When I was a kid, I can’t count the number of times I got in trouble for drawing Iron Maiden “Eddies” during class, especially because I was attending a Catholic school and had a scholarship, so I was always afraid of being expelled and not being able to afford a decent school. I was categorized as “satanic,” but from the moment I saw the artwork for The Number of the Beast, my life changed. I was so intrigued—what is this music record? The moment I listened to the intro by Barry Clayton saying:

“Woe to you, oh Earth and Sea,
For the Devil sends the beast with wrath,
Because he knows the time is short…”

Umbra Interna - Chapter One

For a very long time, I have been procrastinating making this blog entry. Last year, I was traveling through Guatemala, and every time I’m there, I always have artistic breakthroughs—probably the effect of the best coffee in the world and a consistent sleep schedule. I usually don’t tattoo while I’m there on my summer vacation and use the time to draw my brain and feelings out. I literally feel I tap into a cloud of ideas and inspiration that gives me enough material for the rest of the year, that only happens in the flow state.

There is a difference between creating commission art under a tight deadline for a client and when you are creating with absolute freedom, like a child without the fear of making mistakes and wasting precious time that I normally don’t have with the rush I live in NYC and traveling all over.

One of these breakthroughs happened…