By Page H. Gifford
Smokey Hollow Tattoo is open and welcoming customers in the Turkeysag Trail shopping center.
Owners Dustin and Ginny Messer settled on Turkeysag Trail after searching for the right location to open their own shop. Dustin, the artist behind Smokey Hollow Tattoo, has more than 20 years of experience in Charlottesville’s tattoo industry.
Tattooing has a long history, but in the United States it was once commonly associated with sailors, military personnel, and other distinct groups. During the 1970s and ’80s, tattoo artists helped broaden its appeal, drawing on Japanese traditions and fine-art techniques. Today, tattoos are a familiar form of personal expression, often marking a loved one, a milestone, or an individual belief.
Messer enjoys the challenge of bringing a customer’s vision to life. His work spans portraits, tribal and traditional floral designs, colorful creatures, realistic depictions of Native Americans, and detailed cover-ups. He works in black and gray and in color, creating custom designs, including full sleeves.
One black-and-gray piece depicts a stairway to heaven climbing the back of a customer’s neck and extending over the back of his head. Through his designs, Messer tells stories on skin.
For more information, visit smokeyhollowtattoo.com.
