Grecia Graces The Tattoo World

Many of the greats in art history can be named right off the bat, and it does not take an art aficionado to name what they made. Leonardo da Vinci painted the “Mona Lisa”, Michelangelo created the sculpture of David, and Masahiro Sakurai made the art that is the Super Smash Bros. games. These are but a few of the greats that pop into the mind that have brought masterpieces unto the world in the last millennium.

Now, Highland has their own budding artist in its midst. Junior Grecia Becerra is sketching out her life plan, but not in a conventional form of art that one would normally think about. Becerra is an aspiring tattoo artist, with some practice already under her belt.

Becerra’s creative hand began as a toddler, always coloring and drawing, which carried into preschool, but halted in elementary. Then, once in middle school, she caught the bug again, and took an art class.

“That’s when I realized I loved creating things,” Becerra said. “Like, the steps, and watching how lines turned into intricate displays of work.”

Soon after this epiphany, Becerra remembered her older brothers, and their tattoos, and decided that she wanted to help people make their fantasies come true for a living.

Not one to simply talk the talk, Becerra has put her nose to the grindstone in preparation for her role in the art world. She has taken several art classes over the years, discussed tattooing with her friends, and designs with said friends, such as senior Aisha Hoecherl.

“It’s really nice that something that came out of my imagination is something someone would want on their body,” Hoecherl said.

Becerra, very close to her brothers, especially, watches the process intently each time they are given new tattoos, and has worked with many different tattoo machines, practicing with pig skin many times in the past. This path was not without obstacles, as becoming a tattoo artist is one of the more difficult professions in the world of artistry.

Traditionally, the apprenticeship of a tattoo artist lasts two years, with the beginning six months used for safety and health techniques. The first year is when most quit the learning process, but those who choose to stay can learn even more from their experienced trainer, and become certified after another year.

With her pig skin, Becerra was frustrated at first, due to her lines bleeding and as a result, not remaining straight. The shift from paper to skin was difficult, as the two textures could be described as opposites. She does not trust herself to do anything on human skin, other than some lines, as it is expensive to make up for the mistakes that could last a lifetime on someone else.

“But at the same time, I loved it,” Becerra said. “Seeing that if I just kept trying, I could become an amazing artist.”

Becerra lets her creativity flow from more than her hands, as she is currently involved in both Highland French Club, and the Theatre Department. While claiming to struggle with the language of love, Becerra is looked up to among her theatre peers, holding second place for the 2013-14 Regional Theatre Competition in classical scenes. She ties it back to playing pretend as a child, and enjoys the opportunity to create more than one form of art.

Yet, despite this title, Becerra does not consider tattoos “art”.

“People who say tattoos aren’t art are correct,” Becerra said. “They are so much more, they are a beautiful visual extension to a person.”

Involved with the productions of the last three musicals at Highland, a number of school plays, and learning a third language, after Spanish and English, Becerra is painting her future with bright colors, and will one day use the canvas that is the body to help others tell their stories, and hopes to be covered in tattoos along with her future clients.