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Welcome to my shop. Golden Needle Tattoo is owned and operated
by Anita Burbeck in Moorhead, Minnesota, across the Red River from Fargo, North Dakota. The studio was started
in 1983.
For many years the shop was located in a studio area of Anita's home. To make the building more distinctive,
Anita put her art talents to work and created Celtic knot work, Norse zoomorphics, and pictorial imagery as border
designs around the windows and doors and sides of the house. There was no mistaking that art was being created
there.
The studio moved to its new location in the fall of 2004. Anita's clients demanded that the colorful exterior paintings
be put on display on the exterior of her new space. After all, how else were they to find her?
The studio has a cozy, comfortable feel. There is no flash displayed on the walls, only Anita's various paintings.
The flash is located in various binders, so her customers can sit back, relax, and browse through the flash books,
photograph albums, and art and reference books for their inspiration.
Anita encourages her customers to be creative. After all, creativity is only limited by the imagination. Ideas
can come from bits and pieces of other tattoos or flash and then recombined for a new image. Customers often bring
in their own art work or sketches and Anita tweaks them, if necessary, for the designs. Dreams are often a source
of inspiration. Portraits are often created of people's parents, children, beloved pets and horses. Anita is often
inspired to create fine art pieces from the designs that she creates for her customers.
Golden Needle Tattoo uses new technology for the tattoo guns. The Numa II tattoo machines are pneumatic, or air
powered. This makes the machines quieter, smoother, and lighter to handle, which leads to less hand fatigue. Less
fatigue also means better tattoos, as the tattoist doesn't get as tired, and if less tired, the better the tattooist
is able to do the job. There is little vibration from these machines, and customers insist that the sensation is
so much more tolerable. Because of the evennes of the stroke, there are fewer traumas to the skin, less pain, and
faster healing.
Golden Needle Tattoo is an appointment studio. This encourages customers to think about what they want. That way,
there are fewer impulse tattoos, which are often regretted in the future. For the regretted tattoos, Anita provides
cover up services. Because of her artistic background and training, and input from her customers, creative and
imaginative alternatives are designed to place over the previous tattoo. The objet is to fool the eye, so it can
no longer pick out the previous design.
Anita believes that tattoos are like a prayer. Each time the muscle moves or the skin ripples, that tattoo is asking
the Universe for whatever the image portrays. For this reason, she refuses to put negative, hate promoting, gang
affiliation, or drug images on the skin. Years of doing cover ups have taught her the negative, and emotional impact
on the person that a bad tattoo can have, and the joy and elation a person can feel when the negative images are
removed.
Anita believes that the tattooist must have a passion for what they are doing. By being passionate, the customer
will receive a better and more inspired tattoo. Being in the tattoo business "just for the money" will
bring all kinds of people into the business that should not be there. It is up to the customer to shop around,
talk to the tattooist, inspect the shops, feel the vibrations coming from the shop, look at the photos of the work
being done; to decide which tattooist they want working on them. The best price is not always the best deal. The
customer is in a vulnerable position when they are getting the tattoo. Are they comfortable with the tattooist?
Anita's quote for the shop is, "Your body is a temple, let me paint the walls.
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Joe Garza, Apprentice Co-Worker |
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Joe Garza has been an artist with a passion for drawing and art since the age of 13. He has been inspired by many individuals to never give up on his dreams to become an artist.
Joe currently holds degrees in customized cabinetry making, custom upholstery, and welding. He has also attended Minnesota State Community and Technical College in Moorhead, Minnesota for mechanical drafting and design.
Joe has worked in the tattoo industry for the past 15 years. His specialties include portraits and cover-ups. Joe calls himself "The Dream Maker". Since gangs and drugs only destroy dreams, Joe will not tattoo any gang affiliations or drug images.
Joe's favorite tattoos are custom pieces that he and the client design. It is very important to Joe that his clients are satisfied with the tattoo experience from beginning to end. Joe is excited and honored to work side-by-side with the experienced and acclaimed artist, Anita Burbeck, and learn from her expertise. He is humbled to have this opportunity and continue to express his art.
Joe married his wife, Sarah, in 2009. They have four children together. Joe's wife and children are a source of inspiration for his art.
Joe believes that when a person decides to get a tattoo, it should be a memorable experience. He always strives to provide one of a kind art, and his motto is "Create what people dream and bring it to life, so the tattoo can be a dream come true".
Golden Needle Tattoo is the longest established tattoo business in the Fargo, North Dakota and Moorhead, Minnesota
area.
Golden Needle Tattoo is located at 1825 Main Avenue, Moorhead, Minnesota. Please call us at 218-236-8560. |
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