Matt Steele learned from the best. And the best told him to ‘quietly crush it’. Under sell. Over deliver. Every time. This is the key to a successful career in tattoo-making. After enjoying the clean simplicity of this traditional American style clipper ship tattoo, we can all see Matt has learned his lessons well. Interested in being overwhelmed? Blown away? Want someone to knock your socks off? Lighthouse Tattoo has what it takes. His name is Matt Steele.
Young artist Matt Steele recently performed this delightfully macabre skull and hourglass piece for a pleased client. The temporary nature of so-called ‘permanent’ tattoos isn’t lost on most of our clientele, with many taking a gallows humor approach to the idea of death and dying. For our part, we love it! and we hope you do too. Call Lighthouse Tattoo at 615 784-4500 or visit the shop to schedule your next appointment!
Lighthouse Tattoo certainly has a nautical theme, I mean, you can’t miss it! Tattoos like this mermaid, performed by resident artist Matt Steele, is part and parcel the kind of thing we like to do around here! tight lines and bright colors combine to create a seductive and playful mermaid, making a great tattoo. Want a great new tattoo of your own? Call 615 784-4500 between the hours of noon and 10pm, visit the shop during the same timeframe, or fill out our ‘Set An Appointment’ form on this website and we’ll gladly contact you!
Lighthouse Tattoo has developed a reputation for not taking crap from individuals who don’t value our talent or treat us with respect. We frequently invite people to never darken our doorstep again and we’re not only proud of that fact, it fosters a positive work environment for us. We know we don’t have to keep dealing with people who collectively make our asses itch, and we just ask them to leave and not come back.
Doesn’t mean we can’t still be friends.
If you’ve found yourself on the wrong side of the tracks with regard to how Lighthouse Tattoo expects our clients to behave, we want you to know we understand. We want you to know that we understand not everyone was raised with the same home training on common courtesy and respect and while you may have impinged our feelings, we’re strong enough to forgive if asked to.
If you’re sorry, say so.
We’ve all had bad days. Been fired from a job we loved, forced to keep a job we hate, had our heart broken, been lied to by people we trusted. We’ve lashed out or misspoken at times in our lives as well, sometimes due to unrealistic expectations or simply from a misunderstanding. Either way, we wouldn’t want to be judged for our behavior on our worst day and we won’t do that to you either. So, if you’ve been told you can’t come back, understand that you can, but it needs to start with an apology.
Saying you’re sorry is something we learned to do as children and just decided to stop once we were adults because we didn’t like the way it feels. However, if you honestly want to reconcile or maintain a relationship with us, it may be necessary to say you’re sorry if you’ve mistreated us. How do you know if you’ve done that? We’ll tell you, that’s how relationships work. If, after being told, you don’t feel you need to apologize, then obviously you don’t value the relationship, which is why you should have apologized in the first place. It’s called a positive feedback loop, and it’s making you an asshole.
However, if you know you messed up and want to continue the relationship, please know you can always say you’re sorry, that we will accept your apology, and move forward without prejudice. That’s the only way we feel we’re all going to get what we want in this crazy world.
At Lighthouse Tattoo we pride ourselves on being the sort of place where you can come and have a good time. Relax, enjoy the atmosphere, kid around, be yourself. What we’re not is a doctor’s office or upscale boutique where you can throw your negative attitude around or be bossy with us. We seek a cooperative relationship with an exclusive clientele that we’re trying to build lasting memories with and we want those to be positive. We’re not the place to come if you want something cheap or in a hurry. We’re not the place to come if you don’t want the best possible result and by that we mean you won’t listen to our professional advice when it comes to your tattoo design.
The Atmosphere at Lighthouse Tattoo is structured to be fun and conducive to getting the best tattoo work done. We have a good time talking about whatever’s in the news recently that strikes us as odd or funny; we listen to music that’s a bit on the light side unless we’re feeling particularly froggy that day; and we try our best everyday to give people the best tattoo art we can. Some folks just want us to do what they want when they want us to, and if you don’t understand why it can’t work that way, you’re probably part of the problem.
Relax.
Have fun.
Life’s too short to be all up in arms because you have to wait a few days (or weeks/months?) to get a tattoo. We understand people have a lot going on and they want their tattoos as soon as they make the decision to get one, but honestly, if you can’t wait a little while to get the best, we’d rather not have to deal with you.
The artists at Lighthouse Tattoo are highly trained and don’t make any claims toward professionalism that don’t include having fun. Fair warning. If you’re not interested in having fun, please don’t waste our time with your ‘the customer is always right’ bullshit. We’re either in this together or you’re on your own, and if you don’t understand this or it upsets you, you’re probably who we’re talking about.
Here’s some of the images that resulted from our Free Tattoo Day tattoo gloryhole that Matt was working on. Classy little pieces like this have become a staple of the young artist’s growing library of work, exhibiting his command of quality linework and bright color saturation. Matt’s come a log way over the last year, even in the face of Covid-19 and we’re certainly proud of him here! Way to go Matt! Keep up the good work!
