Here you can view photos of tattoos by all of our artists, see slide shows of both of our shops, read articles (by and about us) that have appeared in newspapers, or contact us by e-mail.. We also have a section on Permanent Cosmetics done by appointment by Suzanne, so check that out.

Primeval Ink was founded in 1997 by Suzanne Shepherd and Andi Lineweaver. We wanted to create a place with a pleasant atmosphere, where we could not only work, but also feel comfortable and know that our clients felt comfortable and reassured.

We have often heard our clients say that our shop is the cleanest, nicest or most relaxing tattoo shop they have ever been in. We have often said that we are not geniuses. We just really care about the clients. They can tell, and that's what works for us.

March 1, 2009 marked our twelfth anniversary. Primeval Ink first opened its doors for business in our original location in White Center ("Rat City") in West Seattle. It was a cold, rainy day, the furnace wasn’t working, but Suzanne and Andi were tattooing... the first tattoo done in our shop was a small heart with a name. We soon became known as "The Ladies". As we lived in the neighborhood, clients would come up to us in the grocery store or the local Mexican restaurant, and want to show off their tattoos. We repaired and covered up an awful lot of gang tattoos and home-made tattoos and met people from many different nationalities and cultures.

We moved from Seattle to open our shop in Monroe, in November of 2001. We were the first tattoo studio in Monroe that lasted for more than a season. We weren't’ sure at first how well we would do in a small town like Monroe, but soon were reassured that our decision had been right.

Most recent was our move to Olympia to open our shop on April 1st 2005. Olympia is a home-coming for Suzanne who was raised here. April 1st was both a happy day of new beginnings and a sad day because our old faithful dog Cody passed on that same morning.

Suzanne and Andi work in both shops, alternate weekends (Friday/Saturday), in Monroe. Andi is available both for tattooing and for piercing in both Olympia and Monroe. Suzanne is available both for tattooing and for permanent cosmetics in Olympia and Monroe by appointment.

Both shops are open every day Noon to 8:00 pm, and on some days open at 10:00 a.m.

 

 

At Primeval Ink we have found it vital that we train our artists from the ground up and they share our values, concern for relationship to the clients, reputation of the shop and quality of work. At this point, we have a total of 11 artists, all of whom are unique individuals from different backgrounds.

Andi and Suzanne were trained in the traditional manner by apprenticeship, coming into the business in 1994-1995. Andi came from a 20 year career in social work. Suzanne has a Masters Degree in Social Work. At Primeval Ink, it seems we can combine the best of both worlds.

Dawn has been with us the longest. She likes to open the shop in Monroe at 10:00 a.m. for her early morning appointments. She has developed into a fantastic designer with a truly unique tribal vision. Dawn is also available by appointment for some piercings.

Jen works in Monroe on Sunday and during the week. She is a specialist in wildlife art and design and is an all around wonderful artist with a loyal following.

Kim is a lovely woman of great talent and gentleness whose work has a graceful delicacy. Her husband Patrick is a well-known local painter with a unique artistic vision which he now carries into his tattoo work.

In Olympia our youngest artist is Mitch who previously worked as a glass etcher and airbrush artist - his "portfolio" consisting of a hand-etched circle of glass just blew us away! Mitch is also known for his kindness to clients and has developed a very loyal following who appreciate his characteristic art.

Ben has developed a most amazing style an has rapidly built up a following due only partly to his superb design and tattooing. His personality is so good humored and kind that people love to work with him.

We are proud to know that Primeval Ink consistently gets great word of mouth which is of course the best kind of advertising there is!

 

We offer Calypso after care product for your tattoos, although we can’t always seem to keep it in stock! Calypso is made by a local soap and lotion company (ShepherdSoaps.com) and we are the only ones who carry it. Calypso is a natural balm, specially formulated for us to avoid some of the allergic reactions people have had to other aftercare products. We are happy to offer this wonderful product and proud to support a local small business.

Our original shop location in White Center is still a tattoo studio, run by our former apprentice, Tisha, owner of Primary Colors! Tisha is happy to send our old clients to us if they ask her.... and we love to see them! We appreciate them making the really long drive!