Black Anchor Tattoo

I have gotten all my tattoos here, with the most recent last week (2-11-11). Mike and Ken are true professionals, host good conversation, and do exceptional work. They specialize in Coleman style tattoos.

Take everything good about old fashioned tattooing, mix it with a dash of history, add a very liberal pinch of fantastic outsider art, a place it all in a quaint setting on a historic street, in a sleepy Eastern Shore town.

Now mix it up with talent...lots of talent.

Voila! You have Black Anchor Tattoo & Gallery!

I have just returned from a visit with the proprietors, "Krooked" Ken Motter and Keelhauled Mike, and their guest artist from Nova Scotia, the legendary Sailor Jerry Swallow and I know I have been in the presence of greatness. Ken and Mike have established Black Anchor  in order to carry on and preserve the tradition and history of old time American tattooing, while looking toward the future of tattooing as Art. With this in mind, they have created a small space in a historic community that embraces their ideals and showcases their straight-razor sharp skills as tattooers.

On top of that, they are gentlemen to the bone. Unless you give attitude, you'll get no attitude. Respect and professionalism are their hallmark. They are jovial while working and a pure joy to be around.

My tattooing experience was with "Krooked" Ken Motter. He carries on the Cap Coleman tradition of bold, legible, pepper shaded and simply colored tattoos that I appreciate for their economy of line and graphic essence. Though Black Anchor has thousands of traditional themes to choose from, my concept was an homage to Calvert County...a fossilized shark's tooth flanked by black eyed susans.

Ken delivered the goods with a gorgeous creation that I can NOT stop looking at. As an artist myself, I'm hyper-critical...and I can't find one single thing wrong with the tattoo, it's application, the artist or his studio.

Black Anchor is the perfect tattoo experience in every way. I can't recommend them highly enough.

If you're on the Eastern Shore, making the pilgrimage to Ocean City, make Black Anchor a stop en route. Even if you're not in the market for art of the permanent nature, the "lowbrow" art gallery, mini museum and studio itself are well worth a look.

On a side note, Sailor Jerry Swallow will be at Black Anchor until August 25th, 2007. The man is a legend in the tattoo world.

Black Anchor is also having an opening gala featuring an hour long fireworks extravaganza and band on Saturday, August 18th, beginning with a Gallery reception at 5pm.

Now, if this sounds like an ad for Black Anchor, so be it. As an artist and a tattooer, when I find people who love and appreciate the art and traditions of tattooing the way Ken and Mike do, I find it necessary to shout it from the rooftops. These gentlemen have created something that's far from the  typical attitude laden, too-cool for-the-likes-of-you tattoo culture and I feel they should be recognized for it. They are the real deal. What tattooing and art should be all about.

They're about respect.  And I give respect to "Krooked" Ken Motter, Keelhauled Mike, and Black Anchor Tattoo

*ps to the yelp! mods..."tattoo" would be a nice category under "Arts and Entertainment". Thanks!