Meet Charlene Hsu-Rodriguez | Tattoo Artist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Charlene Hsu-Rodriguez and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Charlene, can you tell us more about your background and the role it’s played in shaping who you are today?
Originally from Texas, I was raised by an immigrant family in Southern California. Growing up, I loved drawing and playing pretend. My favorite things to imagine myself as were an artist and a teacher. Eventually, I received my Bachelor in Art, and also two teaching credentials in both Latin and Art, and a Masters in Latin. I taught high school Latin for 6 years (in both California and New York), but it wasn’t until a few years ago that I realized teaching had been a career that my parents instilled on me. Although my parents encouraged my artistic creativity, they wanted me to be a teacher for the financial stability. It was a tough 6 years, but I am grateful for that journey because it eventually led me to tattooing.

While I was completing my Masters program, one of my colleagues encouraged me to try tattooing as I was considering a career change. Because of that conversation, I sought out and eventually did an apprenticeship in New York while I was in my last year of teaching. And- even before that- I ended up being a bridesmaid for a teaching coworker, and it was at that wedding that I met my now husband. When I moved back to California in 2021 for a teaching job that fell through, he supported me financially while I tried to figure out the new world of tattooing.

Fast forward to today, I work at Kari Barba’s Outer Limits in the beautiful city of Long Beach. I am proud of my Taiwanese roots, grateful for my parents teaching me to work hard for what I am passionate about, and forever thankful for all the people in my life that have influenced me in both big and small ways.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I’ve always loved drawing and flowers ever since I could remember. I never would have thought that I would get to tattoo flowers (and other botanical things) as a career! It definitely wasn’t an easy journey, and I almost quit several times in the beginning. One of my biggest challenges was learning to accept that failure was a part of tattooing. I was so used to my art looking a certain way- especially since I had taken art classes since I was in the second grade- that anything less than perfection would stress me out, even to the point that I’d rather not tattoo at all. To overcome that challenge, my mentor kept reiterating two lessons: one, mistakes were just lessons for skills that I needed for tattooing and two, be a sponge and soak up as much information as you can. To say that I have now learned everything would be a lie. I feel that I learn something new everyday- whether it’s how to be better at managing my time and business, or to pull an even cleaner line. I am, however, proud of the progress that I’ve made the past 3 years, and look forward to the day when I can look back at where I am now and be even prouder. I think what sets me apart from others is my style (i.e. botanical vibes, use of whip shading, clean and fine lines) and being able to connect with my clients.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I absolutely love Long Beach. I think it’s the perfect blend of beach weather, excellent food, and fun people watching. If my best friend was visiting the area, we’d start off each day with brunch. Some of our favorites include Panxa (mimosa flights + bluecorn pancakes), the Breakfast Bar, and Gaucho Beach (beautiful beach views). The next thing is shopping! Some of my favorite areas to walk around are 2nd Street/Belmont Shore, 4th Street/Retro Row (Song Bird features a lot of local artists and fun gifts), Bixby Knolls, and the Pike. We would definitely have to hangout at the Aquarium of the Pacific on one of the days as well, and go rollerblading down the beach on another. Lastly, dinner and dancing. Some of our favorite restaurants include Open Sesame, La Taqueria Brand, Hiro Nori (ramen), and Ammatoli (fresh pita bread!). For dancing, we love the reggaeton vibes at Alegria and Agave, and the hip-hop/top 40’s at Shannon’s.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
It definitely takes a whole village to raise this person! I am grateful for my parents and sister, my former and current coworkers (in both my teaching and tattooing careers), all my tattooing mentors, and my husband. Each of them have played a part to get me to where I am now. Without them, I wouldn’t be me!

Website: floralandinks.wixsite.com/website

Instagram: floralandinks

Image Credits
Fatima Resendiz Brandon Lam