The_Rat_Tattoo

Like a lot of artists of my generation, I grew up surrounded with comic books, video games and cartoons. Throughout grade school I would draw all over my friends with anything I could get hold of, replicating the characters we loved. Fresh out of high school I can remember drawing a small fairy for a friend. A few year later I ran into her and she got it done as a tattoo. The feeling of seeing my work on someone’s skin was amazing. It was humbling and an honor.   Young and stupid, I lacked ambition to hit the streets looking for an apprenticeship. Instead I moved from one job to another, totally unfulfilled. Spring 2009, I decided to move from New York to Charleston, South Carolina to pursue the arts in any way possible. I went back to school for graphic design. While in college I fell in love with hand lettering. I graduated with a portfolio focused on typography and illustration.   In 2015, I moved to Greenville, South Carolina, where I worked for a design agency. The company tapped into my artistic skills, sometimes, but not enough to scratch the creative itch. I started making wood burnings and prints to sell at regional comic conventions. All that time my designs reflected my love for the graphic nature and styling of tattoos. It was obvious that my heart was still in the art of tattooing. It was time to find a mentor, I found one then followed him to Salt Lake City in May of 2017.   So now I do something I have always wanted to do, work with people and make a difference in their life. Tattooing, to me, is an artistic and exciting way to do that. To connect and create together is such an awesome experience. If it’s something nerdy and nostalgic even better, but I am stoked to work with people either way!