About the Artist,
Tattooer, and Bellydancer

Art & Design:
Tattooing, Bellydance Performance, Performance-Art, Costuming, Stained Glass, Painting, Illustration, Photography, Graphic, Publication, and Web design, Leather tooling, and Jewelry making...there is not much that is out of Tanya's creative abilities.

Tanya earned her Bachelor of Arts Degree in Communications: Graphic & Publication Design from California State University, Chico in 1994. It all began with Graphic Design in Jr.High School making posters for dances, and continued through High School, winning awards for design.

In 1997, she moved to Portland, Oregon, making quick work of the corporate ladder.

In 2003 Tanya "lost her taste" for the corporate culture, now devoting her passion, and many talents, to artistic pursuits, bringing happiness to herself and those her art touches.

Tattoo:
Tanya's love affair with tattooing began when she started getting tattooed in 1988.

In 2005 Tanya got her tattoo education/apprenticeship her teacher and mentor, the infamous Rio DeGennaro, learning the art and craft of tattoo, along with the strictest regulations on tattooing and sanitation, in the world.
Rio has been tattooing since 1962.
Like his father before him, he worked down on the Pike in Long Beach, California with Bert Grim, among others.

After a year in a street shop, Tanya opened Above the Pearl Tattoo in NW Portland, in Sept 2007. She put her graphic design, artistic, and business background to work, and persued her career in Tattooing.
Above the Pearl Tattoo was awarded
Best of Citysearch Tattoo
Portland 2009 and 2011.

Dance:
In 1991, Tanya discovered the fine-art of Middle Eastern Dance, and was hooked. Heavy Folkloric/Historical influence combined with moder tribal fusion and cabaret styles combined to forn her unique dance and performance style.
Tanya is currently semi-retired from dance after 20+ years or performance and study.