Meet Ana Karen Marcor Hernandez | Tattoo Artist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Ana Karen Marcor Hernandez and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Ana Karen, why did you pursue a creative career?
As crazy as it sounds, I had my mid-life crisis at 25 years old. 25 hit me hard and made me re-evaluate what I wanted out of life. I always knew I wanted to be a full time artist but I was never ready to take the risk. In 2021 I chose to quit my job and become a full time tattoo artist. Sounds cliche, but taking this jump gave me the life I wanted. I never wake up dreading to go to work; I have the freedom to make my own schedule and I get to do what I love. Working a 9-5 made me feel like I had no time to take care of myself. If I wanted to take a vacation I had to plan months in advance to make sure my PTO would get approved. Now, I get to have once in a lifetime experiences like giving my mom her first tattoo while my grandma is in town or having impromptu dates and trips with my boyfriend. In addition to that, the feeling of someone liking your artwork so much they would get it permanently marked on their bodies is indescribable. Getting a tattoo is not just pain and art but it is also an experience. Some clients are going through something and just want to be heard, some clients become your best friends because after spending over 10 hours with a person, you really get to know them. This career allowed me to use my artistic skills in, what I would argue is the hardest art medium, while also giving back to the community; but most importantly it has given me a peace of mind, which is priceless in today’s day and age.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I’m a DFW black and grey realism tattoo artist. I love doing female faces with some floral work, I have always wanted to capture feminine beauty and how powerful women truly are. However, I did not always know what I wanted to create. I truly believe people underestimate what it means to be an artist. To be an artist is to know yourself so well that you can create something beautiful from your soul; but if you do not know yourself, your art will reflect it. I constantly look back and wish that I had known myself better in college because I would have created much better pieces than the garbage I came up with at the time. In college I was overcoming some traumas and had no sense of identity, so it made creating art very difficult. Then teaching high school art for 3 years made me feel like my skills were being used to their bare minimum and not pushed to their limits. Then you fast forward to my first day as a tattoo apprentice where they make me trace circles with a micron until I do a perfect circle and it takes me over 8 hrs to do so, humbles you down real quick. So no, it wasn’t as easy as it seems. I truly believe that what helped me overcome challenges was my loving support group and my dad pushing me all my life to be a successful independent woman. I always had an inner drive that once I set my mind to something, I wanted to become the best at it, no matter the hard work, it would make the end result that much more rewarding. We have a joke that the more tedious, detailed tattoos go to Ana, because I love every part of them. The process is a mental game of how hard are you willing to push yourself to create something amazing, and when you think your getting cross-eyed you keep going because you know the end result will be worth it. I guess the lesson in this is that taking a risk is not a risk if you know you can count on yourself to push through the finish line.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
My top place to go to has to be Astoria Cafe & Wine bar in Addison. It is a hidden gem but it is my to-go hangout spot. Specially if the weather is nice, me and my boyfriend go sit outside have a nice tea with a sandwich or treat and spend all day there drawing. One of my favorite places to eat is Platia Greek Kouzina in Frisco. The most delicious authentic Greek food you’ll ever have. If you are looking for sushi, Ozaka in Addison is an all you can eat buffet that has sushi, barbecue, ramen and fried rice. Super cozy and romantic.

I would definitely check out all the concert lineups in deep ellum. The music scene here is pretty big.

All the art museums are also a definitely spot to check but I might be biased since I love spending time studying artwork.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
My success in life has definitely happened thanks to the support, efforts and mentorship of many individuals. Starting off with my great grandma who always said I had beauty in my soul that should be shared with the world. My grandmothers Yeya and Tita , my mom and dad Areli Y Gerardo and my brother Axel have always showed unconditional support. Even when they didn’t necessarily agree with my choices, they always made sure I had someone I could rely on and made it a point for me to know that I was loved everyday unconditionally. My boyfriend Roger Lugo has also played an incredible part of my success. He was there through my life crisis and has helped me become the best version of myself. He is a tattoo artist as well and he opened the door for me to pursue tattooing and has been there through my whole apprenticeship, stayed up late multiple nights analyzing my work and showing me things I could improve on. My mentors Gerald Garcia and Anthony Garcia at Last Angels Tattoos in Dallas need to be given credit for all the knowledge they shared and time they spent teaching me this craft. And finally shoutout to my dog and my three cats, they are the real MVPs.

Website: https://anakarenmarcor.wixsite.com/my-site

Instagram: Ana.marcor

Twitter: AnaMarcorTattoo

Facebook: Ana.Marcor.Tattoos

Youtube: https://youtube.com/channel/UC7KGS3lJTXg7b5bJdFcRKLA

Other: TikTok: @ana.Marcor