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.

In Which We Investigate PJ. Part One.

Ahh, little is known about our resident tattooer, PJ. He specializes in traditional tattoos. He makes a pretty awesome ice cream cake. He maintains a constant demeanor that is equal parts sweet and surly. But other than that, there’s a reason we refer to him as an international man of mystery.

We recently sent a brave young explorer to PJ’s lair in an attempt to gather information based on observations of the surroundings. His things were not to be touched of course, as we know that PJ is a southerner and we don’t know what sort of Louisiana voodoo he may have put in place for intruders. Our explorer was able to snap these pictures of artifacts hanging from the walls.

That’s all for now. Stay tuned for Part Two of our PJ investigation in the coming days. That is, unless he finds us out and puts a halt to the operation. In the meantime, you can help us distract him by booking consult and tattooing time with him. Give us a call at 978.744.9393, or stop on by. He is in the shop Thursday-Monday. You can also view his portfolio right here, but oh, there is much more to see.

Dia de los Muertos

Every so often we get a client that trusts us enough to give us a larger-than-usual amount of artistic license. Ted is one of those clients. He gave Natan a few ideas, and ended up with a gorgeous Day of the Dead woman on his arm. It hurt, but he was all smiles when he left the shop last night.

In less exciting news, there will be some road closures and parking bans in downtown Salem this Thursday, October 6th, and over the weekend, October 8th and 9th. This does not mean that Witch City Ink will be inaccessible, but parking will be a little less fun than usual. Click here for a list of streets that will be closed, along with the specific times.