I started tattooing in Lake Charles, LA in 2009. I finally made an effort to leave the small town life after Hurricane Laura destroyed the shop i worked at, but I’m glad it has given me the opportunity to move to New Orleans. I’ve always loved this city and had plans to move here before i became a parent. As a kid i was fascinated with tattoos. There was a guy who lived in my neighborhood who was heavily tattooed and that always left a lasting impression on me. I grew up drawing as most kids do i just never stopped. My grandmother was an oil painter who painted southern landscapes and farm scenes. She encouraged me to keep drawing because she could see it was something i enjoyed and that i had a natural talent for it. I spent a lot of time drawing during class and when i was grounded, because i got into trouble a lot as a teenager. I got my first tattoo magazine when i was in middle school and spent most of my time trying to recreate those tattoos on paper. Once i realized i probably wouldn’t become an astronaut or dig up dinosaur bones i knew i wanted to be a tattooer. It was, and still is, my dream job. There’s just a special sense of satisfaction about being able to create artwork on peoples skin that i can’t recreate in any other medium. The fact that people trust me and appreciate my artwork enough to permanently mark their body with it is still a humbling experience every time i start a new piece. I have a neotraditional approach to drawing tattoos and i try to incorporate an art nouveau feel into most pieces. I love bold lines and black shading, but also leave room for fine details, and skin tone showing. It really makes the tattoos look like they are a part of the the clients body rather than looking like a sticker that we just slapped on. Most clients come to me for my color work, but i enjoy making tattoos in black and grey or just black work. Black is simple, classy, and timeless, like a black and white photograph. I’ve dealt with depression and loneliness most of my adult life and enjoy exploring those themes in my personal pieces. Lost love, depression, despair, and being broken hearted are some repeating themes however i also enjoy pieces that convey a sense of strength, mysticism, seduction, and beauty. But all in all i just like making tattoos that have a classic/timeless feel while being clean and can stand the test of time.
