Perseverance Tattoo [Inverness, Florida]

INVERNESS (Bay News 9) -- The city of Inverness recently had a tattoo studio open up inside city limits - the first one in several years.

While there are several tattoo parlors in unincorporated areas surrounding the city, the Department of Development said it's been at least 10 years since one opened within city limits, a fact that Perseverance Tattoo co-owner Steve Burton finds surprising.

"We found it kind of odd that we're the first ones," he said.

The move came about after a recent divorce that forced Burton to open his studio in a new location - which happened to be inside city limits.

The new location is a boon for tattoo aficionados like Luther Green, who has wanted a tattoo since he was five. Sixty-one years later, he has a collection of nearly 20, and it's still growing.

For the past two years, he's been working with artist Chad McDonald on an underwater scene on his left leg. The tattoo has a lot of meaning for Green, who was in the Navy.

"I've been wanting to do this for forever," he said. "I've waited forty-some-odd years to do this."

Customers like Green give Burton a reason to feel proud of his studio's work.

"He can't stop, he's hooked," Burton said.

Other people seek out Perseverance's artists for portrait work, ranging from Al Capone to self-portraits to something more special, like Cathy Blanco, who wants a tattoo of her father's portrait.

"I just wanted to do something that was a tribute to him, have him with me at all times," she said.

Category:

Entertainment

Tags:

• Perseverance
• Tattoo
• Inverness
• Florida
• FL
• Chad
• MacDonald
• Steve
• Burton

[kidritalin1]

Glad to see ANY business open in this backazzwards county of Citrus. Best of luck! Studies have shown, that the poorer an less educated people are the more tattoos people get. Hence ... plenty of potential clients in Citrus County. Perhaps I should open up a discount cigarette store next to the tattoo shop?

[kittkatt1323]

i love this tattoo shop, these guys are awesome