Etched in Ink

The small city of Los Fresnos might not be known for its edginess. But South Ink Tattoos is changing that - one tattoo at a time.

Steven Cancino opened the tattoo parlor in September. Since then, he has created art for hundreds of Rio Grande Valley residents. He has designed images and patterns to honor deceased parents and siblings. He has etched the names of boyfriends and girlfriends onto the shoulders and backs of young lovers.

"I've always enjoyed the creativity," said Cancino, who started tattooing his friends in San Luis Potosi, Mexico, before making his art into his business. "I started out with little black demons, but now I'm into larger, more colorful pieces."

South Ink Tattoos now caters to residents of McAllen, Harlingen and Brownsville, as well as the large crop of spring breakers who drive along Highway 100 on their way to South Padre Island.

On Wednesday, Amanda Vasquez, a Los Fresnos native, stopped by South Ink to commemorate her daughter's birth. Cancino drew a cherry blossom on Vasquez's ankle and wrote her daughter's name, Deserae, above the flower.

"I always wanted a tattoo," Vasquez said, "but I was nervous about the pain."

After the tattoo was finished, Vasquez smiled.

"The flower is precious - just like my daughter."

In the front of the parlor, a binder of photos provides prospective clients with a sample of Cancino's work.

There are oriental characters, Texas flags, and images of the Santisima Muerte.

People can choose from one of Cancino's earlier designs or ask him to try something new.

"Some people just trust him as an artist," said Joel Nino, who works as an assistant at South Ink, "and they'll give him free reign."

South Ink also does piercing, which attracts Los Fresnos residents of all ages. On Tuesday, a young woman - not yet 18 - and her mother walked into the storefront. The girl asked about piercings - in both common and uncommon locations. With a guardian's signature, Nino told her, they could be hers.

"We get kids coming in with their parents all the time," he said.

Before South Ink opened, people told Cancino that Los Fresnos was the wrong city for a tattoo parlor. The city is too small, they told him. It's not the right population. There's no demand for his brand of art in Los Fresnos.

On all counts, Cancino has been vindicated. His art - and his business - has found an audience in one of South Texas' most unlikely locations.