Today we’d like to introduce you to Edwin Blaque.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I began tattooing in 2013 while living in Pennsylvania for a year. It all started with my roommate at the time, gifting me one of those terrible tattoo kits that should be illegal. I already had a background with sterilization and cross contamination, so I felt comfortable teaching myself. Two years later I had tattooed a handful of people, I used to go to their house, or they’d come to mine. Typical self taught behavior. But these first experiences would shape the next several years of my career. I found myself looking for my first shop in Fairfax, Virginia in 2015 and within a couple of mouths found it. I was only there briefly as the owner was into some very shady things. We literally had the ATF stopping by on a regular basis. Not the type of place I wanted to be associated with. I went back to running a private studio from my apartment and decided I wanted to move back home to San Diego. Just prior to leaving I ended up working at a world famous shop in Maryland owned by a girl from Ink Master (not worth mentioning who). It was gorgeous, but reeked of arrogance. Disappointing to say the least. I considered staying in Virginia if things went well, but average tattoos with inflated heads really wasn’t what I wanted to be a part of. So off to San Diego I went. I worked at three very different shops while I was back home. You had your typical beach walk in shop down in Pacific Beach. Excellent location but the shop was not being managed well so I tried out a reputable shop in downtown. I stayed there a while and had a great time, but later realized it just wasn’t a great fit. Sometimes personalities clash and I didn’t have time to deal with the drama. My last shop was up in the north county side and had that old school cholo/gangster vibe. I got along great with these guys, but the walk ins were less than desirable. I decided to head back to the east coast and landed back where I started, Lancaster, Pa. I found a shop immediately and enjoyed everything about it. But it was right before the shutdown of 2020 and that clearly was not the right path. I ran a private studio during the shutdown back at my place again to pay the bills. I decided I’d rather live in the woods to get away from all the tension and moved out to the Poconos Mountains, not far from Appalachia. Since it was clear trying to find the right shop always proved to be basically impossible, I decided to start my own, and that’s when Blaque Arts Tattoo was born. I opened it in 2021 in Hazleton, Pa. A terrible little city that’s basically a cesspool of degenerates and drug dealers/addicts. It’s not ever worth going to. I had to move my first shop after just a year due to Melanie, a tweaker on a first name basis with the cops that would not stop breaking in or making death threats. I kept the shop in Hazleton but went to the industrial area. It’s the first time I felt at home. Like anywhere, it came with its issues, but I loved that shop. Since the inception of Blaque Arts Tattoo, it’s always just been me and Tamale, she does all of our piercings and also tattoos. You can find her on social media @tamaletattoos. We decided a year ago to move the shop once again as Hazleton is only getting worse and is being flooded with warehouses which ruins the roads, traffic, and creates little to no jobs. It’s just a lose-lose situation. Since we’ve established ourselves in the area, we decided to no longer be a walk in shop and be by appointment only in a quaint little private studio.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Absolutely not. Early in my career I didn’t have the experience or portfolio. Which is funny people I see people who are new to tattooing that always have the biggest egos and the worst work; they need to get humbled. These type of people tend to get things handed to them and get an easy go of things. Either because they think they’re attractive, usually not the case, or they think their art is amazing. But often times I’ll see they’re stealing other artists flash or designs. Just nasty behavior. Which is whatever, it’ll hurt them in the long haul. Thankfully, I was never that. Once I established both, it was typically other artists at the various shops I’d work at that would be obnoxiously rude. I tend to get along with everyone so when I encounter someone abrasive, it’s not a good fit. For example, there was the shop manager at that famous shop in Maryland. Everyone called him a failed Ink Master since he kept auditioning and getting turned down. Hilarious considering who owned the place. But he took his little dick energy out on me and others in the shop for all of his shortcomings. I had another artist in Pacific Beach literally cry to the owner because I took “his” walk ins and made more money than him. But the dude was never there, he’d stop in for an hour and leave. Considering I’d be there for hours before he decided to crawl out of bed, I wasn’t letting him take the walk in. The next shop had a guy who kept trying to steal my clients and constantly harass me. This guy liked to tell me what was and wasn’t possible with tattooing. But he was one of those “if I can’t do it, then no one can” type of people. Super annoying. The owner of that cholo shop had an ego like no one’s business and would belittle everyone. He never did to me, well not until we went to the LA Tattoo Convention. His true colors showed so I went back and packed my stuff on the spot. The last shop I was at down in Lancaster, the owner was just an outright loser. Full of drama, too consumed with his throuple situation, and doing drugs. He used to get mad because I was making more money than him. Mind you, he got 50% of my earnings and he would show up 4 hours late to his appointments, despite living above the shop. Once I opened my own shop, it’s been issue after issue. The city shaking you down for appeals because they’re all criminals. Dealing with druggies, price hoppers, losers, and scumbags directly since it’s my business. I can’t even count the amount of times I’ve had to remove people from my shop, someone’s with words, other times physically. It shouldn’t have to be that way. We’ve had nothing but excellent reviews, but the bad ones sometimes appear. I wish I could say I earned them, but they’re all bogus. One lady called and wanted money under the threat of bad reviews. One guy was mad we blacklisted him for selling fentanyl and heroin so he did the same. Hell, sometimes it’s just losers off TikTok from other states who are trolling. That’s always wild to me, that someone would mess with what you’ve worked so hard for, and for no reason at all. We’re still dealing with issues, but nothing worth mentioning.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I’m an award winning tattoo artist and business owner. I own Blaque Arts Tattoo in Zion Grove, Pa. I’m a Pro Team Artist for PROPER Aftercare and JCONLY. I’m most known for my horror black and gray, portraits, watercolor, and space tattoos. I can mimic any style and have my preferences. What sets me apart from others, aside from my works, would be my personality and the environment we have here at Blaque Arts Tattoo. We always strive to give a friendly, welcoming, and supportive experience while treating everyone like family.
Is there a quality that you most attribute to your success?
The sheer will to be better than I was yesterday. No one can hand you anything in this life, you have to work hard and take what you want. Sometimes that comes quickly, sometimes it takes years. But hard work, determination, and persistence go a long way.
Pricing:
- Consultation: $50 *applies towards part of the deposit if you schedule at the end of the consultation.
- Shop Minimum: $100
- Deposits start at $100
- Flat rat pricing varies
- Half day $1,500
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.BlaqueArts.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/edwinhallowsblaque
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/blaquearts
- Twitter: www.instagram.com/blaquearts
- Youtube: www.instagram.com/tamaletattoos
- Other: http://tiktok.com/@edwin.hallows.blaq
