Born and raised on the island of Maui, Katelyn loved drawing cartoons (Avatar:The Last Airbender, Jimmy Neutron, Dexter Laboratory, etc.) and anime (Inuyasha, Sailor Moon, One Piece, etc.) and fell in love reading her manga in a small corner of the bookstore. She loved to create things with her hands, whether it be cosplay, painting, or drawing her favorite characters. However, there was a time when Katelyn didn't have faith in her ability in art and thought no one in the world would share her passion for anime/cartoons. So, she left it on the back burner, never wanting to pursue the dreams she didn't know she had.

In 2018, life decided that Katelyn needed to do something with heself, so life decided to light a fire for her. It was only a matter of time before she realized that she wanted to go for an apprenticeship on the island she grew up on, not knowing what was in store for her. Paia Tattoo Parlor decided to take her on as an apprentice, and in 2020 she was given the opportunity to work in the tattoo shop full-time; she took it. She was given the name “Katie Girl” in the shop and continues to hone her skills to this day.

Beauty in Tattooing

Katie saw the beauty in tattoos, and wanted to expand that knowledge and passion to learn Permanent Makeup.

  • Ombre Powder Brows

  • Nano Hairstrokes Training

  • Eyeliner Micropigmentation Training

  • Lip Glo Training

Hey there! My name is Katelyn, however, people in the tattoo shop call me Katie Girl! My passion for art has always resided in my heart ever since I was a child, creating little doodles and putting makeup on my face. I walked into Paia Tattoo Parlor in 2018 asking for an apprenticeship, not knowing what to anticipate. As the years passed by, I learned how to build my ability to tattoo, create, and build endless bonds and connections with the people I now call my family. It’s been three years since I’ve been tattooing body art professionally, and for some reason, PMU was something that excited and intimidated me. I always loved the feeling of when I did full face makeup, or when I felt more confident in my body, whether it be makeup OR body art. Then I thought, why can I not do both?

So I started my journey with Soft Ink Studio Maui, from being a client to being a student. As I took my first class, sitting in a room filled with makeup artists and estheticians, I felt I was in way over my head. However under the guidance of Ciana and other artists, I started to learn how to create these beautiful ombré powder brows and I craved more knowledge that involved a tattoo machine. So I continued, and I thrived.

My training  + education

  • Licensed Tattoo Artist

  • Certified Ombré Powder Brow by Forever Naimee Beauty

  • Certified Nano Hairstrokes by Versailles Academy

  • Certified Nano Hairstrokes by Soft Ink Studio

  • Certified Eyeliner Micro-pigmentation by Soft Ink Studio

  • Certified Faux Freckles by Scalpa

  • Blood Borne Pathogen Certified

  • Experienced Tattoo Artist for 5 years