Olympia is clearly an eclectic town, full of interesting people with incredible stories. Walking along the streets of the capital city, locals and visitors alike find themselves drawn to elements of the counterculture, or places that were once considered to be such. For many of us in the region, we take pride in our area, wanting to literally wear our love for our home town or our corner of the world on our sleeves. While some will buy shirts or hats, others search for skilled tattoo artists, hoping they can find something permanent.
Stacie Jascott is one of those local tattoo artists, running the Olympia Tattoo Company in downtown Olympia. Considered by many to be one of the best talents in Olympia, Stacie has been giving people incredible tattoos for nearly two decades, starting as a young woman.
“I have been around tattooing since I was a teenager,” Stacie explained. “I actually did my first tattoo in high school with a homemade machine and ink. Being part of the punk/alternative community, I always had friends getting them or doing tattoos, but I never thought about doing it myself at that point. It wasn’t until one day someone saw my sketchbook and suggested that I should do tattoos, and here I am.”
Now an integral part of the fabric of Olympia, Stacie has been living in the area for around 18 years. She moved to the Pacific Northwest from Nova Scotia, Canada, following up on a job offer where she would be tattooing people professionally in Seattle. After a year, she found herself moving to Olympia to work at the Electric Rose tattoo shop. There, she was truly able to embrace her creativity, fueled by the residents of the community and events like Procession of the Species. For Stacie, Procession represents the spirit of Olympia, bringing together everyone with a clean ration of fun and art.
As an Olympia resident for nearly two decades, Stacie is an integral part of Olympia’s culture. Photo credit: Olympia Tattoo Company
While she acknowledges that many locals still avoid coming downtown, Stacie is one of the many who are trying to change its reputation. While she agrees downtown has its fair share of problems, she embraces the community and encourages others to recognize that it is a great place with awesome spots to see and places to shop.
“I love being in downtown Oly. That is where I have always worked,” Stacie shared. “I think people should give it a chance and support what makes a downtown like ours great and make it even better!”
Influenced by tattoo artists from all over the world, as well as classic artists and painters, the tattoos Stacie develops are ridiculously detailed and beautiful. Her work is incredible, which has given the Olympia Tattoo Company a great reputation all around Western Washington. Using library books as reference points or taking people’s ideas and designing the perfect work for them, Stacie, through her work, is a perfect representation of the true art of tattooing.
In the past decade or so, public acceptance of tattoos has sharply transitioned from having a negative connotation to becoming an accepted piece of wearable art that people of all ages and walks of life are wanting on their skin. In Olympia and the other communities around the South Sound, it seems as though nearly everyone you see has a tattoo of some kind, from grandmas to college kids and everyone in between. In the years that she has been tattooing people around the Pacific Northwest, Stacie has seen the trends come and go. For Olympia residents and people from around the upper left corner of the United States, there are some tattoo designs that always seems to have similar themes.
“For awhile, the Olympia beer logo/lettering was very popular and still has its demands,” Stacie told ThurstonTalk. “Nature-themed pieces are also popular at the moment, anything from evergreen trees, to salmon or mountains.”
Inspired by artists from all over the world, Stacie Jascott’s work is incredible. Photo credit: Stacie Jascott
Whether you want one of the tattoos mentioned or have a grand design that you have been thinking about for a while, Stacie and the rest of the staff at Olympia Tattoo Company will give you a tattoo you will enjoy for the rest of your life. The level of professionalism and skill at the shop speaks volumes to the love of the art that Stacie maintains, and each tattoo given reflects an incredible display of talent and passion.
“Everyone should come to my shop, Olympia Tattoo Co., because all of us are very skilled, experienced artists who know our craft well and love what we do,” Stacie beamed when asked why people should visit. “Tattoos are forever. Looking for a deal or the cheapest bargain tattoo is not the best idea. Get it done right the first time. Listen to a reputable tattoo artist,” Stacie finishes.
Olympia Tattoo Co. is located at 613 Capitol Way S. and is open Tuesday through Sunday, noon to 8:00 p.m. Call 360-489-1602 to schedule a consultation and visit them on Instagram and Facebook to see their work and learn more.
