247 Ink Magazine (February/March) 2017 Issue#13 | Page 238

forever . We have originals from Boris Vallejo , Salvador Dali originals , even from other tattooers .
Jackie , tell me about the art gallery up front . We are not only a tattoo studio but we are an art gallery . As a graduate from the Maryland Institute College of Art and I have exhibition experience , gallery experience , and it ’ s fun to bring that to a tattoo shop where you can walk in and have a fine art environment . It shows our customer that we take ourselves seriously and we take other artists are seriously . We ’ re passionate about what we do . We want to share what we love with them not only two-dimensionally but three dimensional on skin as well . We have the opportunity to showcase art and what we ’ re doing and emerging artist ; not only for us but the surrounding community . It ’ s important so that we can continue to push ourselves and inspire other artists as well .
Merv , how is the interaction between the artists at Black Lotus ? It ’ s not neccessarily just a tattoo shop . It ’ s a collective of artists that feed off each other . They want to grow . They want to learn . They want to try new things and discover the direction that they want to go as artist . For instance , when little Dan started with me his drive to succeed is what drew me in . That ’ s very rarely found in anybody . He makes me want to do better . I think I make him want to do better . We ’ re just a bunch of nerds and artists and individuals that
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forever . We have originals from Boris Vallejo , Salvador Dali originals , even from other tattooers .

Jackie , tell me about the art gallery up front . We are not only a tattoo studio but we are an art gallery . As a graduate from the Maryland Institute College of Art and I have exhibition experience , gallery experience , and it ’ s fun to bring that to a tattoo shop where you can walk in and have a fine art environment . It shows our customer that we take ourselves seriously and we take other artists are seriously . We ’ re passionate about what we do . We want to share what we love with them not only two-dimensionally but three dimensional on skin as well . We have the opportunity to showcase art and what we ’ re doing and emerging artist ; not only for us but the surrounding community . It ’ s important so that we can continue to push ourselves and inspire other artists as well .

Merv , how is the interaction between the artists at Black Lotus ? It ’ s not neccessarily just a tattoo shop . It ’ s a collective of artists that feed off each other . They want to grow . They want to learn . They want to try new things and discover the direction that they want to go as artist . For instance , when little Dan started with me his drive to succeed is what drew me in . That ’ s very rarely found in anybody . He makes me want to do better . I think I make him want to do better . We ’ re just a bunch of nerds and artists and individuals that