Where are you located?
I am currently at my new private studio most of the week: Garrán Naofa Tattoo and Art Gallery at 23 Main St, Jaffrey, NH, and at NH Tattoo at 707 Milford Rd, Merrimack, NH on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.
I do also make annual trips to Denver, Co, Philadelphia, PA and other locations. I will announce any travel plans for conventions or guest spots as soon as they are booked.
If you are located elsewhere in the country, and are interested in when/if I might make it out your way, please feel free to reach out. If I get enough requests for a particular area, I will be more likely to find a way to get there.
What are your rates?
$150/hr at my private studio $170/ at other locations.
Minimum $50 nonrefundable retainer required to book, multi-session pieces require a retainer for each appointment that is booked in advance.
$100 minimum
How can I book with you?
First, sign up for the newsletter (on the contact page)! This is so you won’t miss any important announcements for travel and you will get first dibs on pre-drawn designs that I make available each season. I will also announce last-minute availability and special events.
Start the booking process by going to the CONTACT page and filling out the pre-consult form. (This will also automatically sign you up for the newsletter). Please allow 72 hours for a response. Keep the following in mind:
Currently I am booking April 2023 through June 2023.
I am currently offering an assortment of pre-drawn projects and custom work.
When you fill out the booking form, Include as much information as you can; this is how I determine if we are a good fit for working on your project, so the more information I have, the clearer idea I have of what you are interested in getting done. Please feel free to upload inspiration images to give me a better visual idea of your interests with subject or style. If I am working around another tattoo, or will be covering up a tattoo or scar, please make sure to include photos. Please make sure you will be financially able to commit to your project. Whether it is a one-session piece or a multi-session piece, it is important that you plan for the financial commitment. If you are working with a budget, please be up front about it, so I can tailor your design to your financial needs.
Pre-drawn designs are prioritized over custom projects
Custom projects will then take precedence:
Botanical designs in all styles!!
Celtic and Norse themes- knotwork and mythological tales and characters are of particular interest to me
Bindrunes and other magical sigils
Dedications to gods and goddesses of all kinds
Spiritual themes
Projects that allow for a good amount of creative freedom- as an artist, I create much better work if I am allowed to run with an idea, so I am looking for the trust and freedom regarding the specifics of your design. Trust that if you have provided me with a succinct, direct description, with as much detail as you can, that I will provide you with a tattoo that you will be very happy with! If there is a lot of back-and-forth and second guessing what I am creating for you, you will not get my best work, so start with sending the most amount of information you can.
Anything related to nature
Projects that I am not currently taking on:
Realistic portraits
Another artist’s work- I will not copy another persons design or style. If you like their work, it is best to seek them out to create your tattoo for you
Tear-outs (when the skin looks like its torn and something is coming through the skin
Any sport-related designs
Traditional style (like Sailor Jerry, neo-traditional is fine)
Other cultures tribal marks
Sexualized representations of indigenous people or anything that involves cultural appropriation
If you are interested in a pre-drawn design, please specify what piece you are interested in and where you were thinking of placing it on your body. Please keep in mind that many pieces are better suited to certain areas of the body than others. Pre-drawn designs will only be done once and cannot be modified in any way. If you are interested in doing something similar to a pre-drawn design, please feel free to refer to i in your pre-consultation form... if I’ve drawn something in a particular style, I will most likely be open to creating something custom in the same style for you!
Once I have accepted your project, I may ask for an in person, phone, or video consultation to get more information— these are generally 15-30 minutes and will depend on how much more information I need to get the clearest picture of your concept. I may also want you to come in for a consultation appointment if I am covering another tattoo or a scar, or have other tattoos that I’m working around, so I can get an accurate tracing of the space I’ll be working with. Once I have all the necessary information, then we will set a date.
Please remember that weekend appointments go quickly, so you are more likely to get on the schedule sooner if you are flexible with what days and times you are available.
Once we set a date, you will be emailed an invoice that allows you to pay the retainer, which holds your appointment. You have 24 hours to pay the invoice once it is in your inbox (check your spam if it doesn’t automatically show up in your regular inbox). If you have not paid in 24 hours, I will assume you are no longer interested in going forward with the project and your appointment will be removed from my schedule.
Please keep in mind that if we are starting a large project, I expect to complete it in a reasonable period of time. If you don’t think you will be able to commit to complete a project in that time period, it would be better to wait to start it. I expect to be able to complete a sleeve in a calendar year, a leg sleeve in a year and a half and a back in 2-3 years. These are general time periods, and depending on the complexity of the design, these limits can be variable to a small degree.
When scheduling your appointment, please make sure you are taking into account any vacations or other activities that might be limited by having a fresh tattoo. You can not submerge a fresh tattoo in water, so no swimming, jacuzzis, or baths until your tattoo is healed (generally 3-4 weeks). Your tattoo cannot be exposed to the sun while it is healing, so tropical vacations or planned beach time should be avoided within the first month after getting tattooed (though sun exposure should be generally avoided anyway).
