Absolutely Seattle

The artist: Ernie Gosnell; tattooist, sign-writer, pinstriper. His showroom: Lucky Devil Tattoos, 4421 1/2 Rainier Ave. S. (and 1720 12th Ave.), Seattle. His beginnings: Gosnell was born in Atlanta. "I got my first tattoo there, in 1963. I still have it." His training: "Buddy, of Buddy's Tattoos in Atlanta, taught me. Back then, most everything was traditional American styles. That's what I learned on and they're my favorites, but there's nothing in my shop I can't tattoo. I also learned pinstriping (painting detail on hot rods) and sign-writing. Most of your old tattooists were also sign painters." On sign painting: "I've done all sorts of signs; even ran off with a carnival. In Atlanta, I did billboards for Ted Turner Advertising. We'd paint these 30-foot-long gals, wearing bikinis. But we'd paint 'em nekkid first; Ted would always come by to see 'em." On tattooing: "When I started, there were maybe 200 tattooists left. I mean in the whole of America. Today, in Seattle alone, there are hundreds of us." Lucky Devil is a museum of tattoo "flash" - sample designs from different eras and artists. "I've always collected that; I've got stuff from the '20s to now. Some of it now sells for $2,000 a sheet, but I keep it." On the road: Gosnell got to Seattle via his wife, Lynn, who hails from here. They met in Arizona, then established two tattoo shops in New Orleans. "I've always been kind of a weirdo; I've traveled everywhere." On his clientele: "When we first opened the shop on Rainier, some people thought we were gonna be devil worshippers! But it's just a funky name. I was surprised, because I was raised a Southern Baptist, and that's still what I fully believe in. But I prefer this shop to the one on Capitol Hill. A lot of black kids come in here and 85 percent of my clients have always been black people. There's a real technique to tattooing black skin well." On his art: Gosnell's work is on exhibit in every House of Blues, as well as the Coca-Cola and Disney museums. "It's art but, to me, it's really a craft. All this stuff - flash, pinstriping, old sign-writing - people now call it folk art. But that's because it's about the self-taught artist." Where you can see it: Now through March 22, at Roq La Rue Gallery, 2224 Second Ave.; 2 to 7 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and by appointment; 206-399-6952.