Father, son duo open tattoo shop in Shelby

It’s Friday afternoon, and inside Greeneworks Tattoo in Shelby, Lee Greene has the tattoo pen poised over Matt Burke’s right knee cap.

“Ready?” he asks, before applying the tip of the pen to the outline of a skull that matches the one on Burke’s left knee.

Lee and Tevin Greene, a father and son duo, recently opened a new tattoo shop in Shelby and are showcasing their talent and attracting clients from close to home and far away.

Burke said he had flown in from Austin, Texas, to be inked by Lee Greene.

“He’s super talented and can do amazing stuff,” Burke said.

He said this isn’t his first Lee Greene tattoo, and he discovered the artist after doing a Google search for North Carolina tattooists in 2017 after moving to the state for a job.

“He’s always done great work,” he said.

Tevin Greene, Lee’s son, said it’s not the first time someone has traveled long distances for Lee’s skills.

“He has someone who comes from London,” he said.

Then there are clients from Tennessee, Virginia and California.

“It’s never boring. It’s always fun,” Lee Greene said.

Greeneworks Tattoo, a tattoo and piercing shop located at 112 Belmont Place, opened earlier this year. Together, the Greenes have 26 years of experience.

Lee Greene said he started tattooing 22 years ago after he spent time hanging out with a friend who was a tattoo artist and had a shop in Shelby. Born and raised in Cleveland County, Lee had moved to Asheville but after returning home, he resumed hanging out with his friend and decided to pick up a tattoo pen.

“I was hooked,” he said. “I quit my job and everything and jumped in with both feet.”

Tevin Greene said he started working as a tattoo artist four years ago after growing up in the business.

“He was my inspiration,” he said of Lee Greene. “Growing up, I’d hang out in the tattoo shop with him. We’d come home and draw together.”

Lee Greene said when he was young, Tevin would tell the client how to take care of the tattoo.

Tevin Greene said he knew from the start he wanted to be a tattoo artist, although he spent time working in other jobs, starting out at Wings Etc. and then in various factories before deciding to go for his dreams.

He said he loves creating art and having the freedom to do what he wants to do.

Lee Greene was working in Charlotte at Immortal Images, where he had been for 12 years, when the Greenes decided to open their own place.

“I was tired of Charlotte and wanted to get closer to home,” Lee said. “He had a couple of years under his belt, and we said let’s do it.”

Tevin and Lee Greene opened up shop in February and said business has been steady.

“We just want to do some really cool, nice tattoos,” Lee said. “I want people to see there’s more to tattooing than what they’re used to.”

In the past, Tevin said, people would walk into a shop and pick a design off the wall. Now, it’s about creating custom pieces.

Lee Greene said he loves what he does and as an added bonus, he gets to work with his son.

“I get to show him things people didn’t show me coming up in the industry,” he said.

You can find Greeneworks Tattoo on Facebook and Instagram.

For more information email info@greeneworkstattoo.com or visit their website, greeneworkstattoo.com.

This article originally appeared on The Gaston Gazette: Father, son duo open tattoo shop in Shelby