Since the Neolithic era, 12,000 years ago, we have been decorating our bodies. Armed with a needle and ink, ancestral cultures implanted symbols under the skin to unify them with nature, indicate tribal alliances or just look pretty. The basics have not changed much—needle, ink, design—but the variety of artistic expression has exploded.

Once a signal of one’s affiliation with the American counterculture, the tattoo is now widely embraced and celebrated in the mainstream. Tattoos are personal to both client and artist, and the best ones express a collaboration between the two parties, with the client presenting a broad idea and allowing the artist to interpret it and inject their artistic inspiration into it to give it life.

Sarasota, with its deep celebration of the arts, is flush with talented tattoo artists, some of whom attended Ringling College of Art and Design. We teamed up with a handful of studios for a look at some of Sarasota’s most striking body art. From bold American traditional to delicate fine-line and everything in between, we are mesmerized by the finished products.

Jason Seiler

“I was inspired by the beauty in nature,” says Jason Seiler. He met artist Camila “Mila” Toscano through a co-worker and followed her work on Instagram. “I had some idea of the types of plants I liked and I worked with Mila on what she thought might look good,” says Seiler. “I love plants. I was born with a green thumb."

“Jason is a plant daddy,” says Toscano, who works in a studio at The Brow House. She started doing botanical illustrations in watercolor and graphite—images that inspire her tattoo work. “Jason’s project was very big and exciting to me as an illustrator.”

Seiler brought cuttings from his favorite plants for Toscano throughout the five-session, 25-hour tattoo to help drive her inspiration. The two became fast friends during the process, and Toscano has contributed to more of Seiler's body art, including a moth tattooed on his stomach. “Meeting Mila is like meeting someone you’ve known for years,” he says.

Norah Howard

“I like Halloween and horror,” says Norah Howard, whose work was done by Matt Helmer at Oddity Tattoo’s Bee Ridge shop. “Matt is awesome at doing those types of tattoos.” The two collaborated on the piece over several sessions. “Every time I went to see him, the tattoo became something new,” says Howard.

Helmer is a Ringling College graduate who was inspired to become a tattoo artist by his dad’s motorcycle riding friends. He excels at creating distorted figures and creatures, as evidenced by the ghoulish designs on Howard. Howard is often stopped by people on the street who are curious about her body art, and she has even inspired a few people to get their first tattoos.

Ryan Stubbs

“The piece is a giant mural that signifies my transition into my 30s,” says Ryan Stubbs. “It’s the story of how I became who I am now.” Initially, the tombstone and moon were supposed to be the entire tattoo, but after consulting with artist Ian Cherry of Cherry Tattoo, the piece continued to grow.

Cherry owns a private studio that he opened three years ago. He prefers working in black and gray with pops of color, like those on Stubbs’ back. “I like to work with people who give me a bit of latitude because they like my style,” says Cherry.

“Working with Ian is the easiest thing in the world,” says Stubbs. “He is extraordinarily talented.”

Savannah Gosman

Savannah Gosman met artist Charity Pinegar, of Diamond Reigns Beauty & Tattoos, through mutual friends. Pinegar was working as a permanent makeup artist when she decided she wanted to learn more about fine-line tattooing. A few months ago, she transitioned to artistic tattooing full time. She is most inspired by black and gray floral bouquets. “That’s the artwork I want to focus on,” she says.

Gosman was Pinegar’s third live model and she returns, again and again, to receive more art as Pinegar’s style evolves. “I’ve always wanted something on my shoulder,” says Gosman. “Charity was looking for a model for this piece and I was quick to say yes.”

Whitney Parnell

Whitney Parnell is an artist’s dream come true. Her body is a canvas for talented artists, most of whom work for one of Oddity Tattoo’s three Sarasota shops. “Almost everyone at the studio has done a little something on me,” she says.

Parnell works at Oddity on Main Street and was 21 when she got her first tattoo. Asked which is her favorite, she says, “Whichever one is the newest.” But when pressed, she admits she likes the jewel on her throat the best because of how visible and bold it is.

Parnell’s job responsibilities include everything from scheduling tattoo sessions to planning events. She keeps things running smoothly. “It’s great here,” she says. “The tattoo industry is different from working somewhere corporate with too much structure. Here, it’s very personal. Everyone is family.”

Topher Nalefski

“The inspiration behind these tattoos was really because I love Ambo’s stylization of nature,” says Topher Nalefski, referring to artist Ambarish “Ambo” Hendon. “Tigers and spiders are two of my favorite animals, and I wanted to have them on my body. Ambo’s artist vision shined through what I wanted. They make me feel better about myself, having cool art on me.”

Hendon attended Booker High School’s Visual and Performing Arts program and graduated from Ringling College before finding his love for tattooing. “Working as an artist can be hard,” he says. “Tattooing has gone exactly as I dreamed. When you try really hard for a long time, people notice and dig it.”

Nalefski is "super easygoing," says Hendon. "He comes in with almost no idea of what he wants to get and asks me what I want to tattoo. He looks through my drawings and says, 'Yeah, that's rad. Do it however you want.'"

Sam Fritzler

Sam Fritzler got his first tattoo in honor of his daughter, Giuliana, now 2. “I wanted to gauge how much it would hurt before doing more work,” he says. Fritzler’s favorite style of tattoo is American traditional, a specialty of artist Kim Albers at Oddity’s University Town Center studio. Albers has been tattooing for 13 years and says he does his best work when his clients trust his artistry.

“I’ve always wanted an eagle tattoo, and I trust Kim’s style,” says Fritzler. He gave Albers a broad concept to work with. “You get better art when you give someone artistic freedom,” says Fritzler. “It’s important that they also be inspired.”