About "TooTall"
"TooTall" was my beautiful Saint Bernard
I had her for 9 wonderful years, and she truly was one of the most amazing dogs I could have ever asked for. I took her name as my artist name, and I sign the bottom of each piece with a TT.
​
My mom got her for me during one of the hardest times in my life. I had gone through multiple surgeries and was stuck in bed recovering. Between the ages of 13 and 20, I underwent 13 surgeries because I grew so fast. Being 6'8", the doctors had to pin and plate my hips with metal as I grew.
​
Through all of that, she became my comfort, my companion, and one of the brightest parts of those years. She brought so much joy, peace, and unconditional love into my life during a time when I needed it most.
​
I will always be grateful for the years I had with her and the memories we shared. She was truly special.
​
And she absolutely adored my grandfather, “Popo,” too.
Why I Started Making Memorials
I have been a ceramic artist for over 30 years. Around 2005, when the television show Miami Ink first came out, I became fascinated by tattoo art and the creativity behind it. While walking through a tattoo convention in Pomona, California, I saw a vendor selling tattoo machine kits and had an idea: what if I could use a tattoo machine as a carving and shading tool in my ceramic artwork?
​
I purchased a small starter kit and brought it home to Long Beach, California. The first time I used it on clay, I was amazed. The machine worked almost like a miniature jackhammer, allowing me to create detailed relief carvings and textures unlike anything I had done before. That moment opened an entirely new artistic direction for me.
​
Before ceramics, I attended jewelry-making school in Carlsbad, California, hoping to become a bench jeweler. However, working with extremely tiny stones and delicate pieces proved difficult with my large hands and 6’8” frame, so I naturally gravitated toward ceramics and larger-scale artwork instead.
​
One day, I created a ceramic vessel with a lid and placed it in a local coffee shop for sale. Someone purchased the piece to use as a memorial urn for a loved one. That experience deeply moved me. I realized that art could become something much more meaningful — a lasting tribute that helps families honor and remember the people and pets they love. That was the beginning of my journey creating memorial urns.
​
In July of 2024, my life changed dramatically. I underwent a major four-level lumbar fusion surgery that unfortunately failed, leaving me with a spinal cord disability and requiring the use of a wheelchair. Suddenly, I had to reinvent both myself and my art career. Working with heavy clay was no longer physically possible, but my passion for creating meaningful memorial artwork never left me.
​
About a year ago, I discovered a new approach. I began adapting tattoo machines into drawing and shading tools by placing a ballpoint pen inside the machine and using it to create texture, shading, and movement in my artwork. Combined with Posca markers, acrylic paints, and mixed media techniques, I found a way to continue creating while working from a seated position.
​
Today, I create custom memorial artwork using PVC foam board, basswood panels, painting, tattoo-inspired shading techniques, and handcrafted design work. These art panels are then attached to the urn itself, creating a unique and personal memorial piece for each family.
​
In 2026, I moved to New Mexico and immediately fell in love with the beauty, culture, colors, and spirit of the Southwest. The landscapes, local traditions, and artistic energy here continue to inspire my work every day. I am proud to now call New Mexico home, and I hope my artwork brings comfort, meaning, and healing to the families and loved ones I create it for.
My Philosophy
I believe an urn should represent far more than loss.
​
It should honor a life lived, a story shared, and a spirit that continues to live on through the memories left behind.
Every person and every beloved pet carries a unique energy, personality, and journey. The memorials we choose should reflect that individuality with meaning, beauty, and care.
​
That is why I create memorial urns as works of art — not simply as containers, but as lasting tributes to love, memory, and connection.
​
Through handcrafted design, Southwest-inspired colors, tattoo-influenced linework, and symbolic imagery, I strive to create pieces that feel personal, emotional, and deeply human.
​
My hope is that each urn brings comfort, peace, and a sense of closeness to those remembering someone they love.
​
Because a life remembered beautifully is never truly gone.
My Process
My Process
Every memorial urn I create begins as a blank surface and slowly evolves into a one-of-a-kind piece of memorial art through layers of texture, drawing, painting, symbolism, and handcrafted detail.
​
My current process combines traditional art techniques with unconventional tools and materials inspired by tattoo art, Southwest culture, and mixed media design. I work primarily with PVC foam board and basswood panels, carefully preparing each surface before beginning the artwork itself.
​
Using Posca markers, acrylic paints, layered textures, and custom shading techniques, I create detailed imagery inspired by nature, spirituality, remembrance, tattoo linework, and the colors of the Southwest desert. One of the most unique parts of my process is the use of a tattoo machine adapted as an artistic shading tool. By placing a ballpoint pen inside the machine, I am able to create textures, gradients, movement, and depth in a way that gives each piece a distinct handcrafted energy.
​
Many of the colors used throughout my work are inspired by the landscapes of New Mexico — desert sunsets, canyon walls, adobe clay, turquoise stone, sacred symbols, weathered earth, and golden light.
​
Once the artwork is completed, the panel is carefully finished, sealed, and attached to the memorial urn itself, transforming it into a functional and meaningful piece of memorial art.
​
Because every piece is handmade, no two urns are ever exactly alike. Each one carries its own personality, story, and artistic spirit.
​
Below you can view videos and behind-the-scenes photos from my current studio and creative process.
A Personal Journey Through Spinal Injury & Recovery
​​In July of 2024, my life changed dramatically after undergoing a major four-level lumbar fusion surgery that unfortunately failed, leaving me with a spinal cord disability and requiring the use of a wheelchair. Like many people facing spinal injuries, chronic pain, or difficult recoveries after surgery, I found myself having to completely reinvent my life physically, emotionally, and creatively.
​
One of the hardest parts of spinal injury is that many people cannot fully see or understand the daily reality behind it — the exhaustion, muscle fatigue, nerve pain, recovery cycles, emotional strain, and the constant balancing act between activity and rest. I have had to learn how to adapt, pace myself, protect my energy, and rebuild my life one day at a time.
​
Art has become an important part of that healing process for me.
​
Through creating memorial artwork and sharing my journey openly, I hope to connect with others who are navigating spinal surgery, spinal cord injuries, chronic pain, or major life changes. My goal is not only to create meaningful memorial art, but also to encourage others who may feel discouraged, isolated, or overwhelmed by their recovery process.
​
I believe there is strength in adapting, strength in continuing to create, and strength in finding new ways to move forward even when life changes unexpectedly.
​
If my story, artwork, or experiences can bring comfort, encouragement, or understanding to even one person walking a similar path, then sharing this journey is worth it.
Let’s Work Together
Get in touch so we can start working together.