Rescheduling Policy
If you need to reschedule your appointment, I require 72 hours notice to reschedule a weekday appointment and 1 week notice to reschedule a weekend appointment. If you need to reschedule more than once, I will ask you to take a break from the project until my next booking period.
If you are sick and contagious, please let me know ASAP- I do not want to tattoo you if you have a compromised immune system, because it can complicate your healing process, so please let me know as soon as you start feeling sick... don’t wait until the night before in the hope that you would be feeling better on the day of your appointment.
Retainer Policy
A $50-100 non-refundable retainer is required for each appointment booked, and is applied to that appointment.
You will forfeit your retainer in any of these situations:
Cancelling your appointment after the reschedule policy limit (minimum of one week in advance for weekday appointments, and 2 weeks in advance for weekend appointments).
Needing significant changes made to your design
Not showing up for your appointment
Once you have paid your retainer, your appointment is official!!
Please know that I draw custom designs in order of appointment so your tattoo will not be available to view before the day of your appointment. If you are not comfortable with this, please choose one of the pre-drawn designs that are available, or seek another artist that is able to do so.
Can I change my mind after I book?
Small things may be changed about your design concept after you have booked, but a complete design change is not possible. I chose your design because I thought it was a good fit for my style and scheduled the time and your appointments based on the original concept. If you need to change your design idea, you will forfeit your retainer(s) and we will start the process again during my next booking period.
How can I prepare for my appointment?
Take care of your skin! Make sure you stay hydrated and are using a good skin lotion in the weeks leading up to your appointment. This will ensure that your skin is at its healthiest for your appointment, which will help me give you the best tattoo possible. Also, Leading up to your appointment, make sure to stay out of the sun, as any sun damaged skin is not tattoo-able.
Get a good nights sleep the night before!
Don’t drink excessively prior to your appointment- you will not sit well with a hangover and I cannot tattoo you if you are intoxicated.
Have a solid meal before you arrive. Your body will need a lot of fuel to get through this process, so make sure to give it the nutrients it needs to do so.
Bring snacks and something to drink.
Feel free to bring something to entertain yourself... a book, music, movie on a phone or iPad or have a game to play. Please make sure to have headphones so you can focus, and your entertainment is not distracting while I am tattooing you. We may spend time chatting, but for complicated designs I often need to concentrate exclusively on my work and may not be able to converse.
Plan to take it easy for the next few days after your appointment. Getting tattooed is very draining and your skin will be tender for the first few days after your appointment, so give your body time to recover. Don’t plan to do anything strenuous right after your appointment.
Wear clothing that is comfortable and will allow me to access the part of your body we will be working on. Wearing clothes that are stretchy or loose is preferable, and bringing a change of clothes to wear while getting tattooed that gives me more access to the area is definitely acceptable. There is always a chance that ink is going to get on your clothing, so wearing something dark, or that you don’t care about getting messy is a good idea.
Please do not wear heavy perfumes for your appointment, I am very sensitive to scent and wearing perfume could compromise my ability to complete your appointment.
Please plan to arrive 15 minutes before your appointment time, so you will have time to fill out consent paperwork and get settled. Make sure to bring your ID, as we are required to have a copy on your consent form.
Once you arrive and have filled out paperwork, we will look at your design and determine size and final placement. Small changes can be made so the piece fits your body perfectly, and minor alterations can be made to make the design in line with your vision, if necessary.
We will discuss how long you will be getting tattooed when we book the appointment, and I generally book an appointment for more time than we need, but plan to be in the chair for the total number of hours you have been booked for.
What does the healing process look like?
The healing process can be different for everyone, depending on how active you are, how healthy your immune system is, and how well you take care of your body after you get tattooed.
Generally your tattoo may be sore for a number of days after your appointment, this is normal. There may be swelling for the first 24 hours, and using an ice pack (with a towel between it and the tattoo) is a good way to take down some of the inflammation. It can also be good to take anti-inflammatory medication like Tylenol.
Your tattoo may scab up depending on the location and how much movement that part of your body experiences, also areas that are heavily colored or shaded may have spots that scab. Do not pick at the scabs! This will compromise the healing process and the final healed tattoo.
Your skin will peel (similar to a sunburn) a few days to a couple of weeks after your appointment. This is your body getting rid of the damaged skin. Do not pick or peel at the dead skin. Let it slough off on its own... your body will get rid of the skin when it’s ready and if you peel the dead skin off yourself, you could be peeling skin that is not ready to go and you could scar your tattoo or lose ink.
The most important thing to remember is to keep your tattoo clean and dry. Your skin knows how to heal an abrasion (which is technically what a tattoo is), and interfering with the process can slow it down. The best thing to do is to allow your tattoo to breathe (open to the air or with loose clothing) and to keep it clean.
