We’re again connecting with New England-based hand poke tattoo artist Owen McGrarry, who will be at Sailabration: Sailing Traditions in Ink – a festival celebrating the lives of sailors and the art of tattooing – on October 26th in Baltimore. Before the electric tattoo machine was invented in 1891 by a former sailor, tattoo artists used a simple poke and stick technique. Aboard ship, sailors often used the materials they had on hand, such as large needles for sewing sails, India ink, laundry bluing, and even gunpowder. Owen Payette McGarry is a traditional hand poke tattoo artist based in Boston, Massachusetts. He came to tattooing in 2014 through his interest in maritime folk art, while working as a boat builder.

Owen’s previous episode: https://www.preservecast.org/2023/02/20/stick-poke-tattooing-with-owen-mcgarry/