The Nova Expansion Tattoo

While visiting Seattle for a long weekend from Alaska, got the tattoo I’ve been hoping to get for a few years. A friend booked the time with Lord ahead of our visit and we sent our ideas for him to see. We showed up on our appointment day, worked with him to finalize the designs and away we went! Lord was great to work with and cares about you getting exactly what you want. So happy with how it turned out!!

I have been dreaming of a tattoo that shows all the places I have lived. Like my own personal, nomad passport. I noticed Nova Expansion walking through Queen Anne one day and found them on Indra. Getting and appointment and meeting with Lord was amazing. He took my “elementary” idea and made it beautiful and everything and more I could hope for. We did 5 sessions, and all 5 sessions Lord made me feel super comfortable. The studio is super clean, and everyone is incredibly friendly. They are like one big family. This is the biggest and most detailed tattoo I have on my body. He made it worth wild. We vibed off each other with ideas. He really showed is creative side, and knowledge for the tattoo. which I love! I couldn’t have asked for a better artist and I can’t wait for my next pieces! Lord, I gotta say thanks for the naps! Haha! I highly recommend Nova Expansion and go say hi to Lord!

My friend booked a session with Carlos for her and I to get matching tattoos, and he did a fantastic job! Queer affirming, asked trauma-informed questions, and overall exuded a gentle/kind/caring energy! Was a great communicator with my friend, and combined our references into something more beautiful than we could have imagined. Very meticulous/detail oriented, and would definitely get more tattoos from him in the future!

Justin Coppolino is just an all around extraordinary tattoo artist. He has an unparalleled drive and passion for life in general and he puts his whole self into everything he does. I suspect he is a bit of a perfectionist and you can be sure that perfection comes through in his work.
If you are lucky enough to book an appointment with him, you will have the privilege of being forever adorned with a superlative piece of art, and you will become living artwork.
Even more impressive than Justin's technical ability, is his gift for really seeing the bigger picture . It almost seems like he is able to reach into people's hearts and bring to the surface what would otherwise be unseen. If you have a concept, or a feeling, or sometimes even a song, and you convey it to Justin, he is able to bring it into existence . This method of deciding on a tattoo is definitely what I would recommend if you're wanting something perfectly done and exclusively tailored to your own body and spirit. I DO NOT RECOMMEND BRINGING JUSTIN A GENERIC PINTEREST IDEA haha, He'd probably just refuse to do it, but if anything I have ever seen puts that guy in a bad mood - it's someone insisting on a played out glorified rubber stamp of a tattoo. Really, you'd be doing a disservice to yourself by passing up the opportunity to have Justin design your tattoo.
His line work is immaculate, he has a gift for placing tattoos perfectly so that they enhance the uniqueness of each individual body, his ink placement is such that you can expect your tattoo to look as beautiful as possible for as long as is humanly possible...he checks all the boxes. My work is around four years old I think, and people still ask if my tattoos are brand new...and that's with a bunch of leg hair clouding my tattoos (I stopped shaving most the time because I have tattoo pants pretty much).
I have to warn you that strangers will begin bombarding you with compliments while you're trying to grocery shop... EVERY DAY. It's not so bad though, most people are genuinely enchanted by his work. It really is magical. It does get annoying when people are just trying to find an excuse to hit on me though.
I feel really privileged to have so much of his work forever a part of me. It really has made me love and appreciate my body in a way I never had before. I feel like I am more myself, because now people can see what's inside me by seeing the outside of me. I have Autism Spectrum Disorder, and I have felt so misunderstood my whole life. I will forever be grateful for the gift he has given me by sharing his talents, and for the hours spent talking to him. Justin is an amazing guy and lots of fun to be around (plus he's pretty easy on the eyes 😉)

I was in the neighborhood and decided to call for a walk-in consultation. Lord happened to answer the phone and let me know that he was available. He was friendly and patient answering all of my questions (not my first tattoo, but it's been a long time so I had a lot of questions). I showed him the artwork that I wanted and we discussed location and size. He gave me great feedback on appropriate sizing based on my melanated skin and how the ink would age. My appointment started on time, everything was sanitary and comfortable. Lord was friendly, focused and finished pretty quickly. Most importantly, I got exactly wat I wanted. He will definitely be my go to when I want my next piece.

My husband and I walked in for tattoos after being basically told to kick rocks by another shop. We were only in town for another day and were concerned we couldn't get the pieces we wanted (especially full color and for there being 2 of us). Lord took the time out to make sure we could both get tattooed on the same day despite us not having time to set an appointment properly. He did an incredible job. He was focused on the little details which really made our work pop and gave the pieces more definition than the source work we brought in. Justin also made sure we were comfortable and I really enjoyed being able to get tattooed in a clean shop and enjoy a conversation with Lord and Justin. I would definitely recommend this shop to anyone living in or visiting the Seattle area.

I got a tattoo from Lord Kelly and I am so happy with it! He had such a professional attitude and worked with me to get the piece placed just right. He worked quickly and efficiently to give me an amazing piece of art. I highly recommend going to see him for your next tattoo.

Lord has done 2 amazing tattoos for me at Nova Epansion. His creativity matched the vision I was having for both of the tattoos. He's very friendly and creates a great environment. I've recommended him to a few of my friends.

I love supporting a local shop and hope these folks are around for a long time.

My husband and I were in Seattle for a long weekend, and we walked by Nova Expansion a few times from our hotel and I noticed the window said "walk ins welcome" so I stopped in on a Saturday around 11am to see if there were any way to book something before we left. I spoke to a very nice woman who took my info and said they'd contact me with an opening. Lord Kelly texted me right away, saying he could book me that afternoon and asked about details for my tattoo. I had a specific lotus style that I've wanted for years and texted him the picture. He asked very thoughtful questions about what I wanted and then had it all ready and sketched out when I arrived. He was incredibly professional and thorough, and his attention to detail was amazing. We laughed and chatted and it made it very pleasant. The rate was beyond reasonable and he had it done in an efficient time. I am so very happy with my ink work, and my husband and I can't wait to get back there to do another.

I researched this shop before making a trip to Seattle, I thought getting a piece completed while I was there would be a long shot since they were likely booked. I happened to pass the shop while I was out walking around town and stopped by, surprisingly the artist I wanted my work done by, Lord, was there with an open spot due to a cancellation.
He was so professional, incredibly talented and helped me work out the piece I had in my head to create my new favorite tattoo.
He was quick with the drawing and his work is impeccable-it is really gorgeous.

His vibe is amazing, we chatted like we’d known each other for years. Such a cool and chill environment to get my piece done. He followed all the COVID precautions to a T, and I felt safe the entire time. I am so happy with the work Lord did, I seriously can’t recommend them enough!