These guys are AMAZING. The shop was surgical-clean, highly organized, and absolutely welcoming…read more Gino, Mack, Tracy and especially Josue (who was my artist) were so warm, accommodating, knowledgeable, respectful and passionate. Their vibe made the entire experience so much fun and 100% positive!
The journey started with Gino, who made sure to coordinate everything so that my artist, Josue, had exactly what he needed to conceptualize and draw up my idea. Gino was able to get me in the very next day, first thing in the morning. He was so sharp, customer-service oriented, and very concerned that I felt confident and comfortable coming to the shop. I immediately knew I made a good choice, just based on how Gino helped me and answered all my prelim questions.
Josue was up next to help. I got to the shop and even though he was working on another customer, he was there to welcome me, invite me in, and discuss the vision behind my tattoo, go over the size, dimensions, pricing, color... he let me talk to the customer he was working on (who also was super-pleased with his work, and was a repeat customer for him) to get a sense of his touch and style.
I returned the next day and sat with Josue for a major (8" x 3") forearm colored piece. He put on a great Blues playlist on the shop sound system (after I told him I loved B. B. King) and worked on my arm for the full 6.5 hours, until it was perfect. He repeatedly checked in with me on my pain-tolerance and comfort. He made sure, as he progressed, that I was happy with what I was seeing him do: the colors, textures, details, spacing, structuring. He also walked me through everything he was doing, answering my ga-jillion questions about everything: the ink, my skin, after-care, his journey as an artist, his inspirations. He was so warm and open and mindful, it totally came through in his work. A true talent and skillful artist!
I also had the pleasure of meeting his brother (and shop owner), Mack. Mack, himself, was working on some clients while I was sitting with Josue. His work was gorgeous, and I could clearly see that artistry and raw talent run strong in that family, for sure.
The whole experience was just fantastic. From start to finish I was catered-to, made to feel important, cared-for and appreciated. From talking (always respectfully) about philosophy, politics, the pandemic, art, music, literature, relationships and family, to sharing a meal (since I was there for the whole day), to them walking me through the entire aftercare and tattoo maintenance process, they were 100% invested in making my experience EPIC!!!