Lil Paul started tattooing in southwest Florida. After a summer working at Absolute Tattooing he decided to make Wisconsin his permanent home with the Absolute crew. He tattoos and he pierces, and he describes what he does here in four words: no attitudes, just professional work.
Florida to Menomonee Falls, on purpose
Paul learned the trade in southwest Florida, then came to Absolute for what was meant to be a summer. He stayed. People do not usually relocate across the country for a job they are lukewarm about, and Paul is straightforward about why he did: the fun, the camaraderie, and the diversity of the work that comes through the door here.
A shop with a busy walk-in trade throws a wider variety at an artist in a month than a purely appointment-driven studio sees in a season. That variety is exactly what he came for.
Two trades, one pair of hands
Paul both tattoos and pierces, and he has been piercing slightly longer than he has been tattooing. The two share a foundation of sterile technique and steady hands, but they are genuinely separate skills.
Piercing is fast and precise. The work happens in seconds, and everything that determines whether it heals well was decided before that: the angle, the anatomy, the jewellery length allowing for swelling, and the material sitting against your tissue for the next several months. The most common reason a piercing fails is not the piercing. It is jewellery that was the wrong size or the wrong material from day one.
Tattooing is the long version of the same discipline. Different rhythm, same standard of sterile practice.
High energy, no attitudes
Paul sums up his own approach as nothing but high energy, no attitudes, just professional tattooing and body piercing. That is a real distinction in this industry, where a certain amount of gatekeeping still gets mistaken for professionalism.
If this is your first piercing or your first tattoo, you are not going to get a lecture. You will get the actual information you need to make the decision, and then a straight answer about what it will cost and how long it will take.
Book with Paul
Call the shop at (262) 255-4884 or come to N89 W16687 Church St. in Menomonee Falls. Ask to see Paul's personal album while you are there. It shows what they actually enjoy tattooing better than any description can.
Questions about working with Paul
Does Paul do both tattoos and piercings?
Yes, both. He has been piercing for slightly longer than he has been tattooing. If you want a piercing and a small tattoo in the same visit, call the shop at (262) 255-4884 first so the time can be blocked out properly rather than squeezed between other bookings.
What jewellery does Absolute use for a fresh piercing?
Ask Paul directly when you come in, since the right material and length depend on the placement and on your own anatomy. Fresh piercings need enough length to allow for swelling in the first weeks, and the initial jewellery is chosen for healing rather than for how it will eventually look.
Can I bring my own jewellery for a new piercing?
Talk to Paul before you buy anything. Jewellery from a fashion retailer is frequently the wrong material or the wrong gauge for a healing piercing, and it is one of the most common causes of an irritated piercing that never settles. He will tell you whether what you have is suitable.