32 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY AUGUST 27-SEPTEMBER 2, 2026 www.montereycountynow.com FACE TO FACE Roughly six years ago, Angie Deveaux decided to quit her job and pursue her dream of becoming a tattoo artist. “I was always very into art and tattoo culture, and I got tattooed as soon as I could, at 18, but I didn’t start honing my art skills until I was about 30,” says Deveaux, who is nearing her 40th birthday. “After a few years, I realized I was miserable working at my other jobs—wearing uniforms and pretending to be somebody I’m not.” The Monterey native says that as her tattooing skills developed, she didn’t imagine herself opening a tattoo shop of her own, but that “it happened organically.” “It sounds corny but I feel like tattooing found me,” says Deveaux. “I never thought I would be good enough to do it as an artist but I got to a point in my life where I felt like, if I die tomorrow, this is what I would regret— not pursuing this.” Now she is celebrating one year owning and operating Red Rabbit Tattoo on Pearl Street in downtown Monterey, where she works alongside her friend and fellow tattoo artist Krista Nevares. Weekly: What was the first tattoo that you gave someone? Deveaux: My best friend, Krista, who has been tattooing for more than a decade and works at the shop with me, gave me guidance and a push forward. I asked her what she would think if I pursued this and she was like, “Do it.” And right away, she said, “Tattoo me.” You’re supposed to go through the process of learning before touching a machine, but it just kind of happened. She had me go over an old tattoo that she had on her toes and I had an immediate rush of endorphins. It felt really good, seeing the lines go in—the needle breaking the skin and the skin saturated. I grew another level of respect for how hard it is, and how stressful—obviously because it’s permanent. Even learning to pull a straight, clean line, I didn’t realize how difficult it was. Can you tell me about your style? I have always been drawn to traditional and neo-traditional tattooing. But part of tattooing is not being set in one style, so I have tried a little bit of everything. Traditional is based on bold lines and bright colors. Neotraditional is very similar but has a little more detail, and that’s what I’ve been drawn to doing. I love color. My favorite things to do are lady heads and pin-ups. I think I started by drawing cartoony ’50s-style girls and even now, lady heads are my favorite. It’s cool to see that they get requested more often. And animals in general: big cats and wild cats. What do you love about tattooing? It’s something that you just kind of disappear in. I am very introverted so I tend to talk for a little bit and then I disappear into the tattoo. That’s what painting always was for me too. It’s very therapeutic. What inspired you to open up your own shop? I have worked at a few shops in the area and I learned something from each one, but the dynamics are always different—like with any job working in an enclosed space—and I didn’t find the right energy for me. Krista and I are both mellow people. We’ll be silly, and loud when we want to be, but our energy in general is very chill. I didn’t want to commute, even to Santa Cruz, because I have a 10-yearold daughter. In the first few years of tattooing, I was coming home really late and I wasn’t seeing enough of my family. I’m also so rooted here that I couldn’t see myself moving anywhere else. So, once I got the thought of a shop in my head, I just started jumping hurdles to get there. It still feels very surreal but I have gotten so much good feedback and with such a great location, it’s been working really well so far. How are you celebrating one year in business? We’re doing a flash event, which is very similar to a Friday the 13th, where we’ll have sheets of designs for people to pick from and we do as many as we can. These are fun and always popular because everyone wants a cheap tattoo. And we usually end up getting a few regulars because of the energy of the space. It’s always a gamble going into a shop and with the fact that we’re women-owned, there is a feeling of safety. It’s cool to have someone come in for an event like this and come back for a bigger piece and then you build a relationship from there. Red Rabbit Tattoo 209 Pearl St., Monterey. (831) 9984791, redrabbitmonterey.com. Rabbit Trail Local tattoo artist and entrepreneur Angie Deveaux celebrates one year in business. By Aric Sleeper After working as a nail tech for many years, Angie Deveaux decided to pursue her real passion as a tattoo artist. 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