Featured artist
Tim McGrath 13 Roses Tattoo Parlour - EAV
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By Harrison Knolle his month we have the honor of filling our pages with the work of mustachioed madman and expert artist Tim McGrath of 13 Roses Tattoo Parlour in East Atlanta Village.Though born in New York, McGrath was raised in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. where his career began. In 2000,Tim began a grueling apprenticeship at Silver on the Mount in Hollywood, Florida under Vince Mazurkevitch. He shared some insights with me about how much he really learned from Mazurkevitch explaining “I had always been on the other side of the needle. I never really understood everything that went into it until then. But I went through everything as an apprentice, from sweeping up the shop to tattooing grapefruit.” Tim spent a year and a half under Mazurkevitch and then moved on to Babylon Tattoo where he worked with artist and owner, Novi Filipovich, in Ft. Lauderdale. “Working there was very different.We had to go out and get clients and make them feel comfortable. I kind of went to the bar and made friends to come in and get tattooed. You had people outside the shop in the neighborhood coming up and asking for a dollar all the time so when someone came into the shop I tried to act super professional to counter what was happening on the other side of the door.” It wasn’t until Hurricane Katrina hit South Florida that McGrath decided to move up to Atlanta. Now he works his magic inside the walls of 13 Roses Tattoo Parlour where he has resided for the past five years. Tim works with all different styles of tattooing from Americana to tribal, “I actually really like doing tribal. Not arm bands but it’s cool when someone comes in with a simple tribal design and I’m like ‘okay, I see what your getting at but it could be so much more.’ I like to take everything and make it my own.” McGrath cites artists like Frank Lee and Jack Rudy 22
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as some of his inspirations but also gives credit to his fellow artists at 13 Roses, “Everyone is a great artist, Mikey Slater, Kevin Cook, Joe Vegas, everyone gets along, and the shop looks awesome. I’ve never had my own room to work in which is nice.” But Tim’s art isn’t limited to simply tattoos. He also works a lot with watercolor and acrylic on wood. He has had several shows showcasing his works but none in the works as of right now, which I’m positive, will change.Whenever he’s not tattooing you can find him creating something inside 13 Roses. I must admit that not only is Tim McGrath an exceptional artist he also has one of the best mustaches in the biz. So swing by 13 Roses Tattoo Parlour in East Atlanta Village and check him out or just stop in and play a game of pool, they won’t mind! That’s right, there is a pool table in the lobby! 13 Roses is located at 524 Flat Shoals Ave., SE at the intersection of Glenwood Ave. and Flat Shoals Ave. SE right above the Flatiron Bar. You can also visit their website: http://thirteenroses.squarespace.com H