I began tattooing in the Atlanta area in 1995 when I was 15 years old, though it didn’t become my full time profession until 1998. I was apprenticed by my father Rod Kelly. He was introduced to tattooing through outlaw biker culture in the early 80’s. As a child I was captivated by the images tattooed on my dad and his friends - skulls, eagles, panthers, naked women, wizards, grim reapers… these images are the heart and soul of tattooing for me. I’ve worked at several different shops in the Atlanta area. 5 years of my career was spent working for Cap Szumski at Timeless Tattoo. I began working with Russ Abbott at Ink & Dagger Tattoo Parlour in June of 2008. I also began traveling consistently, working at different shops and conventions all over the United States and Europe. As of June 2009 I work at Phil Colvin’s Memorial Tattoo in East Atlanta. My passion for my life is to carry on the tradition of traveling and tattooing. I appreciate that tattooing is a folk art made by hands and tools and I try to stay true to the traditions of the past. If you’d like to get tattooed please email me and I’ll write you back. Thanks!Tumblr (3.0; @jasonkellytattoo)http://jasonkellytattoo.com/<img src="http://27.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lzaf9r3Q521qddq25o1_500.jpg"/><br/><br/><p>I just did this one in New York at Daredevil Tattoo. Been up here for the weekend with my buddy Eric Michalovic.</p>http://jasonkellytattoo.com/post/17490893691http://jasonkellytattoo.com/post/17490893691Sun, 12 Feb 2012 11:03:27 -0500<img src="http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lz8w53Nqaf1qddq25o1_500.jpg"/><br/><br/><p>Just a few minor touch ups and this ones all done! That is until we start his back. This was completely drawn on with sharpies. Not sure how many hours it took exactly. Brett Pundt is a super good tattooer at Olde School Tattoo in Marietta and he’s become one of my favorite clients and friends.</p>http://jasonkellytattoo.com/post/17442300696http://jasonkellytattoo.com/post/17442300696Sat, 11 Feb 2012 15:12:39 -0500<img src="http://27.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lr0rzb2srH1qh763do1_500.png"/><br/><br/><p><a href="http://southernvision.tumblr.com/post/9807510445" class="tumblr_blog" target="_blank">southernvision</a>:</p> <blockquote><p>Getting tattooed by @jkellytattoo</p></blockquote>http://jasonkellytattoo.com/post/9830076312http://jasonkellytattoo.com/post/9830076312Mon, 05 Sep 2011 07:05:31 -0400<p>   I don’t understand where tattooers find the time to keep their blog/websites updated. When I get off work after tattooing all day the last thing I want to do is sit in front of a computer uploading pictures. I’d rather go drink beer with my friends or go home and paint. That and I get disheartened seeing how much tattooers exploit themselves and their clients by blasting the internet with every tattoo they do that’s mildly interesting or “cool”. That being said, I’m going to try to be better about updating my site. I am very proud of my work and I do want to show it off. And I hope to gain new clients and show my peers what I am up to. I used to pay money or trade tattoos to have internet savvy people work on my website for me. Now it’s easy enough to do myself and I still just don’t think about it enough. </p> <p>    Here’s one I did recently on Charles Chatov. He’s a rad tattooer and a rad dude. He works at Only You Tattoo in Atlanta. I’m gonna go get one from him soon, as should you.</p> <p> <img src="http://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lqmapoeV621qd6i27.jpg"/></p>http://jasonkellytattoo.com/post/9484729661http://jasonkellytattoo.com/post/9484729661Sat, 27 Aug 2011 22:55:08 -0400<p><img src="http://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lnde33da5S1qd6i27.jpg"/></p> <p>   Last Sunday was my 2nd Father’s Day after becoming a dad. I didn’t realize what day it was until a few days before, so I had to reschedule all of my tattoo appointments last minute. I took my daughter Rosalie to my mom’s house in LaGrange, GA, and we grilled out and hung out by their pool. Rosalie is just one and a half years old, but she loves the pool so much! It’s really sweet. </p> <p>    We had an awesome day, but as evening came I realized I had forgotten something. I was so swept up in spending Father’s Day with my daughter that I had forgotten about my own dad. Fortunately my dad is at least as forgetful as I am. We forget anniversaries and birthdays, including each others. We would forget Christmas if it weren’t for the impact the holiday season has on the tattoo business.</p> <p>    16 years ago my dad not only encouraged, but also stubbornly insisted that I start working at his tattoo shop. I was 15 years old and had no interest in any job at all, let alone one that involved spending time with my grumpy biker dad who chain smoked cigarettes (inside the shop, of course) and bitched nonstop about how fucked up the world is. I had already quit going to high school though and I needed to do something. My shitty punk rock band didn’t make any money and my dad wasn’t about to start paying me unless I worked for it. I began learning how to make tattoo needles and trace line drawings. It wasn’t long before I was tattooing my friends and his, and occasionally doing a barbed wire arm band or a tasmanian devil on a random walk-in.</p> <p>    16 years later I am still doing the only thing I have ever really learned to do. I’ve worked full time to learn the craft and industry that my dad introduced me to. I am forever grateful and thankful to him, though I often forget to tell him. Happy Father’s Day, old man. Don’t ever stop your bitchin’!!     </p>http://jasonkellytattoo.com/post/6920248299http://jasonkellytattoo.com/post/6920248299Sat, 25 Jun 2011 20:44:07 -0400<img src="http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lnbnh19LZ41qddq25o1_500.png"/><br/><br/><p>surprise visit to Youngblood</p>http://jasonkellytattoo.com/post/6885604720http://jasonkellytattoo.com/post/6885604720Sat, 25 Jun 2011 01:15:07 -0400<img src="http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lnbndvlYwK1qddq25o1_500.jpg"/><br/><br/><p>helping Daddy paint!</p>http://jasonkellytattoo.com/post/6885541906http://jasonkellytattoo.com/post/6885541906Sat, 25 Jun 2011 01:13:02 -0400<img src="http://27.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lnbnalOw8a1qddq25o1_500.jpg"/><br/><br/><p>big ol’ catfish</p>http://jasonkellytattoo.com/post/6885476783http://jasonkellytattoo.com/post/6885476783Sat, 25 Jun 2011 01:11:03 -0400<img src="http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lnbnbjAOvb1qddq25o1_500.jpg"/><br/><br/><p>almost done with this one!</p>http://jasonkellytattoo.com/post/6885495296http://jasonkellytattoo.com/post/6885495296Sat, 25 Jun 2011 01:11:03 -0400<img src="http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lnbn7kqFd11qddq25o1_500.jpg"/><br/><br/><p>Here’s proof that tattoos can be pretty AND tough!</p>http://jasonkellytattoo.com/post/6885417022http://jasonkellytattoo.com/post/6885417022Sat, 25 Jun 2011 01:09:05 -0400<img src="http://29.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lnbn5i7oUl1qddq25o1_500.jpg"/><br/><br/><p>clapping hands!</p>http://jasonkellytattoo.com/post/6885377834http://jasonkellytattoo.com/post/6885377834Sat, 25 Jun 2011 01:08:02 -0400<img src="http://30.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lnbn27VdvC1qddq25o1_500.jpg"/><br/><br/><p>I painted this for the Ink 4 Pink benefit art show “Sideshow Heroes”. Stoney is definitely a huge inspiration or “hero” to me. The original is being auctioned off to benefit the Ink 4 Pink breast cancer charity, but I am having prints made through Rebel Reprints. They will be 16x20 and I’ll have them available soon!</p>http://jasonkellytattoo.com/post/6885313846http://jasonkellytattoo.com/post/6885313846Sat, 25 Jun 2011 01:06:03 -0400<img src="http://28.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lnbmtaBk5Q1qddq25o1_500.jpg"/><br/> <br/><img src="http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lnbmtaBk5Q1qddq25o2_500.jpg"/><br/> <br/><img src="http://30.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lnbmtaBk5Q1qddq25o3_500.jpg"/><br/> <br/><img src="http://29.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lnbmtaBk5Q1qddq25o4_500.jpg"/><br/> <br/><img src="http://30.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lnbmtaBk5Q1qddq25o5_500.jpg"/><br/> <br/><img src="http://27.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lnbmtaBk5Q1qddq25o6_500.jpg"/><br/> <br/><p>Here’s a sleeve that I started when I worked at Ink & Dagger a couple years back. I just recently finished it here at Memorial.</p>http://jasonkellytattoo.com/post/6885148503http://jasonkellytattoo.com/post/6885148503Fri, 24 Jun 2011 21:00:43 -0400<img src="http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_ll3568H1N81qzbhimo1_500.jpg"/><br/><br/><p>Jason Travis took this photo of my daughter and I.</p> <p><a href="http://jasontravisphoto.tumblr.com/post/5420661028" target="_blank">jasontravisphoto</a>:</p> <blockquote> <p>Jason & Rosalie.</p> </blockquote>http://jasonkellytattoo.com/post/5436075209http://jasonkellytattoo.com/post/5436075209Thu, 12 May 2011 20:46:17 -0400<img src="http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lkyu3mQEC61qddq25o1_500.jpg"/><br/><br/><p>I drew this one specially for my good friend Grady Spades while he was visiting ATL. Good times never die</p>http://jasonkellytattoo.com/post/5354634478http://jasonkellytattoo.com/post/5354634478Tue, 10 May 2011 05:55:06 -0400<img src="http://26.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lkytx7lslW1qddq25o1_500.jpg"/><br/><br/><p>This is after the 2nd session. Jeremy came to Atlanta for the outline and I stopped in Columbia SC on my way home from Wilmington to do the shading. One more session to go then we’ll add the background.</p>http://jasonkellytattoo.com/post/5354575240http://jasonkellytattoo.com/post/5354575240Tue, 10 May 2011 05:55:06 -0400<img src="http://27.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lkyu096dIM1qddq25o1_500.jpg"/><br/><br/><p>never goin’ outta style</p>http://jasonkellytattoo.com/post/5354601843http://jasonkellytattoo.com/post/5354601843Tue, 10 May 2011 05:55:06 -0400<img src="http://29.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lkytul1vkH1qddq25o1_500.jpg"/><br/><br/><p>Making some progress on this one. 2 hour sessions every 3 weeks. Keeps the pain manageable and keeps the tattoo affordable. It’s my favorite way to work for in town clients getting large projects.</p>http://jasonkellytattoo.com/post/5354551502http://jasonkellytattoo.com/post/5354551502Tue, 10 May 2011 05:55:06 -0400<img src="http://30.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lkytl8YKST1qddq25o1_500.jpg"/><br/><br/><p>Lately I’ve been working on so many big ongoing projects, which is great. This one was a lot of fun because I was able to start and finish it in one day.</p>http://jasonkellytattoo.com/post/5354465387http://jasonkellytattoo.com/post/5354465387Tue, 10 May 2011 04:37:35 -0400<img src="http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_ljaiuelxyB1qddq25o1_500.jpg"/><br/><br/>http://jasonkellytattoo.com/post/4417786229http://jasonkellytattoo.com/post/4417786229Thu, 07 Apr 2011 16:21:32 -0400