Grown Up: An interview with tattoo artist Danielle Distefano

Danielle Distefano sits cross legged in a big, wooden chair on the reading terrace tucked inside a local library and laughs. "The first tattoo I got was a band tattoo on my stomach so my mom wouldn't see it," she smiles. "It was for this hardcore New York band Sick Of It All. I thought I was so tough."

Now boasting, among others, a pink bra below her kneecap dedicated to her mom, a pair of birds on her chest, and the word "vegan" across her neck, Distefano's relationship with tattoos has evolved. "I went back two weeks later to get more added because I didn't think it was big enough," she says of her first tattoo. "And that was it. I was hooked."

Years and cities later, Distefano is now a tattooer and shop owner herself (she recently opened Only You Tattoo in Atlanta with fellow artist Matt Greenhalgh), creating art on a daily basis. "I didn't graduate college and I'm not behind a desk. Every day, people trust me to put my artwork on them forever," she says. "It's really moving when you can step back and think about it."

After attending an arts high school, Distefano went to the School of Visual Arts in New York for two years, working with painting, sculpting, and photography, before dropping out to start a tattoo apprenticeship at age 19. She lived and tattooed in both New York and San Fransisco and then moved to Atlanta in 2006. "I lived my whole life in New York," she says, "but I like being able to have a yard and a house here. New York was kind of a playground and now I want to grow up."

Now a "grown-up" tattoo artist with her very own shop, Distefano has seen a lot of changes in the tattoo world, from the growing availability of vegan ink (she's been vegan for almost twelve years and does all of her tattooing animal-product free) to the sudden introduction of tattooers into popular culture with shows like LA and Miami Ink. "People talk to me about Kat Von D's boyfriend because they think I can relate," Distefano laughs, "but I can't complain because it's opened the doors to so many people who weren't sure about getting tattooed and set an expectation for good quality work."

"Tattooing used to be underground and there was a mystery to it that's sort of fading, but it's nice to have it recognized as an art form," Distefano continues.

She may have mixed feelings about the growing presence of tattoos in pop culture, but Distefano is happy that some of the stigmas have changed, especially in regards to women in the industry. "There were people when I started who were weary because they thought women could only tattoo butterflies and faeries," Distefano says. "People didn't look at women as tattooers who could make bold art that would last over time. Now, women are up and coming."

"I've always proved myself with my artwork," Distefano says of her experience as a female tattoo artist in the male-dominated industry. "That was the best advice I got, to prove myself and to stay focused and professional."

Distefano's body of work, a small sample of which is available at on Only You Tattoo's Facebook page, certainly proves her ability, consisting of everything from a series of bright fall leaves to painted skulls.

If you're interested in getting tattooed by Distefano or in checking out her work, stop by Only You Tattoo in Grant Park in Atlanta (415 Memorial Drive) or give them a call at 404-659-4900. If you're a first timer, follow Distefano's advice "Really research where you're going and meet the artist, look at their work. Make sure they can do the style you want and that you feel comfortable with them," Distefano says. "I think that's the most important thing."

A version of this article first appeared in The Profile in May 2008.