Real ink.
Real story.

The Beginning

Between 2005 and 2008 I served time. It was a dark stretch — I'd lost my way to addiction, and I'm not proud of how I got there. But it's where I learned to tattoo, where I got sober, and where I decided who I was going to become.

It started with drawing envelopes for the other convicts I was doing time along with. Then presented an opportunity to tattoo a fellow inmate who had a fresh scar on his forearm. I used a pen tube, a lighter string, and soot ink made from grease and shampoo from the commissary to do a simple design. It healed up well, word got around, and that became a skill that grew quietly while I served my time. My first real tattoo was a black work skull wrapped in tribal sun — it took a month to heal but came out clean, and I never stopped after that. I spent the rest of my sentence reading about Sullen in Tattoo magazines, studying every artist I could find, and finishing my online schooling between shifts on the yard.

When I got out, I hustled up enough money for professional equipment, built a portfolio, and walked into a Phoenix shop owned by Pete Mandley — a former Detroit Lions wide receiver. He looked at my work and put me to work the same week. By 2009 I had my Arizona tattooing license out of Youngtown, and I've been at the chair ever since.

Today

Everything I've built since comes from the choice I made in those years to do better. I'm sober. I'm a husband of over ten years. I'm a father to two sons — my oldest turns 27 this September, my youngest turns 10 the same month. I tattoo full time out of Aiea, Hawaii at TNT Tattoo, and I take this craft seriously because it's the discipline that gave me a life worth showing up for.

The Work

I'm well-rounded by necessity — years of walk-ins will do that to you — but realism, black & gray, and photorealism are where I live. I also love geometric work, fine line, dot work, Polynesian tribal, mandala, and traditional. If you've got a custom concept, a memorial, or a cover-up that needs real thought, those are my favorite calls.

My philosophy on black & gray is simple: it's timeless. It settles into skin beautifully, ages with grace. The biggest enemy of any tattoo isn't time — it's the sun. Aftercare and sun protection are non-negotiable. Cover up, moisturize, and your work will look sharp for decades.

Who I Work With

Serving Oahu's military community is an honor and a priority. Standard rate is $2,500 for a full day (8 hours). Active-duty service members and veterans receive 20% off — no paperwork just a digital check-in and your ID to the chair.

What I won't do is gang-affiliated work. That's a hard line for me, and it always will be.

Full Circle

Being a sponsored Sullen artist and partnered with Wicked Fast Skincare isn't something I take lightly. Sullen was the brand I studied from a prison bunk in 2007. Being on their roster now isn't a flex — it's proof that the work matters, the journey matters, and people who put their head down and keep moving forward eventually get where they're going.