We get a ton, and I mean a TON of calls about walk-ins. The term ‘walk-in’ means different things to different people, however, and we’d like to take some time to clear some things up here.
To tattoo shops the world over, ‘walk-in’ doesn’t mean that you can walk in and get tattooed immediately. It means you can get tattooed sometime THAT DAY. A walk-in may need to schedule an appointment for several hours after the time they come in. So it looks like this: A prospective client comes into the shop with a tattoo idea that can be drawn and tattooed that day, usually something small, and if the artist has time that day a walk-in appt in scheduled. That client will usually leave the shop for a time and either catch a quick movie, grab a bite to eat, maybe just go walk around the malls for a couple of hours, then return to get their tattoo once that artist has finished what they are working on and gotten their tattoo ready.
Another scenario is one where the artist can knock out a super-tiny, quick piece out without much preparation time at all. In this scenario, if the artist isn’t already working on another client, the walk-in may be able to get tattooed immediately. This usually only happens at Lighthouse Tattoo in the event of a last-minute cancellation or if the client is willing to be tattooed by an apprentice.
Disclaimer for stupid people: If you call Lighthouse Tattoo and ask if we have time to do a walk-in, the answer will always be ‘yes’. This is because there is no possible way of knowing whether or not we will have the time to do a piece when we don’t have concrete answers to a lot of questions about the tattoo: size, color or black and grey, style of tattoo, subject matter, you know, things that require forethought, something that isn’t present with a walk-in tattoo. We have no way of knowing if the prospective client is just ‘window shopping’ or is serious, we don’t even know if they’ll show up! We also don’t know if all of our scheduled appointments will show up either, sometimes people can’t make it and we have extra time on our hands. Sometimes we get done early or an artist may be willing to stay late to fit someone in. Many times, if the client is nice and they want something small that doesn’t require prep work, they can get tattooed at the end of the night if they’re willing to leave a deposit and come back later that evening.
All of that being said, we want people to understand that it’s called a ‘Walk-In’ not a ‘Call-In’ for a reason. Tattoo shops don’t really take calls for walk-ins seriously, as it shows a lack of understanding about the process and a general lack of consideration for tattoo artists and what we do. But if you DO call us about a walk-in, we’ll tell you to come in! Then when you do and still can’t get tattooed because you have no understanding of how this works, you’ll leave pissed off and write us a 1-star review to try and destroy our business because that’s the only power you can wield in the world (behind a keyboard), and we’ll copy that shit into the Knucklehead of the Month or just clown you directly on the review reply itself, all when you could have just thought ahead a little bit and scheduled an appointment or booked something once you came in. You just ruined your best chance to get a great, affordable tattoo for one of the best places around all because you couldn’t plan a little in advance or understand that we can only do one tattoo at a time and there are other people in the world besides yourself that want bodyart? Sheesh. All that frustration so easily avoided.
If you want to get tattooed as a walk-in, please don’t call, please walk in and we’ll do our best to take care of you!
We just had our 80’s-themed costume party last night and the results of the costume contest are in!
Dustin won best male costume for his Ghostbuster.
Vanna won best female for Elvira.
Maggie and Jake won best couple/group for Disco’s Not Dead.
Hannah won for best Stranger Things costume for her Eleven.
Will won for best 80’s era wrestler, he was the only wrestler, but we love him anyway. We have the numbers of the winners, they know who they are, and we will be calling to set up their free sessions within the week! Congratulations guys, thanks, and thank you to everyone who came out in support and enjoyed the party.
This 8 hour session shows the result of the first foray into this Greek gods sleeve started by Will. The attention to detail and smooth blends showcase his work, and the stamina of his client, well. Already well-known for his portraiture and black and grey realism, pieces like this continue to propel the demand for his work. As such, Will currently only has about 5 days left to book between now and October. Interested parties can submit a request form via this website, or call or come by the shop anytime between the hours of noon and 10pm, seven days a week and speak with the man himself! Here’s to seeing you soon!
Just like it’s customary to brush your teeth prior to visiting the dentist, it’s considered good etiquette to shower before getting tattooed. We have all been forced to mouth breathe while tattooing a stinker, please don’t be THAT guy!
The tattooers here at Lighthouse Tattoo are big Harry Potter fans and it shows. Deuce did this House Hufflepuff mascot cover-up (say that ten times fast) the other day and here it is healed! Looking good man! Interested in some Harry Potter stuff? We’d daresay there isn’t a more enthusiastic or capable shop around to help you with your Wizarding World tattoo needs. We’re even planning a Harry Potter Tattoo day…Stay logged in to lighthousetattoo.net for more!
