Brian Qualley

Brian has lived in Harris for most of his life.  He attended school in the neighboring town of North Branch, K – 12th grade.  His favorite class was art and it reflects a lifelong love for drawing.  Brian credits his mom, grandma, and his best friend Brian Devin with providing the inspiration to be creative in the arts and crafts projects and in drawing in his formal years.
In 1984 Brian lived in Watertown South Dakota for a short period.  He met a tattooist called “Bones” (Now associated with Skin and Bones Tattoos in Sioux Falls, SD).  Bones like Brian’s drawings and soon they were trading drawings for tattoos.  A short time later Brian started tattooing.

When Brian moved back to the Twin Cities area Don Nolan hired him at his Acme Tattoo Company.  Nolan is a tattoo legend and one of Brian’s idols.  Nolan had tattooed worldwide since the 1950s.  Brian use to page through the old Spaulding and Roger’s catalogs and look at the thousands of designs that composed the “Don Nolan Collection”.  Tattoo royalty like “Ed” Hardy have cited Nolan and credits him for shaping much of his artistic style in the late 1980s and early 1990s. After leaving Acme Brian spent time in other shops in the Twin Cities honing his tattooing skills.

In 1997 Brian had an epiphany and dedicated his life to the Lord.  At this point everything changed for the better.  He married his soul mate Tonya and opened Happily Ever After Tattoos in his hometown of Harris.  Brian liked the slow pace of living found in small towns away from the hustle and bustle of urban life.  He has integrated his enterprise with his neighbors and community.

Brian says that his “biggest thrill” in tattooing has come from tattooing his mentors, Bones and Don Nolan.  Brian feels that this is a compliment to his artistic ability and skills as a tattooist.  Even after over 25 years in the tattoo business Brian feels like he is just getting started and looks forward to his next client and his role in their tattoo experience.

Brian looks forward to fulfilling your tattoo desires and creating a piece of living art that will make a statement about who you are and what is the meaning of you.