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.

“[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

In other news, we’ve finally pestered Steve enough where he’s taking pictures of his work again (hooray!). He did this large koi yesterday, on a returning client.

One of the new favorite things in the tattoo world seems to be Instagram, which is a (free!) photo app for iPhones. And guess who has an account? Our very own Mr. Gillespie. You can find and follow him at stevegillespietattoo.

Our favorite traveler will be off again on the 17th, and will be back in the shop on the 24th!

Then there is Jon, who is in the beginning stages of a full sleeve that extends onto his chest. He and Natan came up with a very unique concept to include portraits of his wife and children, as well as a dragon. That might sound like an odd combination, and we don’t want to give too much away yet, but it’s all going to tie together beautifully. Here is the last portrait that Natan added to the piece:

You may remember this post featuring the first of Ted’s dia de los muertos girls. Natan added a second beauty to the piece earlier this week. This one is also going to be a coverup, as you can see in the photo.

Just a couple of reminders: Natan is currently booked through early January at this point, so if you want him to get started on your next tattoo, be sure to schedule a consult soon so we can get the ball rolling!

Secondly, we continue to have gift certificates available, and Christmas is only a couple of weeks away! If you need one mailed to you, we recommend giving us a call by early next week, to ensure that it gets to you in time for the holiday. 978.744.9393

We talked a bit about coverups here in this post, and this next sleeve is a double coverup. Sleeves are big projects for both the tattooed and the tattooer, and take multiple sessions. Steve continued adding to this Japanese piece last week. It is a beauty.

Salem’s Halloween festivities are picking up, and we continue to be busy tattooer bees. Like always, we recommend setting up an appointment for your next piece, and we are here 11a-7p every day to help you schedule your consults and appointments. 978.744.9393, or if you’re wandering about and taking in the sights, stop on by!

But this post isn’t about ALL of us. This post is specifically about Molly.

Let us explain. There are a couple of little known facts about Molly:
-She enjoys doing Japanese pieces.
-Not only does she enjoy them, but she’s really, really good at them.
-She is a machine.

No kidding. She sat for ten hours at the BTC working on this cherry blossom leg sleeve. Take a moment to read that again. Ten hours. That is one brutal lady.

The above photograph only shows a fraction of how gorgeous the piece was – we hope to snag another one to show you soon. High-fives to her and the woman able to sit still for that long! And here’s some more that Molly did at the convention:

We know, this post has probably left you itching for a new tattoo. Don’t worry, we’re here for you – stop in or give us a call! 978.744.9393

Here is a watercolor painting of a dragon and a tiger embraced in a battle. Done in more of a traditional style, but I still managed to put my own spin on it. I’d love to do some more vibrant and creative pieces like this for tattoos in the future!

Mike Myers Tattoo by Matt Maguire

Heres a color tattoo of a fish monster I did at Witch City Ink on Andy’s lower left arm based off an old school panther pose.  For more info on my art or tattoos check out my portfolio under Matt Maguire.