Artist Rising

Raquel’s Story

Raquel Cuéllar-Parajón

I’ve been creative for as long as I can remember – as soon as I was able to hold a marker, I was drawing. My two main passions have always been painting and illustration, but I’ve always found new ways to make beautiful things; whether that be through embroidery, stained glass, graphic design, or creating murals on my bedroom walls. Making stuff makes me feel alive, but I never saw a clear path to becoming a professional artist.

I met Alexis in October 2025 after hearing about her shop from a friend at my job at the time. I reached out to AR Designs to see if they might take me on as an apprentice. After reviewing my portfolio, Alexis asked that I stop by the shop weekly with new flash designs that she could review and critique. There are so many ways to create beautiful art, but designing tattoos that look just as beautiful on skin as they do on paper for decades after they’ve been inked requires specific skills and strategies that I didn’t have in my toolbox at the time! For months, Alexis and I went back and forth – I created artwork, she critiqued it. Every week I tried to incorporate her suggestions into my new work, and found that I got better at understanding what was necessary to design a successful tattoo! During these evening meetings, we discussed things like placement strategies, what it meant for a design to have enough negative space, and what it was like to work with folks from all walks of life on a daily basis.

After a few months, Alexis invited me to begin shadowing her at the shop. Since I was working a full-time job at the time, the only block she had that I could make work was her 4:30 - 9:00 AM block. For half a year, I showed up before the sun was even up, to watch Alexis work. I quickly learned why Alexis is such a successful artist. She’s knowledgeable, skilled, flexible, creative, and warm. Every person that showed up for a tattoo at this ungodly hour had a wonderful time, and left with a beautiful piece of art that they could carry with them their whole life. While I observed, Alexis allowed me to ask any and every question I could think of, patiently providing me with a deep understanding of what goes into tattooing before I even touched a machine.

In the evenings, after I got out of work, I’d come to the studio to practice on fake skin, on materials generously shared with me by the shop. In addition, I slowly began completing my certifications. Alexis provided me with drill after drill to practice, and had me tattoo the flash I had created. She pushed me to try different needles, techniques, and colors. We would later review my work and discuss what my strengths were, and what areas I could improve upon, and how I could do that. Being a new tattoo artist is hard – you see your mentor’s and other’s work online and you compare it to your own and think, “When will I get there?”. The answer is, eventually, with consistent practice and dedication. With a mentor like Alexis, that reality is clear, and exemplified by her own work ethic and humble dedication to getting a little better every day. In addition, I learned how to interface with clients, what it takes to run a successful studio, what it takes to ensure each tattoo is safe for you and the person receiving it, and even, how something as simple as shaving someone’s leg is something that takes time to get used to.

I did my first tattoos on friends and family in May 2026, feeling confident and ready to go; like a racehorse who’s run the track hundreds of times. Alexis was there every step of the way, watching my technique, providing suggestions, answering questions, and generally offering emotional support during an activity that is fun, but can also feel very high stakes.

I became a full-time tattoo artist in August 2026, supported by Alexis and her team, whose goal is to let artists focus on being artists, and helping them do this efficiently, professionally, and safely. Every time I tattoo, I think about a technique I observed Alexis doing on one of those early mornings, and know that I’m in a position to succeed because of the work that happened in the background even before I tattooed my first person. While tattooing is so much fun, it’s also difficult, important work. A person looks forward to their tattoo for months, and they’re trusting you to permanently mark their skin with something they think is meaningful, or that they like to look at. Tattooing is an ancient practice we’re taking part in, one that comes with a lot of weight and responsibility. I feel lucky to be mentored by a person who understands this weight, shoulders it with maturity and grace – and asks the same of me every single day.