February 03, 2010 Adam Sherwood

avsherwood1@yahoo.com

    Tattoo shops sometimes have the reputation of being dark, dingy hollows filled with ne’er-do-wells and malcontents. Heavy metal blasts during all business hours and skulls adorn the walls. This foreboding atmosphere is not exactly inviting, especially if you’re looking to get a simple tattoo of a flower or butterfly.
    Diane Maiden hopes to change all that with her shop, Stargaze Tattoo, which just opened up the first of this year.
    “I really wanted to have a good vibe for my shop,” said Maiden, a 15 year tattoo veteran.
    Stargaze Tattoo offers a calm and serene alternative to the violent and dark aura of the stereotypical tattoo parlor.
    “I’ve been in shops where the walls are covered in skulls and satanic imagery,” Maiden explained. “I just want my shop to be peaceful and inviting.”
    Indeed. Stargaze Tattoo resembles more of a quiet office than it does the average tattoo shop. The art on walls includes everything from tribal designs to animals to Chinese characters.
    “I do everything well. If I can tattoo a portrait of Jesus, I can do anything!” she said.
    She also said that she can duplicate any piece of art on the walls and do original pictures. She’s willing to be challenged as well.
    Maiden got into tattooing almost 20 years ago.
    “I used to be a make-up artist,” she explained. She started dating a tattoo artist and before long, she was doing tattoos herself. “I just sort of fell into it,” she said. “I’ve always been doing art-related things.”
    She wanted to start a shop for two reasons: self employment and positive atmosphere.
    “I want people to come in and be comfortable. I think sometimes the extreme decorations of tattoo shops can push people away,” she said.
    While Maiden is ready and able to do tattoos of a darker nature she doesn’t want that to be the one thing people think of when they visit her shop.
    “I’ll have some books with darker art that people can look at, but I don’t want it all over the walls,” she said.
    Maiden also had a message she wanted to deliver to those considering getting a tattoo.
    “Be comfortable with the artists work,” she said, stressing the importance of carefully examining the artist’s portfolio before deciding. “This is something that’s going to be on you for the rest of your life so you really need to like the artist’s product.”
    Those worried about the cleanliness of the shop need not fret. Maiden has her permits displayed on the wall, as well as a perfect 100% score on her health rating – providing a clean and sterile environment for customers.
    At this time Maiden is the only artist in the shop. No appointments are needed and she is usually at the shop from 11:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. between Monday and Saturday.
    Considering a tattoo? Maiden is offering a special: “You can get $20 off a tattoo of $50 or more if you bring in some non-perishable food items.”
    All donations go to the food bank of Statesboro.
    For more information about the shop you can call Maiden at (912) 489-0555.

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