About

Hi! My name is J (they/them) and I tattoo at Tsunami Tattoo in Portland, ME.

I am a lifelong artist: a painter, a musician, a tattooer, a gardener, and a queer single parent (that’s a form of art too, right?).

I grew up being encouraged to create by my parents, who are working artists themselves. From an early age, my mom taught me the foundations of drawing and color theory and, along with my stepfather, trained me in plein air oil painting.

I studied fine art at the Maryland Institute College of Art in Baltimore, MD for two years. After school I traveled around, and worked a number or “normal” jobs. I came to tattooing in 2014 after making the conscious decision to revolve my life around being creative, independent, and fully my authentic self.

I apprenticed under Shannon Simpson (no relation) at Genuine Tattoo in Bloomington, Indiana. After four years at Genuine I moved to Columbia, Missouri where I worked under Gabe Garcia at Iron Tiger Tattoo.

After spending years working in walk-in shops, I am comfortable tattooing in a wide range of styles. However, I specialize in a style I like to call illustrative realism. I use the foundational rules of traditional tattooing to create detailed tattoos that have the structure to hold up over time, even if they are delicate.

My favorite subjects to tattoo are flowers, birds, bones, bugs, mushrooms, landscapes, and anything else of the natural world (alive or dead).

One of the great joys of tattooing is the diversity of the people I meet and get to know. No matter what your background is, know that you will be respected in my workspace.

Tattooing is a sacred and intimate process physically, spiritually, and emotionally. The energy put into your tattoo will effect how you wear it through life, and how you felt and were treated during the process often becomes part of its meaning. The most important part of my work is supporting the autonomy and agency of my clients through trauma informed and consent conscious practices. I believe that tattoos are a collaboration between artist and client, and I feel honored to make your vision into something for you to keep forever.