This was a add-on, re-work, cover-up combo and guess who forgot to take a before photo! Anyways, I added on the two top flowers as well as the dragon fly and fixed the flower at the bottom. All in all I'd say I'm pretty happy with it and she was more than stoked.

This sheet is for our 2 year anniversary at Sailor's Grave Tattoo taking place on the 4th of July in Downtown Eureka. The designs are of Traditional Sailor Jerry Americana painted by your's truly. All of these designs will be greatly reduced in price from around $80-$150 down to $60-$80 smackers. First come first served.

I love my job and the fact that I make a living, doing something I love. However, like anything I to need a break from time to time. So this is where I took off to for a couple of days to not think about anything having to do with work and just get back to the simple things like swimming in the river, cooking over an open fire, drinking a few beers and hanging with my lady and our kid (dog).

One thing that I am learning from working with Henry is how to put together and/or build tattoo machines. This is my first go at making a machine and I personally couldn't be happier. It's a hard hitting liner that can push anything from a tight 3 to a 9 round for big back pieces and such. I call it the "red racer". I hope to be building more soon.

My first portrait. I'm more than stoked that it was of a Pit Bull puppy. I had a lot of fun tattooing this and the gentlemen I tattooed it on was more than pleased with the outcome, so that took some of the pressure off my shoulders. I hope to do some more soon.

Tattooed this Cobra on Michelle before she left to go to A school back east. It's from a sheet of flash I painted a while back and I was happy to do it for her. I did change up the color scheme a bit and gave it some foliage, so it's not quite what I painted, but close enough.

It's always good to see what your work looks like further down the road (and it can be very humbling as well). Very good to see when someone takes care of their tattoo the way you suggest they do. Because it makes the love and time you put into the tattoo that much sweeter when you see it and it looks as good as when you tattooed it. I did the one almost a year ago now, and I must say, it's great to see she has taking really good care of her tattoo. I just wanted to re-post and say thank you to Michelle.

Finished this half sleeve quite some time ago now, but I have to say what a champ! Two sessions and we're done. Mostly do to him needing it done as soon as possible because he was moving to Arizona for the summer, and maybe longer. I had a lot of fun tattooing this to say the least!

Did this on a good friend of mine, Ande. To say that I was super stoked when she asked if I would tattoo and sawed off Shot gun on her calf, would be an understatement. This kind of imagery is right up my alley. And she sat like a champ, even when I got to the back of her knee. Thanks again Ande, too much fun!

Not my normal way of tattooing, but a fun one to change things up a little bit.

A good start on a really fun half sleeve. Background to go in a few weeks. Can't wait.

Started this on Michelle the other day. we'll be coloring in the Cobra on the next session, but a good start on a fun tattoo!

Jen's side is all done. I wish I had a little more time with her so I could have thrown in some more little details here and there as well as some background, but that is how it goes sometimes. Thanks again Jen.

More work on Nick's Hell sleeve. Really enjoying tattooing some rather gnarly imagery.

Really enjoying the Gypsy head, I think that and the wolf are still my favorite part of this here sleeve.

I tattooed this one on probably one of the coolest older gentlemen I think I have ever met! He came up from southern Humboldt wanting to get a different tattoo, however after some talking we decided that what he originally wanted was something that would need a little more time to work on other than just whipping something up on point. He really enjoyed a Reaper that he saw up on the wall at the shop and decided to go with something like that, and I was happy to draw something up for him on the spot. A fun tattoo on a really funny good 'ol boy!

A going away gift for some friends. So they'll always have a bit of the North Coast with them back in Arizona.

And here it is folks! Jp's Sleeve is all but done! (minus a short session of touch up here and there). I finished the Phoenix and I think that it really brought it together. This tattoo is REALLY dense with color and black as you can see and it is in fact a cover-up so there is the reasoning for it in case you were wondering. JP is leaving to report for his new post back east and I'm sad to see him go. Thanks again JP. I'll miss ya buddy, safe travels back to the east coast.

