Carrie Davini: Professional Tattoo Artist

At First Glance, Carrie Davini might seem menacing with tattoos from her ears to her ankles holding a needle that pierces skin at thousands of times per minute, but as soon as she opens her mouth you soon realize she’s one of the friendliest people you could meet. She works for Evermore Tattoo Gallery in downtown Edwardsville and is has made quite the name for herself as a well-respected artist. For a full 4-hour appointment with Carrie you’re going to have to wait about 15 months. But she is well worth the wait; her tattoos are recognizable as large pieces full of many vivid bright colors. I personally have tattoos from her and gladly wait in line for more. I sat down with Carrie to ask her a little about what it’s like to be a woman covered in tattoos, which has long been seen as taboo until the last 30 or so years.

Would you consider yourself feminine?

No. I consider myself classy. I’ll wear dresses now and then, but I’m not a big fan of the high heels.

What were you like as a kid?

I was a bad kid. I was an only child, I loved artwork, drawing was my favorite. I had a vivid imagination and I played more by myself than with other kids

Did you ever play with a Barbie doll when you were little?

Oh yeah. I was so into Barbie. I would play bondage Barbie, it was awesome. I would also cut the crap out of their hair. So I guess I didn’t play with her in the traditional sense.

What is the “girliest” thing you do?

I’m addicted to bath and body facial products. I like to cook, and I’m a vegetarian. I don’t like what meat looks like when it’s raw, it just grosses me out, I guess that’s girly.

Is tattooing a hard industry for a girl?

absolutely. the one thing I notice a lot is that people look right past me and go straight to the guys because they think I don’t know how to tattoo. it makes me laugh. One time this guy came in right before 2000. he said he needed a red cross. he said he wanted it for the end of the world and he said “I don’t care who does it as long as it’s not that woman” I thought he was a nut bag and I was glad I didn’t have to deal with him

Have you always wanted to be a tattoo artist?

I thought about going to culinary school before I tattooed but I don’t think I would enjoy cooking as much anymore. A lot of people say you start to hate it when you get paid for it. I love my job now and am extremely thankful for it. It was hard to get, especially for a woman. I definitely had to work a lot harder than most men in the field and it gives me a great sense of accomplishment.

Do you tattoo a lot of girls?

The number of girls getting tattoos has definitely increased. My female clients’ average age ranges from 20 to 65 years old. The majority of tattoos I give are on people 30 and older. I think I get more of those people because I’m a woman, I might be a little more inviting than the huge scary guys in the back

What are some of the more typical tattoos you give to girls?

Butterflies, flowers, stars, birds, guys do more lettering. Only about 30% of girls will go for more masculine things like skulls and guns. Girls tend to stick to childhood memories and things relating to family members.

Do girls have a harder time getting tattooed than boys pain-wise?

Sometimes. Girls can usually sit longer, boys tend to get antsy. Girls are built for pain, just think about labor.

Do you think there is a stigma against tattooed girls as opposed to boys?

Yes. I find that middle eastern men tend to frown upon it especially because they think women should be more feminine, but the reaction I get from other women is more of respect me because it’s something they wish they could get away with. I think it’s getting better as the older generation becomes more accepting after being exposed to it more on reality TV shows. Elderly people are actually the sweetest to me, they want to stop me and talk about my artwork.

Are you treated differently when you cover up your tattoos?

I have neck and ear tattoos so people almost notice and look at them more when I’m covering up the rest, but it depends on where you go. I get treated differently around the higher social classes, I make yuppies sick to their stomach. I don’t really cover them up often but I feel more respectful and feel better about myself when I cover up at things like weddings, funerals, and fine dining restaurants. And airports, for some reason I get “randomly” searched a lot.

Do you regret any tattoos?

I regret who I got tattooed by, but not the tattoos I got. I got a black lizard on my ankle that is not covered up with a coy fish.