Born and raised on the west coast bouncing between Sacto/Bay Area CA, and Kelso/Longview WA, I'm a husband, a father and a lifelong artist. Growing up without and eventually learning to despise television (AND MARKETING AND ADVERTISING) is what I attribute the hours of free time that I used to develop my eye and love for the arts. Although I am artistically self taught I attribute it to staying open to what I could learn from other artists or "standing on the shoulders of giants". Washington State University graduate...wish I'd have majored in art instead of electrical engineering (kinda,.. that physics stuff is pretty friggin cool).
While working as an electrical engineer contracting for PG&E in CA, I answered an ad on Craigslist in April of 2009 and completed a short apprenticeship with Alan Waiczis of Columbia Tattoo in Vancouver WA. Later that summer, I met Brandon Whitaker and his mother Kathy of Surreal Skin Tattoo and Piercing in Longview WA and in February 2010 began working in their shop.
I feel extremely fortunate to have found a talented, friendly and open group of friends to learn and grow from: Brandon Whitaker, Larry "Bones" Haddick, Jessica Boaglio and my man Vance Aase. I could go on and on....