Meet Joelle Truax of Mortuary Tattoo in Mesa

So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I apprenticed from 2009-2011 at Inkbomb tattoos in Chandler, AZ. I have worked at several shops around the valley, and on February 2016, I decided to open my own tattoo shop Mortuary Tattoo in Mesa, AZ. Things have been going really well with that location, so I was fortunate enough to open a second location in Apache Junction, AZ

Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Learning to tattoo was definitely one of the most difficult things I have ever experienced. While I was apprenticing, I had to work a second job in order to afford all my bills, food, etc. I did not get paid as an apprentice, so trying to find enough time to be at the shop but also work enough at my paying job was tough. I worked long hours and didn’t get much sleep. Between the two jobs, I worked every day for two years straight with my only days off being Christmas and Thanksgiving. On top of all that, I also had homework assignments as part of my apprenticeship, where I had to draw sheets of flash that I was rarely allowed to work on at the shop. My day at the shop consisted of me cleaning, running errands, setting up and breaking down for artists, answering the phone, talking to customers, scrubbing tubes, and watching the artists tattoo so I could learn. When I actually started tattooing, I struggled with getting clean linework and getting smooth shading and saturated color. It took me quite some time to get it down. It took lots of practice in the skin as well as me drawing and painting a lot of flashes before my linework and shading/color were semi-decent. I also feel being a female in a male-dominated industry has been quite a struggle as well. I feel like I have had to work extra hard to prove myself as an artist and be taken seriously.

Please tell us about Mortuary tattoo.
I enjoy doing all styles of tattooing, but I seem to mostly do traditional, neo-traditional, anything with bold lines and bright colors, anime characters, and horror-related tattoos. If I do not feel comfortable doing a piece, I will direct the client to the best person in the shop for the job. I take my time on every tattoo that I do and try and make it the best tattoo I have ever done. It doesn’t matter if it’s a back piece or a small tattoo I will put just as much effort into the small one as I would the big one. I am a perfectionist every tattoo I do has my name on it, so I want it to look good.

Let’s touch on your thoughts about our city – what do you like the most and the least?
I love tattooing in Mesa I grew up here it’s where I was born and raised. There is a great clientele in Mesa some of my favorite tattoos I have done have been done in Mesa. Unfortunately, near where my shop is located, there are several businesses closing down along with fiesta mall. This has greatly affected the walk-in traffic at my shop.