We had the good fortune of connecting with Marsha Rosales and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Marsha, what role has risk played in your life or career?
I think risk became a large factor in my life and career as early as deciding to pursue an art degree, the lowest of all the humanities. No one is hyped for you when you tell them you’re an art major. No one is egging you on or trying to persuade you to study art the way they do for medicine or law. In fact, people actively tried to change my mind, so I picked this up really early. I have been drawing all my life but I never considered my creativity a valuable or respectable pursuit because of all the “starving artist” propaganda I saw everywhere my whole life. Deciding to study art was the first time I had to take risk into serious consideration and weigh my future against my passions and where I felt my skills really lied. It’s a heavy thing for a first generation student, that also felt she was carrying the expectations of my entire immigrant family.

Later, once I entered the work force, I got a corporate design position. It was stable and I considered myself lucky it was at least in the creative world. When I finally entered the tattooing industry, again I had to weigh the risk of leaving my stable office job for the actual dream job I had been chasing for a decade. Now, I see it never really stops. I think being a creative is inherently risky. You are always laying yourself bare to the world, hoping your audience embraces you and doesn’t grind you or your work (which feels like the same thing to me) into the ground.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I am a tattoo artist primarily specializing in blackwork, which is a broad label tattooers use for pieces done only in black and gray inks and shading techniques. As such, a lot of my work (even the pieces not on skin) tend to be monochromatic and rely heavily on ink. I’m really inspired by a lot of different, traditional movements within tattoo history, but my work is more feminine and leans on more contemporary styles.

No part of it felt easy. The culture is changing now, but it is a heavily gatekept industry, so my first struggle was simply finding someone to teach me, which took me about 8 years. And then learning was the next hurdle. I would say tattooing is one of the most technically difficult art practices to do well and there is just an overwhelming amount of work and material to learn. And you’re having to deal with all the nay-sayers the whole time. Even some of my closest loved ones, even knowing it was my dream, were not supportive until way later, and it can be hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel when you’re the only one who thinks it exists.

It was really just about perseverance, which I know is a tired answer, but clichés are cliché for a reason. Never taking no for an answer and having a blind, maybe stupid, faith in myself that I was going to get it some way or another. I’m extremely proud to be a working, self-sustaining artist that is bringing diversity into a historically white, male industry.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Oh, man the city is huge… so I’d have to take them east to west.

I’d start in Monterey Park, my birthplace, for dim sum breakfast at NBC Seafood Restaurant. Then DTLA for some modern art culture at The Broad and MOCA Museums. Little Tokyo is also really fun, especially for out of towners. My favorite ramen place in the world is Koraku on 2nd Street; I always order the Koraku Special Ramen and shrimp fried rice, period.

In East Hollywood, one of my favorite things to do when the weather is good is pack a picnic and catch a sunset at Barnsdsall Art Park. The view never disappoints.

Like all Angelenos, I’m a cinephile so I’d want to catch a movie on film at The New Beverly. Or the Vista, which recently reopened finally!

Moving west, I have to stop at The Getty, which was were I had my “I love art” awakening as a kid. I have been here so many times throughout my life but it never gets old.

And finally we end at the ocean. Santa Monica Pier I think is a must-see for first-timers, but if you want a scenic place to actually chill on the sand, go north to El Matador. You will be in the background of at least three engagement photoshoots but it’s because this stretch of beach is just so goddamn beautiful.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I have to dedicate this to my tattoo mentor, Marlon Toney. He is an insanely talented artist in his own right, and I will always be grateful to him for seeing the vision when I had very little to show. He is the one that brought me into the industry, gave me all the tools to grow, and he was such a patient and kind teacher. He taught me by example, more than he knows.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theviewfrommars

Other: https://www.twitch.tv/theviewfrommars

Image Credits
Anel Salgado Color, Hip Arcade

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