This drawing documented a pivotal moment in my artistic evolution, because it was the first illustration I created for my tattoo apprenticeship portfolio. I first fell in love with the artform of tattooing when I started collecting body art at the age of 17. It was one of those moments in life that felt like a foreshadowing into the future. I was getting tattooed by an artist named Bedo at Gallo Negro Tattoo, and I was looking around his studio space where every wall was covered in his original paintings. At the time I struggled to find direction in my life because I couldn’t bear the thought of choosing a profession and sticking to a niche career because I was fascinated by the every form of art and expression. Seeing Bedo’s lifestyle, where he tattooed in a studio but also practiced drawing and painting planted the seed in my mind that tattooing could be the key for creating the artful life I desired. Upon completion my internship at Meow Wolf, as well as my Business certificate program, my next goal was to find an apprenticeship in tattooing. This artwork was done in the style of tattoo flash, where I challenged my concepting, composition, and linework skills to draw like a tattoo artist. This project set the momentum for the type of work that I currently enjoy creating, which I would describe as illustrative surrealism flash.