About Carl

My first experience of tattoos I guess you could say curiosity killed the cat; this was at a time when tattoo parlours were behind blacked out glass and held an air of mystery to me. I walked into a dingy little shop, looked around at the designs, too frightened to leave, got inked paid and left, I have to say though the tattoo was fantastic, great work, so much so six weeks later I was back.

I guess like a lot of people get after a first tattoo, one just wasn't enough, I had the urge for more, and after several tattoo's I decided that i wanted to be a tattooist. I started drawing up tattoo flash, and in the search for more references towards tattoo designs ended up at a supplier of tattoo equipment, he gave me a catalogue and away I went.

The drawing of flash stopped and the pricing of the stock I needed started. So there I was in '91, at the age of 18 in the front bedroom of my house, which I had converted to a studio, with everything a tattooist needed from the autoclave to the machines. I took my art seriously, and before long a regular queue of guinea pigs formed on my stairs (thanks to all those who trusted me to practice on them in the early days).

Eventually I opened my own shop in Dudley, I was there for about eight months when better premises came up in Netherton, I then worked for a short while in Rhyl. Soon after a tattoo studio opened in Spencer's Instores in the Merry Hill centre where I stayed for six and a half years until the lease was up and it was time to move on.

Now you can find me at the ultra modern Body Art Studios in Dudley, I specialise in all kinds of tattoos, from custom work to portraits, tribal, celtic, almost anything the customer requires.

I'm pleased to say now that all the headaches and tantrums through the years it all paid off, withs thanks to alot of friends through the tattoo industry that helped out.

Now I can feel proud of the work I do and enjoy other things on my days off..... my family and fast bikes lol