Travis “Leo” Leonard recently spent 30 hours tattooing an elaborate Japanese-inspired artwork on a customer at No Joke Tattoo Studios in White Bear Lake.

The large tattoo, done mostly in black, fills most of his customer’s back. It features two skulls, a spiked mace and the Japanese characters for “balance” written in red.

Leonard, 28, said the process took almost two days. “We took one four-hour nap, and that was it,” he said. “It was impressive for me, but, honestly, it was more impressive for him because that’s very painful. It’s spine, ribs, lower back. He’s a skinny guy, too. I couldn’t sit for a 30-hour back piece, that’s for sure. This guy is tough.”

Leonard became a licensed tattoo artist while serving time at the Minnesota Correctional Facility-Stillwater in Bayport. He and fel

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