I swore I would never take on another apprentice. People would come into the shop sometimes by the handful looking for a place to get their start. It didn't matter who it was or how good they were, it could have been Da Vinici himself, and I still would have said no. Then I meet this young kid with a mohawk and right away my answer was, "Nope!! Sorry dude, I'm not taking anyone!" He convinced me to at least look at his stuff, so I did, and honestly I was even less impressed, and my answer was still "Nope! "Then something interesting happened, Brent responded with "Ok, I know you said no, and you’re not interested but can you give me a few pointers on how I can better myself and my art work?" I was kinda of blown away by this. Here I was, shattering this kids dreams, and instead of walking out with his head down, he asked me for help. So I went through his book and we picked a piece he was proud of, I gave him some tips and sent him on his way. He held his head high and walked out with excitement. To my surprise, two days later Brent walked back in with the changes he made to his proud piece of art and asked for more advice. So I gave him more tips. A day later he was back with even more changes, this went on for about six months or so. The kid was relentless. He asked me if he could just sit there and draw while I worked and that way if there was anything he needed to change, he could do it right there. I remember going home and thinking to myself, "Wow this dude never heard the word no come out of my mouth that day I turned him down. Why not make this official and give him the real apprenticeship he deserves."
Brent's work now speaks for itself, there's not much words can say; because when you look at his work, your sometimes left speechless. Brent started his tattoo career nearly three years ago. Though he has only been tattooing for two years now, Brent has been able to do things in two years that has taken other's a life time to achieve. Yes Brent started his apprenticeship with us but we can't take all the credit. Brent's hard work, persistence, and dedication has made him the person he is today. There have been numerous people that come and go in this shop, some of the best out there, but there's something about Brent that separates him from all the others. I have never seen someone grow like he has. With Brent's confidence, passion and open mind his possibilities are endless. With all the talented artist around him and his humble approach to life Brent will become one of the biggest names tattooing has ever seen. I couldn't be more proud of Brent. Everyday day he blows my mind and leaves me lost for words. Those who think of greatness and surround themselves with greatness, can become only one thing, GREAT!!
- Mike Demasi - Art Junkies Tattoo
