Andy "Verno" Wagenaar learned about the art of tattooing when he was a kid. "I grew up in a small town where there wasn't a lot to do. My friends were into tattooing and I became interested in it too." Andy attended art school and while there decided tattooing was going to be his form of artistic expression. He learned about the traditions of tattooing and how it all comes together to create pieces of art. Andy respects the traditional tattoo art forms and has studied much about art history that he incorporates into his repertoire. He describes himself as a "new school tattoo artist with old school training."

"It is the only thing I have ever wanted to do. It pushes me further than anything else. I do custom tattoos. If it is a past loved one – I get that – I get the emotions. This is an experience that is a part of you forever – it has to be good, it has to be the best thing you've ever done."

Andy's greatest inspiration is his clients. "They share their stories with me and trust me to create art out of their ideas. They tell me they want a certain picture or symbol for their tattoo and it is my job to learn why; to understand the meaning behind it. Each tattoo is a story, an emotion, an experience unique to each person."

Toast began apprenticing with Verno's in the winter of 2007. We loved his name, but we hired him for his talent. Eager to learn new methods and hone his skills, Toast was a quick study and is now pushing his own envelope to develop his art.

He discovered his love of art in high school when he found himself doodling in the margins instead of concentrating on the rules of math and science. "Art, whether it is music, drawing, painting or whatever medium you choose, allows you to bend the rules and put creativity, imagination and a little heart and soul into your work. That's what I try to accomplish with my tattoos – making them unique and raising the tattoo artistic bar every day."