Today we’d like to introduce you to Maureen Smith.
Hi Maureen, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
Oye! My name is Maureen Ashley Smith! But I go by Mo, or Momo. I got the name
“The Crimson Princess” because of my use of reds as accents in a lot of my art.
I am a local to La Crosse area! I wasn’t born here, nor in Wisconsin, I am originally from Laredo, Texas. But I’ve lived here in La Crosse for a decade now, and consider this town, my home. I am a Mexican artist, who’s just following her highest passions! I have done photography, painting, sketching, wood block printing, murals, and now I am pursuing tattooing. I was a corporate photographer and a Medical photographer for Gundersen Health Systems for 5 years, and still do a lot of photography creatively for family portraits, weddings, etc. I have been drawing and painting for about 15 years. My painting style is very much influenced by my culture, my happiness, my passion, sorrow and grief, my love and my curiosity. I would describe my art as very colorful, vibrant, fauvist, and dramatic. My art helps me learn not only about myself, but the world around me. I decided I wanted to take my art further and I am now a tattoo apprentice and co-owner at Feral Fawn Studios. I am also one of the cofounders, and vice president to the artist collective called The Artsiders. I am naturally a very curious person, so I find myself always experimenting, and trying new techniques out. I think as an artist my biggest fear is not having enough time to do all the art I want in my lifetime.
A little about me: I love anime, manga, video games, reading, animals, traveling, trying new things, eating food, and cozy vibes. I am a pretty big nerd, but I like to think in all the best ways!
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Being an artist hasn’t always been easy in so many different ways. I think one of the biggest ones is always feeling “inspired’ to do/create art. I think that all artists fall into that trap at some point. We aren’t always inspired, sometimes that feels very foreign. Operating in a world of production, and trying to find that happy medium of feeling creatively charged while navigating normal every day life can often feel like a struggle for many artists. I have had to really shift my perspective to curiosity instead of inspiration, because there has been many moments in my life that I wasn’t inspired, but I still needed to be creative. Creativity is a muscle, and it’s work to tap into that consistently. Learning discipline and finding what worked to keep myself charged but not burnt out has been something I am still learning. So now I lean more into curiosity and follow that, and that often in turn leads to new inspirations. Thinking about art from a student perspective and not a master, has also been something I have had to relearn time and time again to keep my inspiration going and to remain curious.
I think that naturally artists struggle with remaining inspired because this world isn’t currently set up for creatives to thrive, but it’s important to remain curious and to be a rebel to the machine regardless.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I am an artist of many mediums! I would say I am really proud of my passion for experimenting. I often hear from my peers “is there something you haven’t done?” And I think to myself, oh my gosh there is SO MUCH I still want to experience in art. I chase things relentlessly and passionately. Something that sets me apart is my work ethic, and that I am also a minority artist in the area. I am a first generation Mexican American woman. I am the first Mexican woman tattoo artist in the La Crosse area. That is such a big deal for me because the tattoo industry is a very male dominated field, and on top of that, a white man dominated field. So I am very proud to represent myself as a woman, but also as a Mexican woman.
I am known for my painting style, it’s very vibrant, colorful, surreal, and playful. I use a lot cultural inspiration in my works, especially in my color pallets. I am also known for my tattooing, I co-own a tattoo studio in town called ‘Feral Fawn Studios” with my best friend, business partner, and mentor. My tattoo style is colorful, and delicate. I do a lot of fine line tattoos, but I really want to do more anime inspired themes, occult themes and more nature inspired themes too.
I am the vice president, and cofounder for an art collective called “The Artsiders”
We organize a lot of events from art markets, art shows, fashions shows, to fundraisers and community events. We stand for inclusion, community, the arts in general, and exploration.
How do you think about luck?
I think my work ethic, and willpower has helped me be lucky more than anything. I think it’s very easy to think someone “has it lucky” when we aren’t fully aware of all the hours they spent perfecting a craft, or that some special opportunity just happened to fall in someone’s lap. We didn’t see the hard earned hours of them networking, going to events consistently, hours spent on a project, etc. I have worked countless hours on a single painting, countless hours researching art, hours practicing a new medium etc. Nothing in my art was easy at first but took years of diligence, discipline, and heart to get it where it is today. Hard work pays off, because when you are motivated and have the drive to follow your passions you will find a way to make it work. Every set back helped me get that much better, that much more determined, and that much more hungry to find a way to make my passions work. Everything in life is a learning opportunity.
Pricing:
- My tattoos are an hourly rate, starting at 75$ an hour!
- My photography is also an hourly rate, that starts at 250$ an hour
- My digital art and paintings, and original pieces just depend on size, prints etc!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://linktr.ee/thecrimsonprincess
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thecrimsonprincess/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/p/The-Crimson-Princess-61554191671639/
- Other: https://www.feralfawnstudios.com/momo
