What do tattoos and tattooing mean to you?
Tattooing means everything to me. It has given me everything that I have in life , it saved my life, and gave me a pathway to show off my art and to help others cope with events in their lives be it good or bad.
Can you tell us a bit about your early days as an artist?
Man oh man the early days were hard being a new artist and trying to find my place in a very large swimming pool with so many great artist. I lived on couches of friends and moved around a bit from Maryland to Florida, and back to Maryland, and the almighty landing in Ohio where I have been tattooing for the last 12 years.
How would you describe your signature style?
I would say that I have a new, tradish style.
Has your signature style changed since you started tattooing? If yes, in what ways?
I would have to say yes for sure. When I first starting tattooing, I wanted to do new school stuff and learned that It just was not for me and I started to look at traditional stuff more and more. I was also being drawn to it more and more because of how they stood up over time.
Have you noticed any particular trends when it comes to tattoos?
I would say as far as trends go that I feel like the iPad and the digital era will forever change the way tattooers go about the craft of tattooing. As well as the advances with tattoo machines and pigments.
Do you foresee any specific trends gaining popularity in the future?
I have seen that more and more tattooers are switching to a pen style machines. I made the move 5 or 6 years ago and I feel like my hands aren’t hurting as much now and again the iPad has changed the tattooing industry.
Do you feel there is a sense of community amongst people with tattoos? If yes, how would you describe the community?
I feel that it is getting better. Back in the day you had to fight tooth and nail to gain information and techniques from the old heads, but now with the newer generation we can ask questions on the subject and someone will help you out.
What drew you to jaksonbd?
I love the stuff they do and I love that they deal first hand with the artist that they used on the clothing. They have huge a huge presence at all the conventions and everyone who has bought a shirt or hoodie of mine has said the quality of the shirts and hoodie are amazing.
What inspired your "Dagger" design that we now sell in our shop?
To be honest I asked my wife for two things to put together and she said a dagger and lady head so I just flipped it a bit and did the dagger face.
