The story so far

Alex Stark started tattooing at the age of 17, when he hand poked some stars onto his right ankle. From then on, he used his body as a canvas, practicing techniques first on himself, filling his left arm and right leg. Once he was more confident, having embarked on an apprenticeship with a local tattoo artist, he moved on to close friends, them allowing him to develop style and technique. Alex soon established himself as an artist within the local tattoo industry and found jobs around Lincolnshire, basing himself in Lincoln.

In 2008, Alex moved to Bristol to join his girlfriend and began to tattoo in a new, more progressive environment. Whilst in Bristol, Alex developed a real skill for realism and portraiture (one of his favourite styles). He would spend each evening drawing and painting. His satirical artwork is reflective and dark, whilst remaining both calm and beautiful. As a painter, Stark has a distinctive peculiarity that adapts well to his collages and pencil drawings making them equally recognizable.

As Alex built up a client base over the South West, he became well known for his custom pieces. He has a knack for taking someone else’s idea, seeing it clearly and logically through their eyes and translating it into a tattoo, which is one off and personal.

Having spent nearly 5 years living and working in Bristol, Stark and his girlfriend took on a new venture, close to their roots back in Lincoln. On September the 1st 2013, they opened their own custom tattoo shop Lincoln, a stylized studio born from imagination, passion and a love for all things pirate! Alex and Katy-Jane both strive to supply and maintain high standards of creativity and customer service. The Tattooed Arms is quickly becoming well known for pushing the boundaries and supplying people with quality custom tattoos in a relaxed, welcoming and intriguing environment. From the outside, the shop resembles some sort of pirate’s tavern, many have mistaken it for a bar! This theme continues throughout with great attention to detail.

2014 is looking bright for The Tattooed Arms, with new artists joining the team and guest artists planned throughout the year. They also sell t-shirts, designed by Alex himself and local talent Rob Swain, creator of the Golf Death brand. The shop encourages local artists to get involved and send their own work in and has been known to host various creative events. All piercing is done safely with needles only (no guns allowed!). It is one of the few shops in the area to offer specialist body modification such as dermal implants and dermal punching. Make sure to keep an eye out over the coming months for upcoming events, guests and news on the website and across social media sites.