Garden of Ink

Athens, Ohio has a lively tattoo culture. Like many college towns, tattoo shops can be found around nearly every corner. Situated off Stimson Avenue, Magic Tattoo has become one of the premier spots to get inked in Athens, thanks in large part to owner and artist Joee Green.

                  I had previously interviewed Joee for a story regarding the tattoo culture in Athens, as I believe it is one of the most human forms of art there is. Unlike many tattoo artists, she not only operates Magic but also specializes in one particular style of tattoos, one she refers to as “Botanicals & Critters,” focusing on highly detailed plants and small animals. And being an owner of the shop, she has a high degree of say in how the parlor looks and feels for clients.

                  Although many tattoo shops tend to be darker and have a more industrial or grungy aesthetic, Magic Tattoo strives to be as welcoming as possible, with the large plants strewn about as soon as you walk into the lobby, reflecting Joee’s love of nature. When you enter her private studio, the walls are painted a calming yellow, with drawings of cats, plants, and other artists’ works dotted along them. In one corner of the ceiling is a disco ball, and in the other a multicolored glass mosaic. Even the table on which Joee keeps her inks and paper towels is bright pink and in the shape of a heart, showing the welcoming environment she wants to create for clients, especially those just getting their first pieces. This atmosphere emanates not only from the space but from Joee herself, as she chats and gossips with clients. When she is not intently focused on her craft, she almost always has a smile on her face.

                  The process of being tattooed can be a long and painful one. Depending on the placement, it can run along bones, nerves, and some of the most sensitive spots on the human body. But Joee knows this, having dozens of tattoos of her own. She allows her clients to do what they need to do to deal with the pain, whether it be allowing them to clutch her thigh during the process or letting them take as many breaks as needed.

                  Because of the care she exhibits for her clients and work, Joee has built up a devoted clientele, with people coming back again and again to get permanently inked with her nature inspired artwork.