I graduated from Carlisle High School in 2000. I started taking some art, photography, and general studies courses at Shippensburg University and Harrisburg Area Community College. After about a year and a half of classes I stopped going to school and started pursuing tattooing. My friends and I were hanging out getting some work done at Visual Addiction Tattoo in historic downtown Carlisle, when the owner, Rob Miller, said they were looking for some help and some new talent in the shop. Those were the words that changed my life. Before then, I never seriously considered tattooing as a way of life, but just then a door opened and of course I had to see what was on the other side.

I quit my day job, got a job working 3rd shift(ugh!), quit going to school, and showed up the next day at the tattoo shop. I think my first words to the guys at the shop that day went something like, " What would you like cleaned first? Are you hungry? Can I get you anything? Want me to answer the phone for you..." needless to say, they kept me around for a while and let me pick up some very valuable skills along the way. After looking over shoulders for a while, asking a million questions, making a million needle groupings, and cleaning endless floors and equipment, I completed my first tattoo in late 2001 on my good friend Jere. It is not something that is in my portfolio today, but it was a good start. I did as many tattoos as I could handle and continued to pay attention and ask questions. BIG THANKS to my Dad for helping me buy my first tattoo equipment, for being one of my biggest supporters, and of course, letting me practice on you.

Not very long after that, my sister introduced me to her friend Jennifer at a mutual friend's New Years Eve party. Jennifer quickly became my new best friend. We clicked instantly and always had a great time together -- Plus she truly loves me for who I am. Seriously, when we met I was half drunk, probably half naked, fully obnoxious, and carrying Linda, the heavily modified creepy baby doll, on my shoulders and she still wanted to chill with me. Hahaha! The only problem was she was going to school in Towson, Maryland and I was apprenticing in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. Jennifer and I did the long distance thing for a while until I decided I was ready to spread my wings and leave Visual Addiction. I moved to the Baltimore area in 2002.

I delivered pizzas and tattooed out of a private studio until I found a tattoo shop to work in and hone my skills for a while. I was very grateful to get a job in a tattoo shop once I had moved down here, but this was a much different shop from the one I apprenticed at. I went from working in a mostly custom shop full of highly motivated artists to a gangster ass street shop in Baltimore City. Everyday I thought to myself, "Ahhh! What Have I Done to Myself??" But I was making mad money and I could now call myself a master of the "Churry with juices drippin' off of it with my Boos' name in o' English acrossed it!" tattoo. So, I worked in a couple of shops in the area, but none of them felt like home. I didn't feel motivated, I wasn't making a great amount of progress with my artwork, and I hated most of the guys I worked with (for good reason).

In 2004 I made a firm decision to begin the process of opening my own studio. I quit working at the street shop I was in, tattooed out of my private studio, and spent the rest of my free time drawing and painting, or taking the next step to open the tattoo shop.

2005 was a crazy year! I was 23 years old and I already had a lot of great things going for me. I got married in July to the ultimate love of my life!!!! Then, in October, I opened the door to my own shop- TATTOOED HEART STUDIOS! Opening THS was rough at first. I was still a young artist with a thin portfolio. I worked 7 days a week, most days by myself, open until close, for almost a year. I had plenty of "tat artists" knocking on my door for jobs but most didn't meet my standards, and I had to build this place the right way . . . from the ground up.

Now, THS is growing at an impressive pace. Everyone in the crew is an immense asset to our success. We have been featured in local newspapers, as well as nationwide and international tattoo magazines. We have picked up some awards at conventions for tattooing. We are participating in an event with the Baltimore Museum of Art at the end of May that will examine and feature tattooing in a modern perspective. THS is doing great and still growing strong with no slowing down in sight.

At home, Jennifer and I took another great step in 2007 and bought our first house in anticipation of starting a family. My beautiful wife gave birth to our somehow even more beautiful baby girl, Lila Marie, on April 6, 2008. Since then, I have been juggling an exciting home life with the other loves of my life, Tattooing, Painting and THS.

I am living in a dream come true, and it gets better everyday.