Hey there, that's me on the left. My name is Melissa Sandoval and I am an artist that primarily works in creating illustration. I have been drawing since I can first remember having a consiousness. My art supplies consisted of primary school grade No.2 pencils and the cheapest lined paper journals money could buy. I would entertain my classmates by drawing a sketch of each and every one of them (this was before there were 34 students in each classroom) I would also sharpier awful "tribal" design tattoos on my middle school peers which got me some attention and friendship as the weird kid that turned beet red whenever I was talked to. Now I don't mean to say that tribal artwork is bad, I meant to say that my interpretation and execution of what was "tribal" was what I had seen on people that had no business having tribal tattoos. This was around the time that puka shell necklaces were also being culturally appropriated. I will leave that story there lest I age myself more than needed.