tattoos; January-April 2025
In the midst of leaving social media as my primary stream of sharing creative work and my inner world, 2025 has contained so much sweetness and challenge in my tattooing. It’s been a relief to not feel as though every time after I make a piece, I need to edit and share as soon as possible, with fear of backlog or falling behind on expectation of content. Every person who has said yes to this craft with me this year has felt so clearly distinct, every project very particular to the person I am making with - I have had more time, more space, to tend to myself, my community, and my values, which in turn has led to a feeling of being allowed, as though I don’t need to appease a completely contrived expectation of “creative professionalism” or an online persona translated into the flesh - to be seen just as a little dude making art, in my distractibility and inability to be polished. I hope this inner permission might continue to bloom. So: here’s some ink on bodies, made from conversation and connection; to earth, to heart, to god, to each other. All pieces freehand drawn on unless otherwise specified.
I truly am not sure how best to share tattoos on the internet. However, I am following the thread of wanting to respect the stories of these humans, their ancestors and a legacy of lived lives, and the magic of permanently changing our form so that the outside might manifest a semblance of the immensity within. So Meta platforms don’t make sense anymore, any “easy” posting that doesn’t ask for real attention doesn’t feel in integrity. So thank you for being here, with your eyes and precious (life)time.
If you want to share thoughts/heart stuff with me in response of any kind, feel free to leave a comment below or send me a voice message <333 I love a possibility of interacting with each other without the metrics of likes and comments dictating worth.
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Siera came from New Mexico for this two session piece that spanned from one arm to the other, culminating in a drape of wisteria down the top of her spine. She gave me so much inspiration and so much freedom in this piece; I’m delighted in how the final piece came together.
Ashely received a flash tattoo from me in 2022 (the older ink you can see in the photos) and reached out to add a dragon to the abstract wing and moon - she showed me the shape she saw for the beast, and we worked together to find the right flow for the body, as well as the expression of care and compassion she was seeking. The four pointed starburst was a special request from her, different than the imagery I usually incorporate.
Botanical and riparian additions to a piece from September 2023 - originally a massive cover up, the beginning of incorporating dotwork deeply into the skeletons of all my work. Thank you for coming from Utah, dear Leif <333
Irán is my old coworker and I did this passionflower for them as a tattoo trade - they gave me my handpoke hawk wings on my hands in February. Thank you dear one, such a joy to tattoo each other’s forbidden placements hehehe (the flower was stenciled because passionflowers are hard and necks are so particular, lil tendrils freehanded)
Liz came from Seattle for this full bull kelp leg piece, done in two days, one day for linework and the second for detail and shading, about eight hours total. The kelp leg is the sexiest and raddest shit. It’s so special to share love of the movement of the ocean and waters with folks.
SJ came from Miami for this river flow; they wanted a piece as remembrance of the river of what is, always is, just is; the river of this, of being in the universe as the universe. They brought the philosophy juice, I brought the tangible vision, and here we are.
Such a dream to make tattoos like this. Bodyscape pieces are magic making, prayer making it really seems to be, for the tattooer and the receiver. Been thinking about the fun (dare I say!!!) of receiving tattoos, how tattoos can be access points to a conjunction of fun and magic, for the maker and the wearer. I hold that musing as a way of remembering the ridiculousness, intensity, and also light heartedness of this work and craft. Tattooing is bananas, wild wonder. An untamedness to the thing.
Joy Fuliga is a force of an artist and human. She arrived to my studio when I was deeply not ready for our session yet, and we spent the day in big camaraderie for needing to show up in our low capacity together. We made this hot hot hot tramp stamp hip flow thing, and then she serenaded me into a pre-sleep bliss with her phenomenal voice and songwriting. Listen to her music, you’re a fool if you don’t.
Nicole saved my ass when I was desperately trying to fill a cancellation spot last minute; and what a spontaneous tattoo to receive!!! I kept telling her how badass it is to get your neck tattooed as a cancellation piece - but she was ready. Stenciled because of how delicate and sensitive this placement is.
~ Handpoke Intermission ~
All freehanded, done with a large round shader needle and greywash. My heart loves these pieces, thank you all who are drawn to them! (first two photos are of Rrhiz, one of my absolute client-turned-family people, whose 3/4 sleeve, five years in the making, we finished with this spore print sunburst THING)
My sweet friend Myranda came from the DMV for this sleeve - in many ways, this piece has been in the making since 2017, the year before I started tattooing, when I spent a week visiting friends in Brooklyn and playing with henna as I began to try to understand how lines move over the body. Done in two days, eight hours of tattooing.
Rebekah is a rad return client and they wanted a freaky kelp and fern sorta arm flow. So we fucking made that happen!!
Ione received a leg piece from me back in 2023, and doing her back before her wedding with her gorgeous backless dress was a big fun project with a client who has been so supportive from afar. She gave me immense creative freedom, so out came the spirals and fantasy lilies and cactus flowers.
So grateful for this client and her wisdom and clarity of vision on this mountain flow. This is one of my favorite pieces I’ve done so far this year.
I just attended Zoë’s wedding along the banks of the Santa Ynez river last weekend - they are another client-turned-family human, and received the handpoke spiral on their shoulder from me during my machine apprenticeship in 2019. Since then, I have given them a kelp leg, and this arm flow sleeve honoring the plants and lands of the Santa Ynez mountains, Chumash land (Santa Barbara/Goleta area). They have always stayed with me for the last five years as I’ve continued to tattoo them, and their visits are always friend time sprinkled with tattooing. This piece was two sessions, 7.5 or 8 hours total I think.
I’ve been tattooing Leah since 2020 - this was our fourth session together, I am fairly sure. A sweet tomato plant for her pure essence of childhood magic, before gender, before identity expectations. Just tomatoes warmed by the sun. Tomato plant stenciled, wiggle freehanded.
Steph came from Chumash lands/Santa Barbara for this lil arm flow that I’m obsessed with. She wanted a piece for the high Sierras and her devotion to the wilderness.
Sarina and I started this journey in the fall of 2024 with a selkie-inspired dragon, and we completed the piece with kelp and spirals cascading down her arm. Dream piece, thank you dear friend <3
Talia and I had been talking about this piece for literally a year or so before we finally bought it to life a few days before they moved to Oakland. Stick!! Grass!! With precious knee dot flows!! We love!!!
I tattooed the moon and fantasy flower on Judy back in 2022 and we added some weird ass cloud and floral flow to the sky to create fluidity on her arm. A whole world emerged as we figured out the way this piece needed to grow.
In 2021, I tattooed some brown ink grasses on Rrhiz, but they faded to a red, so we went over the old design and added a stenciled dragonfly. Thanks boo, ily
Kendall and I met through yoga years ago, and had been in conversation about a tattoo for a long long time. Making this altar come to life felt like the completion of a journey.
Kat and I met in 2018 at a gathering in the foothills of the Sierras, and since then, our friendship has woven in intermittent and delightful moments. We have been talking about a tattoo for her for almost as long as I’ve known her, so this black sage was an artistic joy to create. If you look closely, at the bottom of the stem, you can see a sneaky cover up as well hehe
I met Zoe at an art market years ago, and we had been in conversation about me tattooing her for some time, so I was very thankful when she was able to fill a cancellation spot with this swirly flow. We also did the little ear wiggles as a trade and she made me the most amazing earrings in return!!
April is a return client, and this willow river flow as an ode to her father came through so clearly. I am obsessed with the simplicity and movement.
Emma was my freshman year roommate in college, and she came from Chicago for this piece to honor the creative spirit alive in her <33 Thank you old friend!!
