Hey, I'm Shelby!

My tattooing journey began in early 2021, though I’ve always been an artist (mostly working with mixed media, paint, and pencil). I officially started my apprenticeship with with Ray Frost in January 2021. I worked with Ray for about a year before he passed away in January 2022. I credit him with giving me the passion for tattooing.

In March 2022, I opened the doors to Black Swann Ink with the goal of providing high quality tattoos in a comfortable and inclusive environment. Since then, we have hosted some amazing charity flash tattoo events that benefitted some amazing local organizations . We even won Silver Best Tattoo Studio 2023 in Best of Lexington.

In July 2024, I closed my brick and mortar studio and moved my business to Horse Shoe Tattoo with the intention of having more opportunities to guest spot and work with other amazing artists so that I can continue to learn and perfect my trade.

Check out my portfolio and give me a follow on Instagram @blackswanninklex