art background?
D: In first grade one of my teachers noticed my artwork and as a result my parents put me in extra art classes. I won a lot of art awards in elementary school and went to an arts magnet in middle school and high school.
Favorite subject matter to tattoo?
D: I love tattooing renaissance paintings, roses and peonies, and faces.
Favorite tattoo you have?
D: The one of me and my amazing husband done by Francisco Sanchez.
What does a tattoo session with you look like?
D: I start my appointments at noon. I don’t really do any preparation ahead of time. I do a quick consult with the client, design for 30 minutes to an hour, and then tattoo for 4-8 hours.
What sets you apart from other artists?
D: I feel like I have developed my own unique look and style over the years to where people can identify my work from others.
How do you want a client to walk away feeling once you’re done working on a piece?
D: I love when my clients say the tattoo looks better than they could have even imagined. It makes me feel great when the tattoo helps a client feel more confident with themselves
What inspired you to start Eden?
D: I felt like it was the next step in my career to help artists grow their portfolio and improve their work. I also married a man with a great business mindset. It allows me to focus on my work and developing artists while he works on the business side of things.
What makes Eden different than a normal tattoo studio?
D: We really do cater to the client and artists. We have a professional full time videographer and photographer, so the artists and clients have great photos of their tattoos. We’re heavily into teaching and developing our artists, so we have constant guest artists and free seminars for them. We give constructive feedback every day and it’s a great learning environment. Every artist’s work is getting better by the day.
Despite stats that show a growing number of tattoo artists are women, there’s still a stigma against women tattoo artists. Could you speak to the importance of representation and why Eden’s lineup of artists are mostly women?
D: I think it’s a great way to represent female artists because our work speaks for itself. It’s the most drama-free and safe space I’ve ever been in. There’s no egos, and everyone lifts each other up. Anyone who comes through the studio can plainly see the strength of the team we’ve created and what a healthy and positive environment it is.
What’s your biggest aspiration as an artist/studio owner?
D: At this point in my career I’ve already reached the notoriety I wanted to achieve when I started tattooing. I want to continue to get better, but I think the next step is to pass down some of what I’ve learned to more artists. I also want to take more time off and focus on my family, which is the most important thing to me.