Jim Knoeppel has been tattooing professionally for over 15 years; 10 years at Octopus Ink Tattoo in Lake Oswego, Oregon as the sole proprietor, artist/owner of Octopus Ink Tattoo LLC, and the last 2 years at 1325 S. Kihei Road on Maui. He learned the art of tattooing under the tutelage of veteran tattoo artist Rio Degenarro and completed a specialized 40 hour continuing education course for from Carole School of Cosmetic Tattooing. He was initially licensed by the State of Oregon; the Oregon licensing guidelines for tattoo artist are among the strictest in the United States.