Today we’d like to introduce you to Morgainne Campos.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
My name is Morgainne and ever since I was five all I wanted to be was an artist. I grew up in the Navy and had the opportunity to live in Italy from 5 till 9 years old. Art was everywhere and my dad loved to take us to all the museums and sites. I remember arts filling the streets, I remember the seeing Michelangelos art in person and being in awe of what people can make. It was very magical as a kid and I remember for all my career days dressing up as an artist. I attribute that time as the inspiration that solidified my journey to become an artist.
Any chance I got, I took art classes at school. In middle school, I discovered anime and loved to draw the style. My father encouraged me to sell at anime comic and gaming conventions. At 14 we started doing that together and it gave me people skills and helped me keep creating. By the time I was 18 it helped pay for me to go to college.
I was attending Texas State University with a sculpture and graphic design major. I was hesitant about tattooing since the only references I had in my life were prison and biker related tattoos, but it was here at the Texas State dorms that I was introduced to ink master. The show sparked and interest, but it wasn’t something I thought I would do.
Around this time, I found myself becoming very depressed and wasn’t creating much. I struggled to create for my classes and myself so one day I decided to plea with the creator to show me a way, because obviously whatever I was doing wasn’t working.
The next day I was working at Sprint, and two Tattoo artists walked in the door because one dared the other one that they wouldn’t throw their phone in the river. So naturally they came in to get a new phone. My coworkers at the time had discussed about possibly getting me a machine so I could tattoo them. The coworker who was working with me, told them that I was a really good artist and they should consider apprenticing me.
I used to be a little scaredy-cat, so I remember trying to hush this coworker because they looked scary to me. That’s when they told us about the shop the opened up down the street and that they were currently open to apprenticeships.
I helped them and they left and I remember thinking there’s no way I would do that. But after sometime, I remembered my plea and that’s when one of them came back and I decided to at least go visit the space.
Luckily were more hippie vibe than the scary biker vibe I was thought it would be. My mentor Elwood would go on having me draw up stencils and give me assignments to practice tattooing. After three months, he allowed me to do my first tattoo on my good friend, Cole. I was scared to hurt him, but I remember him telling me to go deeper because I wasn’t tattooing it right. Him and a bunch of my friends were my guinea pigs and I am forever grateful to them.
Unfortunately, Elwood was slipping, and gave in to drugs, which eventually led to all of us at the shop to leave. The other owner Jon and I would work for a few interesting characters for a couple years before deciding that it would be best to start our own shop. It was a little bit of faith and luck we opened up Sacred Craft Tattoos.
I was only about two years into tattooing and I felt like I wasn’t where I needed to be. One day I remember dreaming about the mountains in Taos, New Mexico, where my father used to bring me and my sisters on a couple of Christmas’s ago. I had the idea that maybe, I needed to travel there to get the answers. I planned my first solo trip there. I also did my first guest spot at a beautiful shop called Taos tattoos.
About a week into to my trip, a lady tattoo artist drove in on her motorcycle. Her name was Sharkey and she also was from San Marcos Texas and worked at the top shop called Classic Tattoo. She didn’t know who I was at first, but after hearing from others about my story, she decided to have a talk with me.
She told me that working with my friends is fun and nice, but if I wanted to become a great artist, I would have to travel and work under those much better than I was. She warned me that if I stayed with people that were on similar levels I won’t be able to grow or learn past where I’m at.
This was the answer I came to look for but was scared and unsure of where I should go. After returning for several months I gave it more thought, and I realize that my Taos journey was pointing to Phoenix.
I found what seemed to be a perfect apprenticeship under man named Paulo. He was a talented artist who painted and sculpted like me and when I visited his shop Divinity , everything seemed like it was meant to be.
But the moment I moved there it became quite upside down. The shop on the outside was nice, but the inside was filled with lots of shop drama and artists walking on eggshells.v here was so much to learn and very little patience for me. Along with being a target by a couple of people that worked there, eventually I was let go which broke my heart.
During that time I befriended an artist named Toby who was visiting from Columbus. We did a paint night together where we clicked on magic and esoteric knowledge. Since I was stubborn I decided to follow him to Columbus where I would be for the next six months. I attribute this time to learning more about who I wanted to be, and my tattoos started to become better during this period. I knew I needed to go back to Phoenix and finish seeing out what was ment for me there.
