March 14, 2017

Meet Phil Colvin of Memorial Tattoo in Ormwood Park

Local Stories

Today we’d like to introduce you to Phil Colvin.

Phil, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I started tattooing in Phoenix AZ and moved to Atlanta in 1992. I worked at Body Images on Howell Mill when I got here. It was there I met Gary Yoxen and Shay Cannon. Gary left there and opened Tornado Tattoo on North Ave, Shay and I both followed him there. A few years later Shay and I moved to Miami Fl, stayed there for a couple years and we moved back and worked at Urban Tribe in L5P. After a few years there, Shay opened up Liberty Tattoo and I worked with him there for about 4.5 years. While I was there I met my lovely wife and partner Hope. It was then that I felt like it was time to finally time to do my own thing, so with Shays blessing I opened my first shop in Cabbage town. Gary and a couple of his friends owned the Star Bar for quite a while and when I got the shop opened, Gary got back into tattooing and came to work with me at Memorial. We outgrew that shop pretty fast and in less than 2 years, we opened the big shop on Moreland Ave just south of East Atlanta. We have been at this location for 9 years now and plan on being here forever!

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
It has been fairly smooth actually. Luckily, we have not had a huge turn around as far as the artists that are here and we have been able to establish a very tight family atmosphere. It has been a huge learning experience and I’m still learning about business. I’m an artist and not the greatest with numbers. But, I have been able to get a little better all the time and last year was able to actually buy my building! The main struggles I run into are some of the tax issues that come along with being a business owner. But overall, I have to say that it has been a very rewarding experience and have been able to provide a good life for my wonderful wife Hope and son Kozik and hopefully the people that work here with me.

So, as you know, we’re impressed with Memorial Tattoo – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
We are a tattoo shop, we offer all styles of tattooing you can think of. We do take walk-ins, but a few of us are appointment only. I personally specialize in Japanese and black and grey realism tattooing. I’m most proud if the amazing people that work here, we truly are a family! What sets us apart from others is not just the quality of tattooing we offer, but the space itself is unique. Each artist has their own private room that is individually decorated and we can provide a much more personal experience. It used to be a private home and has been modified to what it is now. We also have over 150 combined years of tattoo experience between all of the artists here!

So, what’s next? Any big plans?
Our only plans for the future are to keep getting bigger and better!

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