Tattoo Artist, Richie Richardson, at Ancience Art gives a tattoo.
Share
At noon every day, Ancient Art Tattoo & Body Piercing opens its doors to a fiercely faithful clientele that doesn't seem to stop growing.
Related:
Upon entering between the large plate glass windows, the atmosphere quickly puts you at ease with an eclectic soundtrack consisting of, but not limited to, the Doors, AC/DC, regional bluegrass and just about anything else you can think of.
The small cadre of qualified and highly experienced piercers and tattoo artists has complete freedom over its playlist, but with a few caveats. As this reporter walked in on a Saturday afternoon, Vicki Rose, receptionist and piercer, asked Richie Richardson what he'd like to listen to; he responded, "Aw it don't matter, darlin', as long as it ain't Bob Marley ... Can't tattoo to reggae."
Richardson's response, in its relaxed yet up-front nature, sums up his demeanor in a few short sentences. What he believes, he believes completely, and he'll tell you as much; but he does so in such a way that you can't help but nod your head in agreement and amazement.
He oscillates between being disarmingly jocular and disarmingly honest, and this is likely why people come from all around to sit in his chair and be inked under his buzzing needle and intense professionalism.
Travis Babcock and his mother, both from Cana, Va., traveled an hour and a half so Richardson could exert his prowess on her skin in the form of an angel with beautifully intricate wings.
When asked why they came so far, Babcock said, "If you wanna get a tattoo, you gotta travel. You gotta find a good artist."
Babcock recently got his first tattoo six months ago at Gypsy Moon, in the vicinity of Cana, and seemed appeased at best. "Some spots need touching up, and I wanna put some red in it. It might just be me, but it looks like its already fading a bit," Babcock said.
When he gets his black-ink cougar touched up, he plans on returning to Ancient Art.
On any given day, the newly remodeled shop is filled with collegiate clientele, but students aren't the only patrons frequenting the shop. In fact, some unexpected customers have wandered into the shop to go under the gun. "Richie tattooed this girl the other day, who was probably about 60, for her first one. She got a dragon -- full color," Rose said. Richardson responded to the comment with "Life begins, man...."
Richardson's book of custom tattoos, sitting on the sill of his stall, is filled with styles ranging from traditional to tribal, occult to custom, and just about anything else you might desire. When asked about his favorite style of tattooing, Richardson said, "I love (them) all. (It) depends on what people want. You gotta be able to do it all today, man."
Leave a comment 1 Comment Write a letter to the editor
All letters to the editor must include a name, e-mail, daytime phone number and affiliation to Virginia Tech. Affiliation includes: year and major for students; position and department for faculty and staff; current city for alumni and parents.
Ancient Art rocks!
Reply to this Top