As you can see we didn't quite finish the whole sleeve (the inside still to go, But due to time I didn't want to start it and not be able to finish, such is life, it happens).

I put a super light grey wash over the existing rock formation to hid the cover-up a bit more. If need be, when he comes in for a touch up, we'll add opaque grey over the rocks to really get rid of the pesky cover-up.

If you're wondering what is going on with that blossom at the top of the photo, well it's JP, his wife and their son's birth stone colors. He asked if I could do that and I was happy to oblige.

So I actually did this tattoo a while back on the boyfriend of the girl that got the Hibiscus with the same book from the bible (scroll down and you'll know what I'm talking about). Anyhow, I had a lot of fun tattooing this on him and he sat great, being that this is his first tattoo. I modeled the roses after some Freddy Corbin Roses that I have been looking at a lot recently, and well I had to just tattoo some. Lucky for me this young man was down for the design I had drawn for him.

So Matt's 1/2 Sleeve is finished! I have to say I am really happy with this piece. It came together nicely (I think) and it was just a pleasure to tattoo every session. I'm happy to say he is more than stoked on it too, which as an artist and Tattooer I cannot be happier. Thank you Matt, it's been fun! On to some silly stuff for the next one!

I guess this would be my first actual tattoo at the new shop, seeing that last week was pretty much all my regular clients. This young lady came in wanting something pretty basic, as she put it with the original verse from the Bible. The verse actually was pretty lengthy so we decided to just do the book and chapter. I think it worked out nicely in this case. Anyways, I had a lot of fun with this one and Henry gave me some great advice to give it some more impact which I was stoked to get.

Again, sorry for the bad photo. Plugging along on Jp's sleeve. Colored in the cherry blossom tree and all the blossoms and finished the rest of the clouds on around his elbow. next session is the phoenix and he is really excited to get that finished, as am I. Thanks again Jp.

My last tattoo at Carl Hanes Tattoo Parlor. And boy was it fun! Did this on a friend of mine's boss. Covered up a previous wife's name. i really enjoyed doing this tattoo, because well, he let me do whatever I wanted to do so long as the name was covered up.

Just a fun good ol' fashioned traditional Jolly Roger. Good times!

Did this on a friend of the shop the other day. What a fuckin' gangster John was, he sat for a solid 6 hours (one quick smoke break in between). I have to say that is one tough dude! It's not easy from the time lines start to the shading and into the color that you can sit for anything that long. and I am not a huge fan of going that long, but he was down so I was up to it. I tied it into a previous sleeve my mentor did quite a few years ago, so to say I was intimidated is an understatement. Along with my teacher, he also has a few tattoos by Jedi Reid, out in San Antonio Tx. Which I have had the pleasure of getting tattooed by and whom I hold to a high regard in the tattoo world. I hope he wears it proudly as he has some beautiful work from great tattooers.

More on Ricky's sleeve. Colored in the Owl. Good times! Onward and forward.

Lined this out on my Buddy from down south the other week. This was his first tattoo and he wanted it nature themed. I was happy to do it for him and even more happy when he told me that I could make it as big as I needed to make it to make it fit and look right. What an easy and nice guy! We'll continue in a few months. Thanks Dan.

Added more to T.J's half sleeve the other week. The outside is all finished, on to the inside of the arm now!

Couldn't get a good photo of Will's leg (no surprise there right) Anyways, the front of his leg is finished, now on to the back of his leg.

I have been given the chance to work with Henry Kruger, whom I deeply respect. This is a chance I am eager to pursue. As he is a great Artist/Tattooer that I know can teach me much and is knowledgeable in the history of this trade. And is welcoming me with open arms. The development comes on a time by which the shop I am currently working at, is closing down (in May that is, it will remain open in April and only Carl will be working there). The reason behind this move without getting to involved, is that Carl is wishing to open a more private/intimate shop that he can work in and simply cannot fit the rest of us. I cannot, I repeat CANNOT extend enough thanks and respect as well as love toward Carl, as he gave me my shot in this business. And for that I will be forever in debt to him and miss him very much so. If your in the area, feel free to stop in and say hi to the old man, he's a good man. Much respect to Carl Hanes, but onto the next chapter that is Sailor's Grave Tattoo! Come by and get something fun! 138 2nd street Eureka, Ca. 707 443 0666.

