Travel Tales | Les Catacombes de Paris

One of the most eerily mysterious and uniquely creepy experiences we’ve had in our many travels. Brooklin and I found ourselves drawn to the curiosity of decending down, 20 meters down (roughly the depth of a 6 story building). Under the city streets and everyday life of Paris, there lye the resting place of 6 million disjointed skeletons. Stacked in rows deep into the caverns as far as our eyes could see, meticulously arranged into mosaics and boney sculptures. This is where Paris’s hundreds and hundreds of years of overflowing grave yards and mass graves have been stored and laid to rest as a remarkable feat of macabre engineering. Every skull and femur here tells a silent story of a life once lived above, long before the tunnels became a tourist’s rite of passage into the unknown. As we wound our way through the narrow, cool passages, the weight of history pressed in around us — a strange blend of reverence and unease settling over both of us. It’s one thing to read about death on this scale, and another entirely to walk through it, inches away from the remains of people who once filled the same streets we’d been wandering just moments before. By the time we emerged back into the daylight, blinking and disoriented, Paris felt different somehow — as if we’d glimpsed something the city usually keeps carefully hidden beneath its polished, postcard surface.

Metamorphosis and imagination

Tattoos are anything we can imagine. They can be fun, light hearted, cultural markings, sometimes they tell a story or protect their wearers inner-self. Sometimes they are a statement or a serious piece of art, but tattoos are absolutely an opportunity for us to take possession of our own body.

Often times the end result of our collection is a result we couldn’t have even imagined, but its possible from time to time that it does come to us. Our friend and client had dreams of this person with these tattoos coming into his life, and realized as the project was developing that the person was actually a premonition and a vision of who he was becoming!

I find these small stories inspiring, we all have reasons and a drive to capture who we feel we are, tattoos are, in some cases, precisely that. A projection of your spirit onto your skin.

This is a black and grey decorative pattern work in progess, by Clae Welch

STAY INSPIRED.

OUR WEDDING | BROOKLIN AND CLAE

Its been a year! Though we’ve been together for years Brooklin and I are so happy we finally had our ceremony last year.

For all of our friends and family and overwhelming community support, thank you all for loving our love and celebrating our wedding. You are all part of our story now.

This was the universe end game for us and its magic!

Hawaii, One day….

Snowbirds are what they call it, But it’s been a while.

I called O’ahu home for years, lived in Kailua and built a bond with the island. We have built many friendships and bonds there that will last our lifetime. One day we’ll be back to sharing part of the year there between our homes. For now the amazingly beautiful PNW will keep us for which we are immensely grateful. All of the love and support we receive back at home is greatly appreciated.

Friendships built around Art

One of the most incredible parts about tattooing is the people and the friendships we forge over Art and common grounds. I have tattooed thousands and thousands of wonderful people over the last 33 years and so many are forever friends, what a true blessing! Jacob is the coolest electrician around, and now he has many super cool (and some of my favorite) tattoos by me. Thanks for the trust brother, Here’s to many more!

Biggie Smalls | Our Little Man Frenchie

He was so small when we first adopted him… couldn’t even jump up one stair on a staircase. Such a handsome little dude, he is big now (not just in name).

Under this harness, I had made him a sweater out of one of my wool socks!😂

Now he and our female frenchie are so much a part of our everyday it’s like owning our own crew of drunk 21 year olds!

Hannya Painting, Clae Welch

A Hannya and waves painting by Clae Welch, Always painting and making prints, keep up with my instagram posts (@claewelch on instagram) for new ones! Prints of this painting are available on my big cartel via instagram.. just look for the link✨✌🏽

Visiting friends | SEF, State of Grace

Sef, Clae Welch, Brooklin Welch

Keeping up with our friends and family can be difficult with such distance and time between us all. But we feel the love and are always making the effort✨ Much love love to our friends here at State of Grace, San Jose✨✌🏽

Brooklin Welch | Towns End Tattoo

Brooklin is becoming a local legend in our region, She’s from the San Juan islands and raised in Port Townsend for most of her life. Brooklin is rooted and knows everyone in our town and beyond, which is how she has flourished as a tattoo artist. Brooklin Started tattooing in 2017 and has worked hard at developing her style and niche. Brooklin’s work is black and grey Nature and floral is her favorite imagery. Check out her portfolio an instagram @wallflower_tattoos

DATE NIGHT | WIFEY AND I

Out shining our light on the town, Thank you everyone for supporting us and loving us… life is even better than we could have imagined✨

TOWNS END TATTOO | Port Townsend

A great shot of our historic downtown, Queen Anne style, victorian. Known as the Terry building, Built by Fred Terry in 1890. This building was built to have a Chinese laundry, a general store and a boarding house on top. Though this beautiful facade appears to be the front, originally this was the rear of the building. It was remodeled with this decorative work in some years later along with the road work on Washington street Which built a road-ramp to uptown.

CHEVRON BLACK SET | PROS ONLY

If you appreciate my tattooing know that these are what make those tattoos!

This geometry is what has become the best machine I’ve used in my 30+ year tattoo career. I keep refining is components quality and build style, these Chevron Black Sets are all of those things and built to last.

Chevron Black tattoo machines built only by Clae Welch himself. They are Iron workhorses. Run smooth and cold at 4.7v, Line like a razor, 3L to 11L strong and punchy, from soft greys to bright color. 7m to 47m.

Nearly the only machines I pick up anymore.

Fill out a Machine request form if you are interested or have questions.

PROS ONLY

TRY OUR AIRBNB

If you are traveling out to Port Townsend to see us for a tattoo or just to visit our picturesque little beach town. Try our Airbnb! We have our artistically remodeled Condo above Towns End Tattoo, which is located in the Terry buildings former boarding house 3rd floor. You can message us to forward you the airbnb link or paste this link into your browser:

airbnb.com/h/1890hotel