Carl Hallowell, "Horisho"

Receiving a tattoo from Carl is more than simply ink on skin. It’s an experience. He is a master of his craft. His grasp of the time-honored, American and Japanese tattooing traditions lays the foundation for his powerful, dynamic work. With a deft hand, Carl gets the job done in less time than most. He has a knack for putting you at ease. Or, perhaps it’s the classic, old time country tunes playing in the background.

Most importantly, Carl is a good person. He is salt of the earth, honest and fair. He brings honor and integrity to his industry.

Received my very first tattoo from Carl a couple of months ago and it was all around an excellent experience. He happily awnsered all my questions and was easy to work with. He created an amazing tattoo and I hope I can get another one from him.

I sought out an artist for roughly 6 months before feeling like I was comfortable enough to take the plunge and get my first tattoo.
After following Carl on Instagram for several months, examining his style and technique, I contacted him about getting my first tattoo.
We exchanged a few emails back and forth about my concept and how he felt he could help execute it.
I left a lot of freedom for him to feel like he could create a custom piece for me and was super pumped when I saw it.
He was great to appease my curiosity. From watching him set the machine, to prepping the table. He was super clean, provided great conversation, and gave me a great tattoo that took just shy of 3 hours.
I had him do.another piece a few months later and hope to schedule another appointment soon for my third.
Carl provides a classic and timeless style that I cannot get enough of. He's a great guy that does even better work.

I did a lot of research on traditional Japanese artists in the area before contacting Carl. I’m an active duty Army Officer in Louisiana, but took a chance and traveled from Ft. Polk three times for one of his 3/4 sleeve originals. The entire experience was flawless, from email exchanges, having to reschedule, discussing how best to represent what I wanted, his incredible artwork, and the tattooing itself. He made my family feel welcome in the shop, put me at ease with doing such a big piece, and our 24 hours worth of conversations were interesting and stimulating. The finished piece is absolutely breathtaking and I have received countless compliments in the very short time it has been completed. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend him to anyone looking for a traditional Japanese piece. He cares about ensuring each piece is correct, is constantly striving for improvement in his technique, and was genuinely excited while talking about other pieces he is currently working on. I’m incredibly thrilled with the finished product and so honored to have a Carl Hallowell original!

Though I had an initial idea for a tattoo in my head, Carl advised me in a different direction to stick more to the classic style and I’m glad I trusted his expertise! The tattoo I ultimately got is awesome and the whole process was really seamless. He’s truly devoted to the art form and preserving the American Traditional style. Great conversation on top of everything. Definitely coming back for more pieces in the future.

Fantastic experience! Carl designed a tattoo that was made for me. It’s beautiful. He’s a professional tattoo artist that knows exactly what he’s doing. I would return to him in a heart beat. If you’re looking for a traditional artist, he’s your man.

If you want smooth line work, an experience artist in tattooing for 20 plus years, great converstations about life then Carl Hallowell is your man. I found his instagram which you should follow because I was looking for someone experienced in traditional japanese tattooing, and when I found Carl I was blow away. I asked him for a traditional tiger with cherry blossoms; without giving any details on how I wanted the tattoo to look he drew it and colored it exactly how I wanted. He's a pro and I highly recommend him to anyone looking to get a gnarly traditonal tattoo.

Biggest tattoo I have gotten so far. Been over 4 hrs with more to go. I have had numerous tattoos before but this is my first time with Carl. I am pleased so far. Besides doing good work, he provides a good atmosphere and intellect. Helps pass the time under difficult circumstances. I would post a photo if I knew how.

Last summer, while shopping, my wife saw a tattoo that was incredibly beautiful and had the cleanest lines she had seen in a long time. She asked where they got it and by whom....Carl Hallowell. By that October, my wife and daughter (who flew in from PHX) had an appt.
Carl's shop, Heart over Hand, is clean, private and easy to get to.

Seven hours later both my daughter and wife left with magnificent tattoos. Wife's was two geckos running up her arm (representing our g-sons) in full color and my daughter's was a realistic sunflower in grey scale.
So, this past February, my wife saw Carl again....this time for a forearm tattoo.

Carl is a gentle spirit filled with kindness. Their conversations were filled with laughter, enlightenment and joy....which made the time go fast.

My wife loves her artwork!! She gets compliments everywhere she goes and shares Carl's name with all and yes is already planning her next tattoo as I write. :-)

Carl is one the coolest people I’ve met in general. This was my first tattoo and I went big. We emailed back and forth for almost 4 months before I stepped foot into the shop. When I got there, it was like we’d known each other forever. I didn’t change a thing on the design he created for me. We did a 3/4 sleeve in 3 days. He had awesome tunes playing, talked about almost everything. Every question I had, he had an answer. He really takes pride in his craft and it shows in the work. I couldn’t be happier with how it turned out. But what’s been really great for me, is service after the sale. He’s still messaging me tips and how the healing process should go. I drove 8 hours to get it done and I’ll do it again when I decide I want another one. It was a wonderful experience and I can’t stop talking about it!