I was born in the small town of Clarksboro New Jersey, in 1984.
Music and art have ruled my life ever since I was a kid. In elementary school, I spent more time painting murals in the hall then I did in my actual classes. Surprisingly enough, some of those murals are still there today. As I got older I was really into computer graphics, animation, and programming. I think I may have had more fun creating new levels and graphics than playing the actual video games.. Later on, that led into my first job as a graphic designer/programmer for a paintball distribution company. I guess I was about 16 years old. I remember I had to catch a ride with a friend since I wasn't old enough to drive yet.
At this point had a pretty strong background in graphic arts and I was just about to graduate highschool. Being the slacker that I was at the time, I decided to go to county college for computer graphic design. I figured it'd be a walk in the park since I already knew what I was doing. Then I made the big mistake of correcting my graphic arts teacher in front of the class on the first day of school. I was doomed from there on out. I wound up dropping out after that semester and moving to Hawaii.
Hawaii sounded like a great idea. I moved there with 3 friends and we all lived on the North Shore of Oahu in a historical town called Haleiwa. It was a blast for the first few weeks, but it got old fast! I don't smoke, I wasn't old enough to drink, and I just couldn't get used to the slow paced life they live there. So that's when I decided to come back to the mainland and finish school.
I recieved my Associates Degree in Computer Graphic Art and was working full-time in a warehouse as a forklift driver. Then a good friend and tattoo artist approached me about apprenticing to become a tattoo artist. I was skeptical at first, but I put together a portfolio like he asked. Before I knew it, I was in the slums of West Philadelphia asking the president of a bike gang for a job.
I got the job! I was pretty damn excited, but had no idea what I had gotten myself into. This was probably the wildest job I'll ever have. I saw more guns and violence than a Quentin Tarantino movie. It's probably the first and last time I'll ever be offered to buy an AK47 or M16.... and hopefully the last time I'll have to hide behind a car because a meth addict thought we were under attack and pulled out both his guns. Just getting to and from work everyday was an adventure. I stuck it out as long as I could because I wanted to finish my apprenticeship, but after a few months I had to leave.
...OK That's enough blabbing. I could go on for days with stories about becoming a professional tattoo artist. If you want to know more about me and my journey into the world of tattooing, just stop by the studio, hang out, get tattooed. I'll talk your ear off for hours.
I'm currently a licensed tattoo artist and part owner of Hydravolve Studios in Somerdale, NJ.
