‘Ink Master: Rivals’ exclusive: Caroline Evans talks roses, skulls and tattoo industry
We have started season 5 of “Ink Master: Rivals” with a bang as the masterminds behind the show brought us a premiere that was filled with the drama that we crave, but also brought the focus back on the tattoos that we love!
Unfortunately we have had our first casualty this season with an artist that we really liked going into the premiere: Caroline Evans. We were excited to chat with her about her experience on the show, and loved how open she was with us.
CarterMatt: Being the first artist to leave the show is never easy. If you had this to do over again, what would you do differently?
Caroline: Honestly, I wouldn’t do anything differently. I can’t change the circumstances or events of my life prior to filming. Back in 2009, I had my finger on the pulse of my industry and by 2013 I realized that my industry had moved on without me. I was putting all my energy into resolving federal audits and coping with severe injuries, both happening within a month of each other at the end of 2009 into 2010. The audits resolved in 2013, and I started physical therapy at the end of 2012. Julia was unaware of the negative impact these events had on my career so she called me out thinking I was just burnt out, lost my spark, and needed a kick in the pants. I’m literally battered and bruised, but I’m still standing and moving forward. Being on the show is just a step on my journey, reconnecting me to the tattoo network from which the audits and injuries pulled me away. I’m very grateful for that.
You had a lot more experience than many of the artists there: were you surprised to see the more experiences artists in the bottom during the first elimination?
No. The environment on set is very stressful, everyone reacts differently to stress, and experience has nothing to do with it.
You were stuck doing the skull and roses tattoo twice: Was there any wiggle room with your canvas to push them to do something different or did you want to show the judges that you can do skulls and roses?
I tried to steer my canvas in another direction, but he wouldn’t budge; he was stuck on skulls and roses. I don’t need to prove to the judges I can do skulls and roses, I know I can do skulls and roses, and most importantly, my clients know I can do skulls and roses.
Were you surprised that you went home over some of the others that were in the bottom and who do you think should have gone home over you?
I wasn’t surprised I went home, because I needed to go home, I wanted to go home, I knew the environment on set wasn’t healthy for me. After completing over 8 months of physical therapy last year, high on my priority list is sleep, food, and exercise, none of which were happening on set. As a tattoo artist, I am my service, my body is my tool, I need to keep it working properly. If things were different I couldn’t have been in the bottom. I think that Ty should have gone home, her lettering was not clean, she had time to go back and clean it up, but she chose not to.
What is your relationship with Julia like now? Are you still rivals or have you found a way to co-exist?
My relationship with Julia now is co-existing. We have come to an understanding. We realize each has something to teach the other.
If clients want to book you for a tattoo, what’s the best way for them to do that?
Clients can book a tattoo with me through an appointment request form on my website TattoosByCaroline, the link is under the appointment calendar tab Thank you CarterMatt.com :)
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We want to thank Caroline for chatting with us about her time on “Ink Master” and we wish we were going to see more of her this season.