This is the story of how I started tattooing the path I went down and a few of the people I went down that path with. Obviously I left out some both really good and bad times, but this was more or less how it flowed and I ran with it.. I have been tattooing since about 2010 or so, hard to remember as early on in the tattoo game tends to be a gnarly lifestyle..
(Thats me with the MC Chicken in my hand.. damn im hard lol)
I started off tattooing on Miller and Fesler st. in a buddies garage ( dont judge me) in the city of Santa Maria CA, about 100,000 or so people lived there which feels small to me as I was raised in Milwaukee WI, a much larger, more "intense" place to call home.. Eventually I put myself out there hit the local tattoo scene and got my self into my first shop, Dark Cloud Tattoo, a tattoo shop with a less than wonderful reputation, but they did good work lol..
Eventually I hooked up with a guy named "takas" who was in and out of prison for years man, been through some shit foreal. Takas was the most amazing artist I have got to work with yet and we clicked so everything was everything and we were working side by side at a place called Story In Ink in a small town not to far away from Santa Maria.
We eventually bought out the owner and opened our own shop called, Under The Gun Tattoo, in Nipomo CA.. we took off! We began doing conventions, making serious money, I was soaking up knowledge from this man who had nothing to do for 17 years but to draw and tattoo. it was the best growing as an artist I have ever experienced and it just fueled our success,
but that success always comes with a cost.. both of our marriages were in jeopardy and in the end we both ened up divorced and submerged in the business.. Eventually, Things changed, people have their opinions on how, and why it all came to an end... but it did. Still obviously wanting to tattoo and grow as an artist, i clicked up and shacked up with our old Apprentice Kimberley who is currently today 4 years later in our bedroom watching netflix on my ps4..!
we began to stay up late drawing, painting listening to music expanding our minds and our artistic skill set. we "rented" as we hardly had money from a old man Named Charlie, who was a client from the shop and was covered in our work! he was a good dude and im sad to say he is no longer with us today..
Eventually we found work in a freezer that packaged vegetables from the fields that surround our city. few years and some J.C. classes later I got a job as a Machinist, all the while we fought life and each other but continued to practice our artwork and tattooing, Saving and building and fixing our lives..
Today four years after we Closed Under The Gun were still here, together, two struggling humans who happen to be artist, we have a condo now, 2 new cars, I make pretty good money as the lead setup Machinist in my department. I have a small tattoo studio in my home where I still continue to work to this day.. Kimberley is working with the mentally ill at an inpatient facility. we paint, draw, tattoo, live, fight, laugh, and cry together as artist, human beings, individuals, and a couple... Thanks for taking the time to read my lil ditty here.. 
Cool story and great art! What type of objects do you machine? Salud
@cardoprimo Thank you!! I make single piece couplings, u-joints, and machine springs for various industries..
Nice one.. useful skills to have. Both will always be in demand. We need to find a workshop close by that can cut us some blades, for different plastic, corn, and herb mills. its not so cheap for precision though.
I’m glad you still hold that spark inside of you that wants to keep working on your gift. Keep at it and I’m sure you’ll find success. Either today or tomorrow but as long as you keep holding on it’ll come.
thank you Hector.. I have been making art my entire life, I will never stop!!!
dude! this is a great post!
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