THE JOURNEY STARTED IN 2008 I WAS IN MY 3RD YEAR OF BEING INCARCERATED.
THAT WAS THE YEAR I FELL IN LOVE WITH THE ART OF TATTOOING. THE INTRODUCTION WAS MADE BY MY CELLMATE, WHO HAPPENED TO LOVE THE DRAWINGS I WAS SENDING HOME AND DESIGNING FOR OTHER PRISONERS.
HE ASKED ME IF EVER THOUGHT ABOUT TATTOOING ANYONE AND I RESPONDED HELL NO.
HE KEPT INSISTING SO I FINALLY GAVE IN AND WE BROKE A CD PLAYER APART AND PUT TOGETHER A PRISON-MADE MACHINE.
I DO NOT RECOMMEND ANYONE DO THIS AT HOME LOL. THAT’S HOW I STARTED MY JOURNEY IN BECOMING AN ARTIST AND TO THIS DAY I HAVE HAD THAT SAME FIRE I HAD WHEN I DESIGNED MY FIRST TATTOO.
I SET A GOAL THAT I WOULD BEGIN TATTOOING WHEN I WAS RELEASED. IN MY MIND I THOUGHT IT WOULD BE EASY, BUT MAN WAS I WRONG.
FIRST, YOU HAD TO GET AN APPRENTICESHIP, SECOND THEY WOULD NOT APPRENTICE A PAROLEE AND THIRD, PAROLE WAS HIGHLY STRICT AND I WAS ON HIGH CONTROL SUPERVISION SO I HAD TO EITHER GO TO SCHOOL OR GET A DEAD END JOB IN ORDER TO BE HIRED ME.
I WAS INCARCERATED FROM 2005-2009 JAN 29, 2009, WAS THE DAY THE GATES OF HELL WERE OPEN AND I WAS FREE.
I REMEMBER MY PAROLE OFFICER WORDS WHEN I MENTIONED I WANTED TO BECOME A TATTOO ARTIST AND DESIGN ART FOR A LIVING
“IF YOU DO THAT I WILL SEND YOUR ASS BACK TO PRISON WITH A QUICKNESS GET A REAL JOB, ASSHOLE.”
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I DID IN PRISON WAS READ A LOT OF PHILOSOPHY AND PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT BOOKS AND ONE OF THE BOOKS I READ WAS “THINK AND GROW RICH AND OUTWITTING THE DEVIL” BY NAPOLEON HILL. I LEARNED THAT I CONTROL MY THOUGHTS AND I MAKE THE DECISIONS OF MY LIFE, NOBODY ELSE WAS GOING CONTROL MY THOUGHTS AND GOALS.I WAS NOT GOING TO LET THIS GUY OR THE CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS CONTROL ME EVEN THOUGH THEY OWNED ME FOR THE NEXT THREE YEARS.
WITH THE HELP OF MY FAMILY, I WAS ABLE TO GET MY HANDS ON A CHEAP MACHINE TO START.
THERE WAS A LOCAL EXPO HAPPENING IN POMONA AND I WENT WITH MY FIANCÉ TO WATCH HOW ARTISTS SET UP A TATTOO. I ASKED QUESTIONS GOT SOME ANSWERED SOME WERE NOT. I REMEMBER TELLING HER THAT ONE DAY I WOULD BE TATTOOING AT ONE OF THOSE EXPOS… FAST FORWARD TO AUGUST 2013 MY FIRST BREAK CAME AFTER I BUILT UP MY PORTFOLIO TO APPROACH A SHOP WHERE I GOT MY FIRST OPPORTUNITY TO WORK IN A PROFESSIONAL ENVIRONMENT.
I AM REALLY GRATEFUL FOR THAT OPPORTUNITY, WHICH IS WHEN MY LIFE COMPLETELY CHANGED.
THERE HAVE BEEN UPS AND DOWNS BUT THOSE WORDS I SPOKE TO MY FIANCÉ BECAME TRUE THAT YEAR. IN OCTOBER, 2013 I TATTOOED AT MY FIRST EXPO WITH THE SHOP OWNER WHO GAVE ME MY FIRST JOB AT A SHOP.
I AM PROUD TO SAY THAT TODAY I OWN MY PRIVATE STUDIO WHERE I DESIGN TATTOOS AND DESIGN ART EVERY DAY.
I HAVE ALSO TATTOOED AT A FEW INTERNATIONAL EXPOS IN EUROPE.
MY MISSION IS TO INSPIRE AND HELP OTHERS WHO HAVE GONE OR ARE GOING THROUGH THINGS IN LIFE LIKE I WENT THROUGH BEING INCARCERATED AT A YOUNG AGE.
I WILL KEEP WORKING HARD TO KEEP LEARNING AND GROWING ARTISTICALLY AND AS A PERSON
I THANK YOU ALL FOR THE CONTINUED SUPPORT
-TONY
