OWNER / TATTOO ARTIST

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I’ve been tattooing for more than 25 years, which is long enough to have seen just about everything that can happen in a tattoo shop. I’ve worked in nearly every style imaginable, tattooed in all kinds of places, made a few lifelong friends along the way, and somehow managed to collect a pretty ridiculous number of stories.

 

Over the years, my work has been featured in dozens of international tattoo publications and recognized at tattoo conventions throughout the country. These days, the work that really gets me fired up is large-scale custom tattooing, especially black and gray realism, biomechanical and bio-organic work, and big, bold color pieces. Sleeves, back pieces, and other large-scale projects are where I really get to have some fun with the artwork.

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A big part of my approach is making the tattoo work with the body instead of simply putting a picture on it. I spend a lot of time looking at the way the muscles, movement, and natural lines of the body work together, and I often freehand parts of a tattoo directly onto the skin so the design flows naturally with the person wearing it. A lot of the composition can be visualized right there on the client, which is something I’ve always felt is incredibly important to creating a great large-scale tattoo.

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I also approach large tattoos a lot like a painting. The first session is often about getting the foundation of the piece established and covering a lot of ground. It can look rougher than some people expect when they leave that first session, but that’s intentional. I’m mapping out the entire piece and getting it to roughly 80 percent before going back in and building it up with deeper contrast, additional layers, tighter details, and the finishing touches. By the final session, I’m essentially going back over the entire piece and bringing everything together. That process is a big part of how I create the depth, contrast, and finished look that my work is known for.

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I’m also probably a little faster than I should be. I’ve always worked quickly and efficiently without cutting corners, and I’ve had plenty of clients joke that I should advertise “half sleeves while you wait.” There’s a reason some people drive a long way to get tattooed by me and then keep coming back years later. The tattoo is obviously a big part of it, but the time in the chair matters too.

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I like to have fun while I work. I’m sarcastic, I talk a lot, I have opinions about pretty much everything, and apparently I have enough stories to fill several lifetimes. Some of my favorite sessions have very little to do with the tattoo itself and everything to do with the conversations, the laughs, and the ridiculous stories that come out during a long day in the chair. Around here, we call it story time.

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Brass Hook Tattoo was created to give that kind of experience its own space. It’s a private, appointment-only studio where the focus stays on the client, the artwork, and having a damn good day while we’re at it. No crowded shop, no distractions, and no trying to tattoo six people at once.

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After more than 25 years, I still get excited when somebody brings me a great idea. I still love watching a project come together over multiple sessions. And I still think there’s something pretty damn cool about creating a piece of artwork that someone will carry with them for the rest of their life.

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