By Natan: Phoenix.. Completed!

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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

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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

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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.

Witch City Ink Seeking Experienced Tattooer

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Witch City Ink is searching for a tattoo artist with a minimum of 5 years experience along a solid portfolio that includes original artwork as well as custom tattoos. A positive attitude is also a must, as is being drug and drama free. Please note that we are NOT seeking apprentices.

Submit letter of interest and a link to your portfolio to witchcityink@gmail.com.

Husband & Wife Tattoos by Natan

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On Friday, Natan tattooed a husband and wife pair, but with very different tattoos. We get a lot of couples that want similar imagery in celebration of their relationship, but these two chose very different themes.

The gentleman: Cross with rosary.

The lady: Lotus and diamond.

You may have noticed that the photos in the last couple of posts about Natan have been looking a bit different than usual. That’s because the man can now be found on Instagram. Find and follow him at natanink!

Scarab by Natan, and a Shop Guest

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Scarabs were popular amulets in ancient Egypt. According to ancient Egyptian myths, the sun (Ra) rolls across the sky each day and transforms bodies and souls. Modeled upon the Scarabaeidae family dung beetle, which rolls dung into a ball for the purposes of eating and laying eggs that are later transformed into larva, the scarab was seen as an earthly symbol of this heavenly cycle.

And so this client traveled a fair amount of distance to have Natan tattoo a scarab on his ribs. A transformation symbolizing transformation.

In other news, Sharonn has been tattooing a pair of clients who run a squirrel rescue organization (as mentioned previously in this post). Today, Dave brought in a baby squirrel for us to say hello to. It was the most adorable thing to come through the shop all week (no offense to our clients).

Also, we’ve been getting a lot of inquiries about walk-ins recently. YES, we try to accommodate walk-ins whenever possible, but we always recommend making an appointment in advance if you can. Especially when it comes to the busier weekend days.

Compass and Roses from Steve

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Steve recently completed this compass and rose tattoo, which is actually the beginning of what will be a sleeve. The young lady sat like a champ, insisting on finishing it all in one go, which ended up being something like five hours. High-five!

Steve is currently booked until early May, so get in touch with us if you’d like an appointment with him soon! 978.744.9393

Koi by Natan

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It’s no secret that koi are a popular tattoo choice. It’s no wonder, as they’re gorgeous creatures and have a fantastic mythology behind them. Various sources tell the story a little differently, but essentially, as one site says:

“[The koi] is said to climb waterfalls bravely, and, if caught, it lies upon the cutting board awaiting the knife without a quiver, not unlike a samurai (warrior) facing a sword. This theme dates back to ancient China, where a legend tells of how any koi that succeeded in climbing the falls at a point called Dragon Gate (on the Yellow River) would be transformed into a dragon. Based on that legend, it became a symbol of worldly aspiration and advancement.”

Natan loves doing Japanese pieces, so naturally koi are a favorite as well. Here is one that he finished recently.

Natan still has a few days open in May, so get in touch with us if you want to be tattooed by him! 978.744.9393