Got the rest of the shading in on the 'progression of lotus' piece and did some color as well. I think we're moving along nicely with this piece and she sits really well.

Got some color in on Jen's phoenix the other day. Did some touch up in the line work in the area's that rub. This happens from time to time. Worked in the black shading for next session on the feathers, and we'll be finishing the rest of the body next time as well. Thank you again Jen it was fun!

Some fancy lettering for your viewing pleasure.

Nothing to epic here, just a fun walk-in from last week. Good times!

Moving along on JP's Sleeve. Got most of the black background in and up onto the trap area of his body. Next session should be a fun one as we'll be adding more color onto the tree and blossoms. Should be fun. Thanks again JP.

Actually lined this piece out a few weeks ago on my buddy Ricky. He wanted a 'western' theme sleeve so here we are. Went with a rattle snack and a desert owl (which actual name is escaping me at the moment) fighting one another. It's wrapping around his arm of an existing tattoo that I put on him a few months back. I'm really enjoying working on this piece.

Started this the other night. This is a cover up and she was really digging the traditional looking imagery, but wanted something a little more extra to the traditional look. So I drew this here Peacock up for her. I really can't wait to finish this one up in a few weeks.

Sorry again, for the extra crappy, blown out, blurry photos, I'm working on it.

Started color in on Danny's sleeve the other day. Just a nice mellow 2 1/2 hour session, nothing to crazy. Next session will be more color to the water, then on to the mermaid and sea turtle.

Did some more work on Tahnee's back the other night. Added on some weird smoky look to the background (I will be adding some more the the bottom, to thicken up the smoke a bit and to create a little more 'punch' to the piece). Then on to coloring in lotus flowers and we should be good.

Got another session in on the "Progression of the Lotus" piece I'm working on. Just worked on some of the shading through the waves. I think it's really coming together nicely and I'm having a lot of fun with this one. Next session will be the chest panel. Finishing the shading and starting the color. Should be fun.

Started this awhile ago on a very nice young lady. It is of a White willow tree I believe. We finished a bit ago, but I haven't been the best at keeping up to date with this here site or bringing my camera to work. Life happens as they say. Anyways, she will back in a few weeks to take healed photos of this. I think the moon and the black bird are my favorite part(s) of this tattoo. I do enjoy it as a whole, but there is something about the moon and the bird flying by that just jumps out at me, don't quite know what it is.

Fun little walk-in last night. Not much else to say but that it was a fun tattoo and I really enjoyed tattooing it.

'The Great wave off Kanagawa'.Tattooed this fun one on a good friend of mine from college. I really enjoyed tattooing this piece, for one; I love traditional Japanese woodblock prints and I have to say this is got to be my top 5 favorite prints. The other is that I surf, as does she, so this print kind of speaks to us both on that level as well. And third would be that we both were print makers in college together so we both know the time and effort that went into making a print such as this. I did stream line it a bit however. She didn't want it with the mountain in the background or the fishermen in the boat going up the bottom face of the wave. Other than that I tried to keep the integrity of the print intact. Thanks again Jen, this was a blast and you sat like a champ!

Did this tattoo on a friend of mine. We have been discussing this tattoo for some time now, not in the since that it was always going to be a phoenix but that it was going to have some sort of re-birth theme. She then came to me with the idea of a Phoenix. I was stoked to hear that. I went with a bit of more bold and traditional approach in the design, just make it easy to read without too much extras. I've been into tattooing/drawing this way lately. For some reason bold and easy to read just comes out with a bit more "something" to me, can't really explain it. Well be continuing in a few weeks with some shading and color.