Bio

I was born in Chadron, Nebraska in 1963. In 1967, my family moved to Maywood, Los Angeles CA, (Maywood is where i first started seeing and drawing tattoos at age 4). Then my family moved to Huntington Beach CA in 1969 and stayed there through the 1970s and 80s.  Then my first wife Holly and I had two children in (1991 & 93) ian & Cameron.  Holly and I split up, I have been with my wife Terri since 1994. 

Early Inspiration:

Ive been drawing tattoos since I was 4 (at that time my mom had a boyfriend who was fully-cover’d with tattoos, he was a Tattooer in the Los Angeles, Long Beach area).  I started hand poke tattooing on friends and their friends when I was 16 in 1979, it was Mike Brown at TattooLand in 1980 who taught me how to make Japanese-style-tebori-tattoo-needles and how to stretch the skin properly.  I continued sporadically doing hand poke until committing full-time in 1991. 
I have been drawn to classic Japanese tattooing since first seeing it in person at the age of 11 in 1974.  

Inspired by these original these mid 1800s Japanese artists ~

Kuniyoshi • Kunisada  • Kyōsai • Eishun  • Yoshitoshi  & Kunichika .

My focus these days is entirely old Style Japanese tattoos, including body suits, sleeves, as well as the smaller "One-Point" designs.

I am primarily self-taught though mentored by Mark Mahoney, Rick Walters, Mike Brown, Kari Barba, and Catfish Carl.

In 1986, an accident left me with extensive injuries, including the loss of my eye …as well as the death of my mother and multiple reconstructive surgeries in the same month. That was when I was 23.  I lost the plot, my life being flipped upside down so I moved to Florida and lived with my mom’s sister and her family - where they helped me regain my passion for art and tattooing. Later returning to California, i resumed tattooing friends.

In 1991, Mark Mahoney introduced me to Rick Walters at Bert Grimm’s Tattoo in Long Beach, CA. Rick from then on mentored me, teaching and refining my techniques, professionalism, and tattooing longevity. I balanced a day job while training with Rick and tattooing at home during night-hours. It was three years before I began working in a shop.

My first tattooing job at Kari Barba’s Outer Limits Tattoo from ‘1994 to 2004’, managing her Costa Mesa location from 2001 -2003.  Then I didn’t want to manage anymore.

In 2004 I moved to Las Vegas to film A&E’s TV series called "Inked" at Carey Hart’s "Hart & Huntington".  I also worked with Kent Kelley at StayTrue Tattoo from 2008 before establishing my private situation in 2011.

 

With over 30,000 hours of experience and at least 15,000 to 20,000 clients, i now focus on large Japanese/fusion-style tattoos requiring the long term dedication of my great clients, it takes many multiple sessions for full sized tattoos to be completed. 

Work Bio-

-1979 and through the 80s: "Hand-Poke" tattoos on myself, friends & their friends.

-1991-1994: Learned professional tattooing from Rick Walters.

-1994-2004: Full-time tattooer at Kari Barba’s Outer Limits Tattoo, Anaheim, CA. 2001-2004 Manager at Outer Limits, Costa Mesa, CA.

-2004-2009: Lead / Head tattooer at Hart & Huntington, Palms Hotel Casino, Las Vegas, NV.

-2005-2007: Featured on A&E’s TV show “INKED.”

-2008-2011: Tattooing at Kent Kelley’s StayTrue Tattoo, Las Vegas, NV.

-2011–Present: Working privately as Peony Tattoo, Las Vegas.

-2014: Named one of the top 50 tattooers worldwide in (Tattoo magazine) “Tattoo Masters” Issue #1.