MRHS’s Very Own Tattoo Artist-Metzli E.

By Kamila A-F

Junior Metzli E. has dedicated her weekends to her part time job as a tattoo artist. 

She always had an interest in art; you can find several sketches in her room as proof of that. However, with the push of her father’s support, she officially started tattooing around a year ago. Her shop is simply in her own home, some of her materials were purchased herself and some were given by her dad. This set up makes it convenient for her. 

While a good handful of her clients have been family friends and whatnot, some Mountain Range students have also gotten work done before, or are going to be future clients. Junior Alexia D. had gotten offered a free tattoo when Metzli was starting off, and depicted a positive experience. She even encourages others to look into it, as she claims Metzli “does a lot of really good work.” 

An individual who is still trying to plan when he’d make his appointment is a Junior Kuba Z. As a foreign exchange student, he claims  “I want to have souvenirs from places that are kinda important to me,” which is why he is thinking of getting something in dedication to Colorado. Kuba is planning on sending a reference to Metzli, however is completely open to her tweaking the design in any way to make it perfect. 

In regards to getting all these clients, she usually tries to spread the word and have people recommend her to others. The designs and pieces have varied from a small heart on the hip to an entire spine piece. Due to how diverse the designs can be, she claims the prices depend on “ size and color–like if you want color or not, and placement.” She’s been able to accumulate a few thousand dollars from all the work so far, which she has been putting into savings for college. 

In addition, she shared that she prefers fine lines, which is a tattooing style that is characterized by thin lines and intricate details that are usually done by a single needle or a group of tiny needles. Impressively enough, she never practiced on fake skin. Instead, her brothers offered for her to practice on them, as they were also incredibly supportive of her pursuing this job. 

In order to avoid this side gig from getting in the way of school or social life, Metzli typically schedules the appointments before noon on weekends, which has allowed her to create a good balance. 

To find out more information, her tattooing account on Instagram is @empiretattoos24.