My story
I dont know what to say except for the fact that I enjoy art. I’ve been drawing nearly all my life. I used to copy my favorite comics and cartoons, then at one point I started doing portraits. I’ve always had some kind of reputation in school of being an artist and somehow it’s carried over to my adulthood. I really enjoy realism over any other styles. To me, being able to duplicate something from reality involves the ultimate skills. It’s an essential skill to understand proportions and the individual perception on how the world works. In realism/hyper-realism, a piece may not have much ‘hidden meaning’, but each stroke conveys personality and style.
Tattooing has redefined my perspective of art. I really didnt know too much about it until I got my first piece in 2002. Being a portrait artist, to me at the time, I didn’t see tattoos as a credible artform. It was more like the ‘blacksheep’ of the art world, and in a way, it kinda still is but slowly on the rise to world credibility. One day tattoo art will make it in the Louvre! 😉 With motivation from a close friend, I began tattooing unconventionally in 2005. I was eager to transfer my paper skills onto skin, not knowing how much of a difference it would be. I consider myself self-taught, engulfing myself with books, videos, and having a guinea pig heh. After over a year in self enlightenment, I went out and managed to take on a couple of quick apprenticeships (Peacock’s & Inksmith&Rogers). I have worked out at the beaches but within the past 5 years I’ve managed a clientele base in the Orange Park area. I have learned alot working with a few great artists here in Jacksonville,FL and more importantly, have all my awesome clientele to thank for enabling me to keep going! You can find me at our upcoming, artist owned and operated shop! Diamond Tip Tattoo (1177 Park Ave. ste. #13 Orange Park, FL 32073)
Please check my Inquire Page for contact info…
Accomplishments:
- Many school art awards and shows
- Visual Arts talent grants
- Ben Shimp art scholarship
- Book cover and clothing commissions
- Peacock’s Tattoo apprenticeship
- Inksmith & Rogers tattoo apprenticeship
- Urban Ink #94 (featured)
- Recognized by Prodigy, the official Mobb Deep FB page, & their IG for the Infamous mural
- Recognized & featured by the official Rick & Morty IG for the Rick & Morty tattoo I did in 2014
- Featured in ‘Coca-Cola Brand Love’ 6.2014 @www.coca-colacompany.com
- Filmed for my Coca-Cola piece I did on Asa. Short film documentary for their 100 yr anniversary featured in select theatres Spring 2016.
- Advice from all the artists, everyone whose commissioned for art, and those who trusted their body’s to me.
Shout Outs:
- Tom Formato for the support when I was a kid
- Mr. Wilder for being the coolest art teacher: thanks for pointing me in the right direction!
- Shimp family; thank you for recognizing me. RIP Ben
- Nate Evans for being art ‘rivals’: thanks for the support and starting up my website!
- Josh Gardiner for ‘pushing’ me to be a tattooer: thanks for letting me be your ‘guinea pig’. RIP we miss you!!
- Larry Davis; art director at FCCJ, FCCJ Art Dept for hookin me up
- Feme and Black Love for the opportunity to design your book
- Adam and Shannon for the tattoo shop hook up
- Suicide girl Amina Munster for being hot (thanks for your supportive reply! 🙂
- Sean (RJB) for the sticker hook-up
- Van for involving me in the rag business; Cambofresh.com -Check out my shirts, courtesy of Van, under the Extras tab!
- My friends at DeviantART, myspace, facebook, & instagram; thanks for the criticisms and support, and to my family and all my friends; I wouldn’t be the person I am today.
- Tattooers: Charley Frank; beautiful oils, Cricket, ‘Top Hat’ Dave, Mike Wilson, Eric ‘Inksmith’, Mike Bruce, Dave Cavalcante, Travis Chasez, & Brian Murphy for the advice and experience.
- Pam at Peacock’s
- Paul at Urban Ink Magazine for the advertisement opportunity to go world wide
- Kathy at All Aces Tattoo & Body Piercing (OP)
- David Miller for keeping my site up-to-date. Betaimages.com
For a Friend…
For a friend who ventured with me not just in tattooing, but in life. Josh was the type of person that was down to do whatever, that’s what I miss most about him. We got our first tattoos together, which in time, Josh pushed me towards tattooing. We went half on tattoo supplies together, which was his idea, and I got to keep the equipment only if I tattooed him for life. It was a win-win situation for the both of us, especially for me. He became my first ‘victim’ under the needles. My lack of knowledge and inexperience resulted in failures from the beginning. What could be so hard about giving a tattoo, right? Well, it’s harder than it looks. After his tattoo looking like shit, he grew very little confidence in me. Who could blame him.
As time passed I became better at my craft while in the meantime, Josh discovered his craft, welding. September 2006, a year after I began inkin, he was impressed of some of my work and we later planned to do a serious backpiece on him. Despite my progress, the last incident instilled doubt in his mind that I could pull it off. It was an intense geisha backpiece that would’ve been done in full color and in traditional japanese style. September 14th, 2006, i remember this night vividly. I received a call from my friend Chris, with an eerie tone. “Josh died”, he said. Whoa. What? Motorcycles was his passion, and it became the death of him. I just saw him three days before and in another three days I was supposed to tattoo him. I never had the oppurtunity to prove myself to him.. Life can be unfair and things can happen with undesired reasons. With my recent disappointments at shops and now the passing of a good friend that initially got me tattooing, I went into seclusion. I have alot to prove to my boy, to myself. I dedicate my progression in tattooing to him. I have a permanent memorial of him on my left hand, so when I pick up my machine I hope he can see what I’ve done.
We miss you brother, friend. R.I.P. Joshua Cody Gardiner 08/31/84 – 09/14/06
~Pallis Rupinta (aka P)