I moved back to Phoenix with just my cat and Tattoo supplies and I rented a room from friends I made the previous time. I did not have a car so I walked everywhere to see where I could work and that’s when I stumbled upon Black Raven.
It was a beautiful purple house that was also a crystal shop and on the side of it had a small tattoo studio. It was owned by a vampire couple named Steve and Kristen. And by vampire, I mean, they actually had fang, she had canines implanted and he had platinum fangs. They had a little one which showed me what a family could be.
Steve taught me how to shade and would help me refine my tattoos. He also kept encouraging me to continue to tattoo when I felt like giving up. . After a year, they had to close down the shop and move further out of town.
And that’s when I stumbled upon Sentient Tattoo which was the shop that was opened up by the people that quit Divinity.
Tyson was the main owner and he and the others helped me learn the value of my work. I became very good at what I was doing and they encouraged me to charge more which opened up a lot for me.
Covid hit and it hit us all in different ways. In November 2020 I ran a Friday 13th special alone and that’s where I met my love, Alias who gave me company and we aligned on what we wanted from a relationship. Unfortunately, the friendships at the shop weren’t the same and after two years, I decided to leave and start my own studio.
I found a place at the Mill town center in Tempe. It was definitely a take the wheel Jesus moment, but luckily this place was really perfect for what I needed. I stayed here for three years and was most profitable during this time.
Alias and I became very serious and after a year of knowing each other, we expected our first child Christo. We stayed in Tempe for another year and decided that it was time to be closer to family, grow a life for ourselves, and we thought Texas would be perfect for that.
As soon as we moved to San Antonio, I was unsure about working in a different place. I was looking at studios to rent in Huebner and that’s when I stumbled upon CFS Tattoo company.
It was a true blessing, I saw true artist all working together and independently at the same time. Christian, the owner gave us so much grace especially since as soon as I started working here, I became pregnant with my daughter Kali, which was hard on me, but luckily most of the artists here had families so they were very understanding.
For being a group of mostly young people, I was very fascinated with how skilled and talented they are so I decided to stick around and observe them. I feel like I have leveled up since being here, I’ve learned more about contrast, artistry and working on bigger pieces.
With family and work finally settling in, I feel myself becoming more confident and more and tuned with who I am. With all the ups and downs, tattooing has given me so much. I still feel myself growing each day. Now I’m at a point where I’m excited to see where the story goes next.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Definitely not smooth at all more like a jagged Mountain. Periods of time I questioned myself and thought about giving up. Difficult people I would work with all for different reasons. I felt like the first five years was hard because I knew I could be better and I just wasn’t at that time.
I felt like after I understood how to get ink in the skin properly it became a little bit easier and especially when I worked for myself.
And then throw children into the mix and that will definitely throw your whole identity out of whack for a while.
I will say that it has taught me a lot about resilience and identity throughout this. It’s something I would never exchange for anything. This work has helped me keep being creative and help others have some thing that they can wear with pride.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I am a Tattooess who creates visions for skin. I specialize in Nature, Mythic, Story driven tattoos along with a specialty in Cover ups.
I love creating stories and rewriting stories. I believe the skin is ultimate self expression and it it a huge honor to be a part of it.
I am most proud of my clients and being there for the paths they walk. Each of them helps me learn more about the world through their eyes and I’d like to think I’m helping them process their own journey .
I think what sets me apart is my multidisciplinary background helps me think of creative ways to tackle projects and I’m very versatile in styles.
Who else deserves credit in your story?
My first true art mentor was my high school teacher, Mr Reese. He challenged my big ego at the time and encouraged me to do art projects outside of my comfort zone. This set the foundation of my artistry.
Then my dad who taught me about selling my art as a teenager. Him and my step mom Gloria were the ones who pushed a shy girl to be comfortable in selling my work.
My first mentor Elwood who may not have realized it at the time, gave opportunities to very talented artists to start their career in tattooing. Along with the other artists like Jon, Paolo, Toby, Steve, and Tyson who taught me various valuable lessons with skill and life.
The friends I made at TSU like Cole and my friend Vanessa, who peered pressured me into tattooing, willingly let me mark them as a novice and have been my cheerleaders every step of the way.
Christian who has given the space I’m currently am in and the artists who continues to show me ways to grow.
And of course my beloved Alias who has been my main support with tattooing and life. Navigating the world as a family and creating a life together has been the biggest blessing and most healing experience.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/morgainne.ink
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/@sictattoo?si=jzI2V55Iz1TMXamS
