Welcome to Peace Machine - Get to Know Us

Hi friends! My name is Kayla. I own and operate Peace Machine Tattoo. As a former teacher, I love sharing my knowledge through education, which is why I decided to start a blog! Here you will find a wealth of information about tattooing, what you can expect during your tattoo experience, tips, tricks, history lessons, and much more!

I felt that the only obvious choice for my first blog post was to tell you about me, how I started Peace Machine, and what we're all about! I can be quite a storyteller so I will try to spare you some details so that you're not sitting on your phone reading this post for forty-five minutes, haha! I vividly remember my brother drawing a lot when we were kids. He's six years older, which made him a little more skilled in art than I was. I would take his drawings and trace over them, and then, as I got better, I made my own, and I fell in love with art. I never admitted this to him or anyone, but once I took one of his drawings, erased his name, put my own, and passed it off as one of my drawings. I was nine, he'll get over it when he finds out, haha! Throughout my life, I attended several summer art classes, entered my art in gallery shows, took art classes throughout high school, and would draw for hours in my room. I have tried every medium, hated some, and fallen in love with others. To this day, I still actively paint with acrylics, watercolours, India inks, and gelatos. I draw with oil pastels, charcoal, sketching pencils, coloured pencils, and alcohol markers. I also work with clay and do linoleum carving. I don't remember the exact moment when I became interested in tattoos, but my parents had visible tattoos, and I think I just loved the idea of someone's art becoming a permanent part of someone else. I was twelve when I remember picking up my first Inked Magazine at the Chapters in Pointe-Claire with my grandparents. My Christian grandmother didn't love my choice of reading material but bought it for me anyway (through gritted teeth, I think, haha!) I purchased every Inked Magazine that came out for at least two years. I loved learning about the artists, but most importantly, I loved seeing the tattoos that were being created; different styles, stories, and the evolution of the craft. For my high school yearbook, I was asked to write my plans for post-secondary school and potential career options. I wrote that I would be attending Algonquin College's Business Management program to open my own tattoo and piercing studio. That was the plan until I began second-guessing myself. I didn't want to disappoint my grandparents so I changed my path and pursued studies in education. My grandmother was one of the best teachers and principals in the area and she is one of the most well-respected people I know. She has been a huge inspiration in my life. I attended two universities in three years, and in my third year, COVID hit. Luckily , I was already doing my schooling online, so there was no transition period for me. I was working three jobs, doing my school work, studying, and barely making ends meet. I decided I needed a change. The person I owe my start in tattooing to is my grandpa. He was my first supporter. When I approached him with a tattoo-inspired painting I made, he suggested that I become a tattoo artist. We laugh about this now because that night I quit school, wrote my resignation letters for my jobs, and applied for my apprenticeship. He says to me now "I didn't think you'd quit your jobs that night." But I was eager and determined. I will spare you the details of my apprenticeship for your sake (and my own). It was beyond stressful, I was in an unsafe environment, I taught myself a lot of what I know, I was determined and no one was going to take this away from me. I graduated from my apprenticeship and went to work for another shop that I thought at the time was a better fit. It was for a while but then it became stagnant; I wasn't learning or growing. I was doing the same ten tattoo ideas in the same fine-line black and grey style day in and day out. I never imagined becoming a business owner so early in my career. I started my business out of necessity. Necessity for change, for growth, and because I wanted to make the industry better. This sounds very eager, but spoiler alert: I did it. My first mission with my business was simple: grow as a tattoo artist. I tried new styles, worked so hard to improve with every tattoo I did, and started challenging myself more. My next missions was to turn my business eco-friendly. During my apprenticeship there was a lot of plastic waste. While I was practicing my set-ups and tear-downs, I wasn't allowed to re-use my materials for the next practice. They all had to go to the garbage. I must have wasted 2 boxes of gloves, countless bottle and machine bags, ink caps, etc. I hate waste. I did a lot of research and finally stumbled upon Good Judy; an eco-tattoo supply company from Toronto; I was excited that they were so close. I have to give them a shout-out because they have expanded their supply list drastically since I began my business and this has allowed me to have an almost perfect eco-set-up. My final mission was community. I wanted to advocate, donate, and help change. My dear friend Sara was struggling to keep up with feeding and caring for the stray cats in Cornwall and I wanted to help her, but I didn't have any money. What I did have was a lot of time on my hands and a lot of tattoo supplies. Sara is the reason we put together our first-ever fundraiser, and it sparked other artists in the area to follow suit. It felt so good that an idea I had sparked change. We've partnered with several wonderful organizations since 2023 and as of December 2025, we have donated over $20,000 to local charities. My business has grown, evolved, and impacted the community. I am proud of all my accomplishments and the successes I achieved because my community believed in me and my ideas. Before I finish this blog off, I'll leave you with a little rapid fire questionnaire about my business: -Where did the name "Peace Machine" come from? Phillip Sayce is a Canadian artist who released one of the coolest songs I have ever heard called "Peace Machine." I knew it was a perfect name for my business because it tied together both aspects of my business: tattooing and tattooing in my van. A tattoo machine is what I use to work and people have often referred to my van as the "Mystery Machine." -What are my specializations?

Just like I work in several different mediums to create art, I do the same with tattooing. I can do 90% of styles. My favourite styles are American traditional, neo-traditional, and anything full colour.

-What styles would I like to try next?

I would love to work on pieces that blend black and grey realism with neo-traditional or colour realism with neo-traditional.

-Where is my shop? 83 Main Street South, Alexandria! I've been at this shop for just over a year, and I have been working in Alexandria for almost 4 years!

If you have any suggestions for topics I should cover next, I am always open to suggestions!

Stay groovy and be kind, friends!