Sea.of.Mercy
Tattoos + Pet Portraits + Fine Art Nitro, WV
Shane Eugene Allen - Tattooer
Hey, this is Shane. I'm trying to make myself a website, since the broader Meta-verse is a poisonous wasteland and I never want to engage with it, but I don't really know what I'm doing. I'm an artist, not some kind of cyber doctor. My educational background includes both a BA in literature and a BFA in painting from WVU, as well as an MFA in painting from Ediboro University. Prior to becoming a full-time artist I worked for nearly a decade in a public library, and also as an English teacher at a university in China. I completed a rigorous apprenticeship to learn how to tattoo at a busy WV street shop (Black Eagle Tattoo, RIP.) I consider myself incredibly lucky to be able to make ends meet through art and I am hugely appreciative of all the clients and customers who make it possible.
I'm currently based out of Nitro, WV, where I tattoo at Liberty Tattoo. Its a small private studio that I share with my mentor and longtime ally Kev Adams. Kev took me on as an apprentice when I was fresh out of graduate school back in 2018 and we've worked together ever since. If you'd like to book an appointment either email me (shaneeugeneallen@gmail.com) or dm me on Instagram (sea.of.mercy) and I'll get back to you. I'm honestly pretty bad about responding to messages so feel free to bump your inquiry if you suspect its been lost in the shuffle! Despite my poor messaging habits I do truly care about my clients and I try my best to honor the trust they place in me. I work hard on my custom designs in the hopes of really making my clients happy, and I always do my best to keep clients comfortable and at peace during the tattooing process.
Apart from tattooing I also do portraits of people's pets. I have a large interest in zoology and am deeply involved with the West Virginia Reptile Expo, so much of my work revolves around reptiles (especially geckos.) If you click the crawling snake gif above it will take you to a page with more details and examples of my pet portrait work. I need to figure out how to make more legible links haha.
I am constantly making non-pet artwork as well, like a wasp processing pulp for its nest or a caddisfly larvae embroidering its cocoon. My paintings tend to reflect both my interest in biological horror as well as my absence of taste. They are gaudy and strange, maximalist techno-color parasitoid infections. If you have an interest in purchasing a really unusual, colorful, confusing painting for your house message me and we can discuss what I currently have available.
OH also, and its ridiculous to even need to mention this but we do live in the worst timeline, I use absolutely NO AI in any portion of my design process. Artists outsourcing their humanity to an algorithm is an abomination. Everything I do is straight out of my own stupid human experience, not some optimized robo search engine slop.
Client Testimonials
"Shane is amazing, I was recommended by multiple people that he’s worked on cuz that have all said nothing but amazing things about him, so I had to go and I was not disappointed at all you can tell how much he loves and cares about his art and when he does it he’s so detailed and really works to make everything just perfect before he lets you walk out the. 10/10 definitely recommend"
"I have been going to Liberty Tattoo for 3 years now with my Tattoo Artist Shane Allen. All of my tattoos are by him, and I can never go out in public without a compliment on my tattoos, so I carry a card with me to be able to show people so that they know where to find him. He is extremely professional and all of his equipment and practices are very sterile, I have never once worried about an infection. He not only has a bachelors degree, but also a Masters Degree in Fine Art, and his work definitely shows it. He also always makes sure to play music whenever you are getting a tattoo done to make sure that you have an outlet for keeping your mind off of the pain. He is extremely flexible and not only has pre-made designs, but also does custom work as well. You can present him with an idea and he will transform it into a beautifully unique piece of art that you can wear on your skin permanently. I do not think i will ever go to anyone else than him to get a tattoo, and his prices are very reasonable. I highly highly recommend Shane Allen at Liberty Tattoo if you ever are thinking about getting a tattoo done if you want a timeless unique piece of art on you to wear forever."
"Shane is the best tattoo artist i could ask for! The shop is very welcoming in general but Shane goes above and beyond. He has done 4 tattoos on me so far and each time has been a great experience. Shane puts a great deal of effort into making each tattoo an experience. I wish I could give more than 5 stars because he deserves it!"
"Ive went to Shane Eugene Allen for several of my tattoos and all have came out fantastically. An exceptional guy and great service overall. Ive recommended several of my friends to come to his shop and they all have had equally pleasant experiences of their own. I have more skin ready for tattoos and I will always go to Shane for them."
"Shane is absolutely one of the most talented artist I’ve ever seen in my life. I’ve been to him for almost every tattoo (others were from out of state) and don’t see myself ever going to anyone else. His prices are good, he’s such a chill dude, overall 5 stars for sir Shane."