What does aftercare look like?
When we are done with your session, you will leave with your tattoo covered. It will either be covered with a Saniderm surgical bandage or plastic wrap.
The Saniderm bandage can be left on for up to 24 hours. This surgical style bandage sticks to the skin and is waterproof but is still breathable. This will protect your tattoo during the a very vulnerable stage of healing, when it is still weeping plasma and blood and is still very open.
On the day after your appointment, you can remove your Saniderm bandage during your regular shower. It helps to lift the top edge of the bandage at the beginning of your shower to allow water to get under it, which helps to release the adhesive. At the end of your shower (after you have rinsed all other soaps and conditioners off your body) you are going to slowly peel the bandage away, and can wash the area with your hand and some unscented liquid soap.
Be sure to gently clean all the blood, ink and plasma residue that has been trapped under the bandage. Your skin should feel squeaky clean when you are done washing it... if any areas feel slick (or like snot), go over them with soap and water one more time, until they feel clean.
Make sure to clean all the remaining adhesive off your skin. If it is stubborn, a bit of alcohol or mineral oil on a q-tip usually does the trick, just make sure to stay away from the tattoo itself.
Rinse your tattoo for a final time, then pat dry with a clean paper towel.
Let the tattoo air-dry for a bit before putting clothing on over it.
For bigger projects or areas on the body that the Saniderm does not stay on very well, you will be wrapped with a plastic wrap bandage, which you will remove when you return home, so you can immediately wash your tattoo.
Most areas of the body will be easiest to wash in the shower. Once you have washed the rest of yourself, and rinsed all other soaps and conditioners off, Wash your tattoo with unscented liquid soap and your hand. Focus on gently cleaning all the plasma, ink and blood off the surface of your skin. Your skin should feel squeaky clean when you are done washing it... if any areas feel slick (or like snot), go over them with soap and water one more time, until it feels clean.
Rinse your tattoo for a final time, then pat dry with a clean paper towel.
Let the tattoo air-dry for a bit before putting clothing on over it.
Wash your tattoo as described above at least twice a day. If you work out, or work a job that gets the area dirty, you may need to wash it more often. The important thing to remember is to keep it clean and dry. If you come in contact with something that is questionable, wash it.
When your tattoo starts to peel, you can add a bit of water-based hand lotion, applied a couple of hours after washing, when the skin is bone dry. Make sure to wash your hands before handling your tattoo. Rub in the lotion well— you should not be able to tell there is lotion on the skin. It is very easy to over-moisturize your tattoo, and this can slow down the healing process, so err on the side of caution when applying this. The lotion is meant to help with the itchiness while its peeling, more than anything, so if its feeling a bit too moisturized, or is in a place that naturally holds moisture (elbow crease, back of the knee, inner thigh, or inner bicep), you may want to skip this step.
It takes about a month for a tattoo to fully heal and settle. It may go through many stages that don’t look quite right to you— its probably normal, but please feel free to reach out if you have any concerns. If you believe you have contracted an infection at any point during the healing process, please keep me in the loop, but definitely see a doctor if you have a serious concern.
If you need a touch-up due to color loss or line-weight discrepancies, please reach out and schedule a complimentary touch up appointment. Send a photo of your healed tattoo (at least 5 weeks after your appointment) and a description of what you believe needs to be touched up. Touch up appointments must be scheduled within 6 months of your original appointment (exceptions can be made for clients who are traveling from a long distance, but please make the inquiry within that 6 month period, and we can schedule a touch up for the next time you are in town).
If you have done something to compromise the healing process, your touch up may not be free. Please make sure to follow the aftercare instructions that you are provided with at the end of your appointment. Every artist has a specific way they would prefer their tattoos be healed, based on their experience and tattoo style. If you follow a different aftercare procedure and have complications with your tattoo, I cannot guarantee the work I’ve done, and you may have to pay the hourly rate for a touch up appointment. If you get an infection due to lack of care, you could lose a significant amount of ink and scar the skin, and I may not be able to repair the damage, so please be careful and conscientious during the healing process.
Remember that your tattoo cannot be submerged in water for 4 weeks after your appointment, so that means no baths, jacuzzis, hot tubs, pools, ponds or ocean swimming during that time. We also recommend you stay away from saunas and steam rooms. These places all have unknown chemicals, bacteria and other micro-organisms floating around that can infect and seriously compromise your health. Please take this seriously.
Heavy workouts should be avoided for at least the first few days, if not the first week after your appointment. Heavy sweating and coming into contact with gym equipment can compromise your tattoo as its healing, as sweat and gym equipment are both prime environments for staph infections to flourish.
If you have any questions or concerns at any time during the healing process, please feel free to reach out via email or IG DM.