Thinking about a new tattoo? Tattoos are beautiful works of art, but they require some proper care to ensure that they stay looking their best. Whether you’re getting your first tattoo or your hundredth, it’s important to know the proper aftercare to make sure your ink stays beautiful for years to come. Join tattoo artist and expert, Mike Metaxa, as he gives you his tips and tricks on how to properly care for your new tattoo. Learn what to do — and more importantly, what not to do — to ensure proper healing and prevent infection. For more helpful articles on all important tattoo topics, chec ..read more

«Do tattoos hurt?» or «Is getting a tattoo painful?» are, probably, among the most searched questions about tattoos on the Internet. People with tattoos usually try to answer these questions from their own experience, so the answers greatly vary. You would hear anything from ‘fast, easy, and painless’ to ‘the worst pain of my life’ and many variations in-between. So we are bringing you an answer from Mike Metaxa of ArtHouse Tattoo in Austin, TX, a professional tattoo artist who knows what he is talking about! With over 20 years of tattooing experience Mike knows exactly how to a ..read more

Today we’d like to introduce you to Mike Metaxa. Hi Mike, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story? I was at a bookshop going through the art section in search of some new albums when I found a photo book dedicated to tattoo art. I don’t know how much time I spent standing there leafing through it, but by the time I left with this book in my shopping bag, I was hooked. I knew that this was what I ought to try my hand at. I started learning by doing thorough research, observing others doing whatever I was trying to learn, and practicing all the time so that I ..read more

Unless you have been living under a rock, you probably noticed that the British seriesVikings took the world by storm at a time where there was already a growing interest in this group. This historical fantasy series is full of drama and wild battles, but it also has one very important part of Viking culture: tattoos. Given our line of business, we find this pretty interesting—and we also think that it has inspired more people to get Norse tattoos, too. Let’s talk about that. What We Know About Viking Culture and Tattoos Any fan of the show knows that tattoos are present on most of the charact ..read more

The dreaded one-star review is something that every business hopes to avoid, but no one truly can. The majority of us rely on reviews of a business to decide if we should interact with it, but what does that really mean? Every business will inevitably receive a one-star review, and this can discourage customers from working with them. In this post, we will discuss one-star reviews and how we handle them at Arthouse. What A One-Star Review Does Mean When people see a one-star review, they immediately question the business. That’s fair, right? You are reading reviews because you want to know if ..read more

Want to express yourself in a unique way? Or memorialize someone or something special? Whatever the reason, getting a tattoo is exciting! But with a new tattoo, there comes a decision — do you go for a spontaneous Internet-found design or something custom? Well if unique and personal is what you’re after, you should choose a custom tattoo shop every time. But what makes a custom tattoo shop different from other shops that take walk-ins and often offer flash and off-the-Internet cliché tattoos? We’re glad you asked! In this article, we’ll break down all the reasons why you should choose a custo ..read more

You’re browsing the internet and Instagram — or maybe you’re old school, flicking through tattoo magazines, photo albums and artists’ books — but either way, you’re on the hunt for some tattoo inspiration. You’ve been thinking about it for a while and now, finally, you’ve decided: you want to get a custom tattoo. Something that’s personal, that means something to you — even if it means nothing to anyone else. In fact, preferably so. But you’re not quite sure of what’s involved. You feel stressed and clueless. Where do you start? Maybe you need to sketch something yourself? Perhaps you’re meant ..read more

Piercing blue eyes stare out from a face spattered with blood. Thick blue lines crawl up his neck and across the side of his shaved head. He’s a warrior and his life is battle. The Norsemen or vikingar of Scandinavia have long fascinated — and terrified — those that came into contact with them. But were the Vikings really tattooed? There is one historical account that suggests they were. An Arab traveler, Ahmad Ibn Fadlan, first met the Norse warriors as he traveled across Russia on a diplomatic mission. He encountered them sailing their longships down the Volga river, looking to trade with th ..read more

He sits there, still, his face lined with age and ink. Arcing from the bridge of his nose to the hairline all around his forehead, like sunbeams, are the faded marks of “ta moko”. This ancient form of tattooing fascinates all who come into contact with it, from the very first European explorers to modern-day tattoo enthusiasts. But what does it mean? Why have Maori people been carving their faces like wood for centuries? Are the markings still laden with symbolic meaning? Or has it become just another form of body art? The History and Meaning of Tā Moko Tā moko originated in Polynesia. The wo ..read more