New from Natan: Song Sparrows

The song sparrow is one of the most familiar North American sparrows. Now, there are many different regional species of sparrows but this is the one you should suspect if you see a streaky sparrow in an open, shrubby, or wet area. And if you catch one singing what is described as a “stuttering, clattering song,” then you have probably just encountered the song sparrow.

Natan brought two of them to life yesterday on K’s forearm. Take a look! We highly recommend clicking the image to see a larger version.

Natan has very limited July openings left, but as always, we can fit you in for a consult much sooner to get the ball rolling! 978.744.9393

2nd Annual Fidelco Dog Walk Recap!

The 2nd Annual Fidelco Dog Walk has come and gone, having taken place yesterday, Sunday the 10th. Salem was filled with even more adorable pups than usual, with dog owners/lovers and businesses coming together to raise funds for the Fidelco Guide Dog Foundation. They not only raise and train guide dogs, but they ease the animals into their new homes with a 2-3 week training process for both the dog and owner.

The event raised over $12,000, and we are proud of Fidelco and glad to have taken a part! You may have noticed signs and balloons outside of the shop if you wandered by, and if you were in the Salem Common (the home base for the walk), you may have even entered a raffle for a Witch City Ink gift certificate and t-shirts. Later in the day, we were told that a very happy 60 year old lady won the raffle, and will be using her gift certificate to go towards her very first tattoo (how cool is that!).

And just because the walk is over, doesn’t mean that you can’t still donate! Click here to see info and options for donating to the foundation.

Sunday: 2nd Annual Fidelco Dog Walk

The 2012 Fidelco Dog Walk to benefit the Fidelco Guide Dog Foundation, takes place Sunday, June 10th at the Salem Commons in Salem, MA. Walkers and their dogs will be raising funds and volunteering their time to help Fidelco continue to provide the highest quality German Shepherd guide dogs to individuals who are blind.

It’s not just the walk — all sorts of good stuff will be set up in the Salem Common until 3pm as well, including fun little events for dogs and their owners, a pet psychic, and various raffles, whose proceeds also go towards the Fidelco Guide Dog Foundation.

We here at Witch City Ink are huge animal lovers, and all of us have pets ourselves, so when we were asked if we would be a sponsor for the walk, of course we said yes! We also donated some shirts and a $100 gift certificate as a raffle prize, so go check it out! If you’re not in Salem or just can’t make the event, you can also donate to Fidelco right here.

New Work from Steve

Steve continues to be busy, and is currently booked out for about 3 weeks, with scattered openings on certain days. Here are a couple of pictures that we snagged from him.

Celtic continues to be popular around these parts, and Steve’s attention to detail makes him fantastic at all of the interwoven intricacies.

And he was really excited about the start of this Alice in Wonderland piece. While researching references for it, he came across this dodo, and tattooing it on someone is now on his tattoo bucket list. That’s a hint to all you readers! *wink-wink*

Things are busy busy busy here, especially with the Boston Tattoo Convention fast approaching, so get in touch with us soon to set up your next appointment! 978.744.9393

Important New Work from PJ

We picked up a Salem Gazette and discovered a very familiar face.. our very own PJ!

A closer look at the text..

That’s right, the man is not just a phenomenal tattooer, but he has eggs in all sorts of baskets. Some of these baskets, like 3 Potato 4, are downright delicious.

Now, we’re not just saying this because we love PJ, but these potatoes are seriously addictive. Everyone at the shop has tried them and has since been blessed/cursed with random cravings since. We all have favorite sauces (I personally recommend the curry mayo, and Natan is a big fan of the chipolte mayo).

Check out 3 Potato 4’s menu, and if that doesn’t make you want to run right over (they’re right around the corner from Salem’s Ben & Jerry’s!), check out this pic.

Dog Portrait by Steve

Who says there’s an age cap on getting your first tattoo? This client was incredibly fun, describing her dog Dempsey as the “love of her life.” A pet portrait is a great first tattoo, and oh, and did we mention that the client is 70 years old? And definitely one of the most energetic and healthy 70 year olds that we’ve ever had the pleasure of meeting.

By Natan: Phoenix.. Completed!

Ahh, the sweet, sweet feeling of completion. This tattoo by Natan has been ongoing, but now we can finally and proudly show off the finished product. And because we know you want to learn a little more about the phoenix mythology..

The phoenix is said to have a 500 to 1000 year life-cycle, near the end of which it builds itself a nest of twigs that then ignites; both nest and bird burn and are reduced to ashes, from which a new, young phoenix or phoenix egg arises, reborn anew to live again. The new phoenix is destined to live as long as its old self. In some stories, the new phoenix embalms the ashes of its old self in an egg made of myrrh and deposits it in the Egyptian city of Heliopolis (which means “sun city” in Greek).

Natan is currently booked into July, so if you’d like to be tattooed by him, we recommend scheduling a consult and getting the process started soon! 978.744.9393

And Witch City Ink is still seeking an experienced tattooer for our team! Check out this post for more information.

New from Steve: Animals, Animals, Animals

Truth time: These tattoos were not easy ones. They’re a great idea — animals within animals (but not in a creepy everything-devouring-everything sort of way). But there is a LOT of time-consuming detail within each one. Actually, there was initially supposed to be three outlines done in this sitting, but time unfortunately ran out, so a flounder will be placed on the inner bicep when the client comes in for her next session.

And guess what else? The turtle is actually a coverup. The lines alone are a good start, so the tattoo below should be completely hidden once the color is put in! More pics will be on the way as these pieces progress.

New from Sharonn: The Land and the Sea

So far it’s been nature week for Sharonn. Flowers, a tiger within a Japanese sleeve, a marine biology emblem, and a butterfly.

Sharonn, as always, continues to be a busy lady. She’s definitely one of those artists who snaps a quick photo with her phone when a tattoo is finished, and that’s usually all she has time for (we don’t say this like it’s a bad thing!). But again we must say, these photos do not do her work justice. The good news is, we usually try and bribe her clients to come back when their piece is healed so we can take more pictures. Think of these as a tease.

Dana was the gentleman who had the marine biology emblem done, and he is an interesting fellow! Before he left yesterday, he showed us some cool octopus videos on youtube. Yeah, we’re nerds here. And we love it.