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Thomas has art ‘under his skin’
By Krista Goerte
Published November 7, 2009
Creativity and art collide at The Inkwell Tattoo and Art Gallery, recently opened in downtown Paris.
Owner and artist Blake Thomas has brought his creative genius to Paris and turned his downtown building into a trendy, welcoming space for his art — both on a canvas, and on the skin.
His professional experience ranges from custom body shops and motorcycle shops to tattoo parlors, and he has combined his skills in his unique business.
Determined to overcome the stereotypical ideas of a tattoo parlor was a big reason he chose a building downtown.
“I think most people associate being down here with being a little more expensive, maybe a little nicer part of town, and I’m always for the downtown areas no matter where I am,” he said.
“I want to definitely change the stereotype,” Thomas said. “I just consider myself an artist and one of the media I work on is skin. I would say I like to pinstripe and airbrush just as much as I like to tattoo. This is a place for business, and it’s my shop and my personal space for doing art,” he said.
From detailed tattoo work to pin-striping on vehicles, airbrushed paintings and wall murals, Thomas said he is an artist with many different outlets on which to channel his talents.
Tattooing for the past seven years, Thomas said custom, detailed and often more involved tattoos are his forté, rather than the smaller “trinket” work, as he called it. He said he is challenged by interesting ideas people bring into his shop and likes to take an idea and run with it — often in the form of a tattoo with a 3D look, intricate background and rife with symbolism.
“I will do any tattoo that comes through the door, but it’s going to be up to my standard — what I think it should be like,” he said. “I tell people to take advantage of me wanting to do stuff like that instead of some old tattoo that looks like it’s from the 1980s.”
He currently does not have anyone working with him and said the shop will probably stay with just his artistry in order to keep his own high standard of work.
“I try to do quality, not quantity,” he said. “I would rather have two four-hour tattoos than a bunch of stuff all day long. I’m better suited for people that are wanting a real piece of art or something that has more elements to it and is going to be more time consuming,” he said.
The gallery sports only Thomas’ own paintings, but the artist said he will also take custom orders.
Thomas, 27, and his wife, Stephanie, decided to move to Paris in order to be closer to family when the couple found out they were having a child. Now settled in town with a 6-month-old baby girl, Sia, Thomas has hit the ground running with The Inkwell, which has been open since Oct. 24.
Thomas said he has been very pleased with the steady stream of business through the shop and hopes to be able to give back to the community that has been supportive of his business endeavor.
“I want to thank everybody in town who has helped me and for being accepting and open-minded to another tattoo shop here,” he said.
In the future, Thomas said he plans to start some kind of art classes for local youth and plans to participate in the Art Walk.
The Inkwell is closed Sunday and Monday, open noon to 8 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday and noon to midnight Friday and Saturday.
The shop is located at 118 1st St. S.E. and Thomas can be contacted at 903-783-1536.
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