We don’t think anyone’s ever done it before: Free tattoos, all day, no limits. We had 5 artists work for ten hours apiece to produce about 50 free tattoos. Will got here at 9am and started tattooing, as a line had already formed! We did 10 free gloryhole tattoos, where you spin a wheel and get whatever it lands on! It was so popular that we’ve decided to keep it. So, $50 for the first spin, if you don’t like that, each additional spin is only $20! A great way to get a cool, traditional American-style tattoo for less than the shop minimum!
We had a little over 200 people show up throughout the day, and while we had like six people complain online because they didn’t get served (read the room guys, y’all are assholes), the overwhelming response was positive.
SO WE’RE BRINGING FREE TATTOO DAY BACK!!!
We’re going to make some changes to improve the experience and give a couple of apprentices some time to improve their skill sets, and this August or September we will be having another Free Tattoo Day (which is why you shouldn’t complain when you don’t get what you want the first time: there may be other times). Stay tuned to Lighthousetattoo.net for more information and great tattoos!
We‘ll try to get a better photo soon, but this one will certainly do the trick until then! Ol’ Blue Eyes himself healed perfectly, and he makes a great addition to Jennifer’s old school celebrity sleeves! We plan on adding Dean Martin the fall, as Jennifer’s a bit of a solar baby and will be spending quite a bit of time outdoors this summer.
Will Wood’s portrait work has become the stuff of local tattoo legend and it really has to be seen in person to be fully appreciated. Swing by Lighthouse Tattoo between the hours of noon and 10pm seven days a week to check out some of his work on are own artists!
In these particular photos, the bottom two roses are fresh (we apologize for the photo quality here, we just realized it’s a bit blurry). With another session left to go, these bright, beautiful roses make an amazing addition to an arm, suitable for covering some unwanted lettering. Lighthouse Tattoo has developed a great reputation for covering up old or unwanted tattoo work, swing by the shop and see for yourself! Lighthouse Tattoo is located at 328 N. Cumberland St a block off the Lebanon, TN square. We are open 7 days a week, from noon to 10pm. Or you can always call to set up your appointment, our number is 615 784-4500. Hope to hear from y’all real soon!
Another addition to Jason’s horror sleeve, this a design of his own concoction! Remarkably macabre, the superimposition of a screaming woman’s face and a skull, with someone trapped in the eye is mesmerizing. So much can be said about this evocative piece that we feel it best to leave it to the viewer to interpret their own meanings from it.
This beautiful warrior woman was performed by Will on our friend Jocy as part of her Chola sleeve. Thanks Jocy! We hope to see you and Jose again real soon!
Chola[edit]
Chola style is often associated with wearing some combination of a long white T-shirt or tanktops, sometimes worn under plaid shirts, baggy jeans, flat black shoes, long hair, spiked bangs, dark or heavy eyeliner, and dark lipstick and lip liner.[1] Chola style has been identified as exhibiting "a radically criminalized femininity, situating them in the purview of official and unofficial policing as well as legal and extralegal sanctions." Chola style is perceived with less menace than cholo style, although it has been described as more directly challenging to the gendered expectations placed on women.[1] - From Wikipedia.
All we know is there’s an entire subculture of black and grey tattooers of Latin American heritage (Re: Mexicans) that have been producing their own style of badass artwork for decades. We personally love the style and the culture, we’d liken it to Rockabilly here in the South, it’s a style full of history that runs deep. A style you can take as far as you want, with the tiniest of details and slight nuance, we admire this artwork and seek to emulate it respectfully when requested to do so. Con Safos ~Lighthouse Tattoo
You have to be selective about where you go to get tattooed, it’s common sense. Obviously you want the best work right? The problem isn’t always so clear however, when you start talking about ideas and the deep meanings some of these pieces contain. You wouldn’t want to get a Black Lives Matter tattoo from a racist, and you wouldn’t want to get a Second Amendment tattoo from a gun abolitionist, so why get a religious tattoo from someone who doesn’t believe?
Lighthouse Tattoo has strict policies prohibiting discrimination against anyone for their religious beliefs. But not every tattoo establishment has the same policy. There are tons of tattoo shops where law enforcement officers are only tolerated, not welcomed, and there are plenty of places where Christians in particular or believers in general are looked down on. If you want to get tattooed by someone who understands what it means to need grace; who values something greater than what this physical world has to offer; and who stands up and proudly confesses their belief, then Lighthouse Tattoo is your place.
If you don’t believe in a higher power, or you just don’t know what you believe in, you’re welcome here too. We all have our own journey to undertake and we respect that.
This enormous piece on Brad’s back was done by Will Wood over three five-hour sittings. A SCUBA diver in his own right, Brad wanted a scene of divers exploring a sunken ship to finish off his back. Will still needs to add the divers and some background, but we wanted to go ahead and share this impressive piece here.
On another note, Brad used to get tattooed by an old friend, Tim Booth (many will know him by Timba) who passed away unexpectedly a few years ago. For Brad to trust Will with finishing his body of work, something Timba and Brad had been working on for almost 20 years, is one of the most meaningful and fulfilling things Will has done in his 17 year career. RIP brother and thank you for trusting us Brad.
