Parasol Tattoo Company opens in Saratoga Springs
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. » The Spa City has a new place to get a tattoo with the opening of Parasol Tattoo Company.
Parasol Tattoo Company opened this week at 26D Congress St. in the Congress Plaza.
The new business is owned and operated by local tattoo artist Joe Wood. After working in a shop for about 15 years, the Saratoga Springs resident was looking for some new challenges and wanted to try something different, he said, explaining why he wanted to open his own tattoo shop.
Parasol Tattoo Company also employs three other artists: Michael Ransom Backus, Abbey Saunders and Joslin Gay.
“I feel that we have assembled a very talented team of artists whose styles truly complement each other,” Wood said in a press release.
Among the group, these four artists individually specialize in styles including American traditional, photo realism, Japanese traditional, colorful botanical, dot work, linear patterns, Polynesian and geometric pattern work.
“I think that our work speaks for itself,” Wood said. “We have four very talented artists right now that all have different styles and ways of approaching the same design.”
Parasol Tattoo Company can accommodate just about any tattoo idea that comes through the door, Wood said, “Any design that someone wants — we have an artists here that can make it unique for the client.”
In working with each client, the Parasol Tattoo Company artists aim to make the artwork and the experience personal.
“We try to work a lot with the client - not just take their design and draw whatever we want,” Wood said. “We try to really get specifics of why they want to do the tattoo, what it means to them, and then try to find a way to incorporate that all together for a unique image that no one else has. Something that can hopefully empower or just all around make the person feel proud to have it on them.”
Some rotating artists from outside the area will also make guest visits at the new Saratoga Springs shop as opportunities arise, to offer customers even more diverse styles.
Parasol Tattoo Company plans to participate in the annual Saratoga Tattoo Expo, as well as regularly attending other similar events around the region and country.
Having spent most of his career tattooing in Saratoga Springs, Wood felt strongly about opening his first shop there, and he looks forward to becoming part of the Spa City’s business community, among
which he sees a lot of camaraderie.
One of Wood’s major focuses with this new business is being a part of the greater community as well. “Charity is a very big thing that we want to become involved with,” he said, adding that some future initiatives are already in the works.
Parasol Tattoo Company strives to provide a friendly, clean, professional environment where guests are welcome to express themselves, for anyone who visits the shop. “With tattoo shops, there’s a bit of a stigma of we’re all big, tough, scary and that’s very much something that we’re trying to change people’s opinions of,” Wood said, encouraging anyone to stop in the shop and experience the welcoming atmosphere. “I really hope that people stop by, check us out, see what we’re about, and hopefully help us become a bigger part of the community.”
Along with providing the best possible artwork for clients, the shop’s goal is to be an active member of the community. “We’re very, very excited to be open and to be part of Saratoga and hope we can expand that and try to help as much as possible in any way we can,” he said. “That’s really the biggest goal - just to help people when we can as much as possible and give back to the community that has already been very generous to us.”
Parasol Tattoo Company is open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday. The shop is predominantly appointment-only, but will try to accommodate walk-ins when possible.
More information about Parasol Tattoo Company can be found online at www.parasoltattoo.com, facebook.com/Parasoltattoo or instagram.com/parasoltattoo.
From now through Sunday, those who likes and shares Parasol Tattoo Company on social media can receive 10 percent off of their next tattoo session.