With walls covered in feminine artwork, a heart-shaped mirror and lots of pink, Mandy McQuitty’s tattoo studio is far from typical, which is exactly what she wanted. 

“I just think it’s really cool that I was able to step out of the normalcy of the tattoo studio and what a tattoo shop is on a daily basis,” she said. 

McQuitty’s studio, Pretty in Ink, opened in June inside 800 Main Salon. She is excited for the opportunity to tattoo clients in a more feminine space. 

“We can give them that real feminine experience there,” McQuitty said.

800 Main Salon is a collective of women providing hair, nail and esthetic services. Owner Olivia Pacheco said she was on the lookout for a tattoo artist to add to the mix. 

“I thought tattooing would be cool. I just never thought that I’d find somebody that would be willing to do it,” Pacheco said. “It just happened to work out. She kind of fell into my lap.”

Pacheco said the addition of McQuitty’s studio seems to be what people are most excited about. 

“When I talk about it, they’re so willing to book and schedule,” she said. “So that’s exciting.”

McQuitty said she’s happy she could move into a space where she is surrounded by other women. 

“It allowed me to go into a different kind of setting, something that’s a little bit more classy and a different type of environment with other female entrepreneurs,” she said. 

McQuitty and her husband, Donnie, opened their first tattoo studio, Righteous Tattoo Studio, in Leavenworth in 2013. However, McQuitty has been involved in the tattoo industry since she was a kid. 

“My father has been a tattoo artist since I was a little girl, for over 30 years now. My husband apprenticed under my dad, and then he spent seven years under my father before we stepped out and opened Righteous Tattoo Studio,” she said. 

After a lifetime in the industry, she made the decision to become a tattoo artist three years ago and began her apprenticeship under her husband. She officially became a licensed tattoo artist a year and a half ago. 

“It was beneficial to our family for me to try to start learning the trait that I had been involved in for so long,” she said. 

Along with providing her with more clients from the Eudora area, McQuitty said Pretty in Ink will also allow her to continue serving previous clients. 

“I want to keep my Eudora clients in Eudora, but I have a lot of my own clientele that have booked me in Eudora that are just closer to that location, that have been tattooed by me in Leavenworth,” she said. 

McQuitty said she enjoys doing various types of tattoos.

“I enjoy doing custom floral and mandala work, handwriting, fine line, and I also love to do glitter tattoos,” she said. 

Prices are based on the size of the tattoo, the details and placement. McQuitty said the cost varies depending on what is requested by the client.

Tattooing at Pretty in Ink is through appointment only. To request a consultation with McQuitty, send an email to [email protected]. 

Although it will mostly be McQuitty tattooing at Pretty in Ink, she said her husband will help out when needed. 

“He supports it. Any time that I need another set of hands or we just have a high demand, he’s always there sitting right next to me helping,” McQuitty said. 

Donnie McQuitty said he feels proud of her for stepping out of her comfort zone and opening up her own space.

“Just her setting all this up and going through all the stages to get it done and dedicating herself to it,” he said. 

Mandy McQuitty is looking forward to pursuing her passion of tattooing in this new step of her career. 

“We get to do what we love to do, and we do that with a purpose,” she said. 

Reach reporter Ryn Drummond at [email protected]

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