Steve: In Progress Works

Steve has started a couple of large, time-consuming pieces recently. The following are both in the beginning stages, currently only outlines.

The first is massive, stretching from hip to armpit, and the client actually requested that Steve base it on one of his own tattoos. As an aside: hammerhead sharks are awesome.

Then there is this fierce looking centurion. In case you don’t know, wikipedia will tell you, “A centurion was a professional officer of the Roman army after the Marian reforms of 107 BC. […] Centurions often suffered heavy casualties in battle, generally fighting alongside the legionaries they commanded. They usually led from the front, occupying a position at the front right of the century formation. They led and inspired their men by example. They also sought to display the skill and courage that may have brought them to their rank in the first place. It is for these reasons that they often suffered a disproportionate number of casualties.”

Dog Portrait by Jay

We all know that Natan and Steve are our go-to animal portrait guys, but did you know that Jay is fantastic at them as well? Check out the one below – beautifully executed, and a face that shows character (which is not an easy thing to do with animals!).

Reminder: Jay and Natan will be at Tattoolapalozza Miami in January. Book your time with them at the convention now!

January: Natan & Jay Ski at Tattoolapalooza

Nobody likes New England in early January. Fortunately for Natan and Jay, they’ll be hopping on a plane and soaking up some hot Miami sun, while the rest of us up north glare outside at what will presumably be freezing temperatures and snow.

This is great news for Floridians, or even anyone who is seeking an excuse for a vacation. Because the two troublemakers will be tattooing at Tattoolapalooza, and if you want to get tattooed by either of these talented fellows at the convention, they have openings. It will be a really cool event, so definitely take advantage of the opportunity if you can! It’s happening January 6-8 at the Hyatt Regency in Miama, FL – check out info below for booking with our guys. As usual, they’re in high demand so the sooner you get in touch, the better!

Natan: Call Witch City Ink at 978.744.9393.

Jay Ski: Call Lightwave at 781.233.1780.

New Work by Molly, and it’s Almost THAT Season

Salem seems like a completely different town after Halloween has passed. It’s as if it begins preparing to hibernate once November 1st hits. It’s so quiet without parades of visitors, costumed attractions, and mock-witch trials. Not that it’s completely dead. Many businesses are still open and will continue to be throughout the winter months, so if you’re planning an off-season trip, you’ll still have plenty of things to do!

As for Witch City Ink, we will remain open 7 days a week, doing what we do best from 12 noon to 8pm. If you’ve been putting off your next appointment in an attempt to avoid the Salem insanity, you’re now in the clear! Yes, this even means that parking will be a lot easier.

Here’s a couple of things that Molly has done recently. I think that the first one should be referred to as a cheshire cat-o-lantern. Don’t you agree?

You know what else comes after Halloween? The even scarier season that most of us dread? The holiday shopping months. But as usual, we’ve got you covered with gift certificates. You can purchase them for any amount you desire. Gift certificates/cards can seem impersonal, but not when it comes to tattoos. There aren’t very many gifts that will last a lifetime, but ink is certainly one of them! If you’re an out-of-towner, you can even purchase a gift certificate over the phone, and we’ll ship it out to you on the same day (Sundays and holidays excluded, of course).

And for anyone who missed out on this year’s Boston Tattoo Convention, we still have plenty of tees in stock. Come on by or give us a call if you have any questions about adding these things to your shopping list!

Welcome Back Jay Ski!

We’ve borrowed Jay Ski from our sister shop, Lightwave for a little while. He’ll be tattooing here at Witch City Ink on Fridays and Saturdays until we decide that we’re sick of him and kick him out. Just kidding. He’s too nice to get sick of (seriously, come by and meet him, get a tattoo.. we’re sure you’ll agree!).

He’s making himself right at home these last couple of weeks, tattooing up a storm. Today he did this knife on a marine. It’s apparently called a k-bar. We learn something new every day around here.

Happy Halloween from Witch City Ink!


This dark tattoo is by PJ. We think it’s perfect for today.

It’s finally Halloween! Here in Salem we’ve been seeing plenty of costumed folk walk by all month, but today is the day that the costumes outnumber the plain clothes. No surprise, but the most popular seem to be witches and warlocks, but we’re also seeing zombies, superheroes, a whole lot of animals, dia de los muertos girls, and a random assortment of both weird and scary. As you can imagine, the city is pretty hectic right now, so if you’re coming down to participate in the festivities, be sure to give yourself extra time to find a parking spot.

If you’ve been looking to get tattooed but are waiting for the insanity to die down — fear not! Tomorrow is November 1st and Salem life will be considerably calmer. Give us a call and we can help you plan for your next piece of work! 978.744.9393

Lord Egan and a.. Cute Owl?

If you know who Lord Egan is, then the title of this post might confuse you a bit. It took us a while to decide if these two tattoos should even be in the same post together. Something about it seems wrong.

Still confused? We recommend taking a quick trip to Google and typing in Lord Egan. But this picture is also a good summary. He came into our shop recently and PJ was more than happy to fulfill his tattoo wishes. But really, who could say no?

On the opposite end of the darkness spectrum, Molly did this adorable owl yesterday. We don’t think Lord Egan would trade in his raven for it anytime soon, but it’s still pretty great in a non-Satanic way.

Indian Elephant & More Art

This decorative Indian elephant done by Steve was a girl’s first tattoo. Pretty bold! She was sent here by her mom, who has also had work done by Steve. Want to know more about the tradition of decorating these giant creatures? This article is quite interesting!

We’ve been showing off bits and pieces of Molly’s recent flash, and now here is a whole sheet. Good stuff.

If you’re coming to Salem this weekend or next, please be advised that traffic and parking is.. well, let’s just say “not so fun,” so be sure to give yourself a little bit of extra time. If you’re taking the train, the MBTA has added a few extra trains to their schedule to accommodate those visiting for the Halloween festivities. You can see the schedules here. Enjoy!

Molly: Artsy Time

Before we jump to the art, we wanted to remind you of Molly’s new schedule. She will be splitting her time between two shops – ours, and our sister shop Lightwave. Depending on what day you want to set up an appointment/consult, please use the following contact info:

Sunday & Monday
Witch City Ink
978.744.9393

Friday & Saturday
Lightwave Tattoos
781.233.1780

She won’t know it until reading this blog post, but the Antarctica painting below is this blog-nerd’s new favorite of hers. Ship, filigree, and a rough looking bearded man? Yes please.

Fact: Molly enjoys drawing with ballpoint pens. It may or may not be where her heart lies. The medium is harder to perfect than one might imagine, but she does it well. The next two drawings are fine examples.

Lastly, is this simple but pretty nurse. It would be a good tattoo, don’t you think? Hint-hint.

A Bit of Black & Grey

As October rolls on, each weekend is a little busier than the last. We’ve had the pleasure of meeting some great new clients, as well as working with some of the old.

Steve did this massive rosary on a very friendly guy who was visiting Salem with his family. He sat like a champ!

Molly was the genius behind this next tattoo, which was on a lady’s inner bicep. Molly freehanded the outline on her, shown below in the first picture.

Finished (click for larger):

Natan did these steampunk locks and keys on a wonderful couple. We really do have the best clients. Hers was actually done last week, but his was done today.

Hers (and again, please forgive the redness that goes along with new tattoos):

His: