On a sunny Sunday afternoon, Paula Andrea Gonzalez opens her shop, Line Tattoo, at Briggs Chaney Market Place in Silver Spring and gets ready for her first customer.
Kheiandre Ellis, a nurse, came in to get a tattoo with the names of the dogs he's had in his life; those who have passed and the dog he has now. He worked with Gonzalez to decide on the font, size and placement. Once they were ready, she shaved the part of his leg where the tattoo would go, put on the stencil paper of the tattoo, and tattooed over the stencil. Ellis was often on his phone and stated his high pain tolerance was responsible for his nonchalance. Meanwhile, Gonzalez explained best practices and techniques to Destiny Montanez—her own apprentice.
Once Gonzalez was finished with the tattoo, she took pictures of the finished work. Afterward, she wrapped his new tattoo in a medical-grade bandage and relayed instructions on proper care.
Gonzalez is from Colombia and used to work in marketing for a public relations firm, but she said she could not shake the feeling that she was compromising her values by working there. She said she had always loved art, and the only aspect of her job she enjoyed was the creative aspect of design, so she decided to move to the U.S. to pursue art. After working multiple jobs, she became an apprentice and began tattooing. She is now a tattoo artist and has been so for the past two years. She opened up her shop with her now ex-husband two years ago.
She specializes in fine line work and is training her apprentice, Destiny Montanez. Since they have similar styles of art, Montanez says she is the perfect person to learn from.
