Blake McNeal "bam"
Bam gets his nickname from his initials. The Knoxville area is where he grew up. Even as a child, he was intrigued by people with art tattooed on their skin. He started seeking knowledge in the field and getting tattooed before he was even done with high school. But he didn’t get an official apprenticeship until he was 20. That opportunity came about after he had moved to Southern California, where he got clean and sober. From there, he dedicated countless hours to learning the craft of tattooing.
After his apprenticeship, he tattooed primarily in Orange County but also frequently tattooed in both Los Angeles and San Diego as well. He was able to meet, learn from, and get tattooed by many renowned artists that he was inspired by. He has a strong affinity with lettering, blackwork, and black&grey realism. After several exciting years tattooing on the West Coast, Bam felt God was guiding him to move back to his hometown, where he could rebuild his most important relationships— with his family. Bam holds his faith in the highest regard and accredits his success both in life and tattooing to, first and foremost, being in alignment spiritually.