“I’ve learned new tips and techniques that have helped me improve and that have made the quality of my work evolve”
Ink Chronicles: Capturing the art of Tattooing
ABOUT MY ONE MINUTE DOCUMENTARY
By Londy Ramirez
Jemelyn Montesinos has been a tattoo artist for five years. Her love for tattooing emerged at 16 when she first visited a tattoo shop while accompanying a family member. Watching the artists work, she thought, ‘I want to do that too.’
Determined to pursue her new passion, Jemelyn looked for an apprenticeship. She found a shop willing to take her on. She began practicing at the age of 17th on her dad and school friends, enhancing her skills. After a year, she left her apprenticeship and opened her own small studio, where she tattooed for another year before deciding to close it.
Jemelyn discovered Studio Mars through an Instagram story. Encouraged by a mutual friend who knew one of the owners, she decided to give it a shot. Since August 2023, she has been working at Studio Mars, immersing herself in a collaborative environment.
Although she doesn’t yet have a favorite tattoo style, Jemelyn enjoys experimenting with different techniques. She’s particularly interested in exploring color and black-and-grey realism. In addition to tattooing, she paints acrylic commissions on canvas and customizes sneakers and cleats.
Jemelyn admits it took time to master her craft, but over the years, she has refined her techniques and grown as an artist. “I’ve learned new tips and techniques that have helped me improve and that have made the quality of my work evolve,” she says. One of the most important lessons she has learned is that tattooing is a constant learning process. Embracing constructive criticism has been key to her development.
What Jemelyn loves most about her job is creating custom pieces for others. The entire process, from design to execution, brings her joy. Meeting new people is another highlight, and her favorite moment is seeing the happiness on her clients’ faces when they see their finished tattoos.
Meet Londy Ramirez
Born and raised in El Salvador, Londy Ramirez is a senior at the University of Texas at Arlington, pursuing a major in journalism with a minor in Spanish. She has contributed articles to the Arlington Sentinel News and is an active participant in the weekly broadcast of Arlington Sentinel News en Español. This semester, Londy is embarking on an internship with Projecto U at Univision 23, where she aims to further develop her expertise in the field.
In her free time, Londy enjoys listening to audiobooks, music, and podcasts. She also appreciates reading, spending time with friends, attending concerts, and traveling.
About AMA+UTA CreateCollab
Throughout the Fall 2024 semester, the Arlington Museum of Art is partnering with The University of Texas at Arlington and a senior-level digital storytelling class to explore a wide variety of contemporary themes inspired by the museum’s mission, values, and exhibitions.
Class projects include photo essays, one-minute documentaries, and one-minute podcasts about themes as broad as creating detailed flower arrangements, a life saving cat cafe, everyday heroes, and environmental art.
Associate Professor of Communication Erika Pribanic-Smith, who teaches the class, values opportunities to bring real-world experiences to her students.
“My goal is to give my students real-world experience in all of my classes, creating real stories using real sources,” said Dr. Pribanic-Smith. “Creating stories that will be published for the public to see, not just submitted for a grade, gives students extra incentive to put forth their best effort. Furthermore, working with professionals gives the students another layer of feedback to reinforce what they’re learning in the classroom. I prefer to work with organizations like the Arlington Museum of Art who will benefit in some way from the students’ content so that we are providing a service to the community.”
