ROSWELL, Ga. — When her daughter decided to pursue a career as a tattoo artist, Carmen Utley never thought she would be brought along for the ride.
Thanks to Utley’s daughter, Brianna, she is now the proud owner of Cloak and Draugr Tattoo at 468 South Atlanta St. in Roswell. The shop, with a classy and sophisticated aesthetic, invites tattoo rookies or seasoned pros in for their next piece.
The journey began when Brianna got an apprenticeship at the studio in early 2023. Utley, originally born in Mexico, moved to the United States just under 30 years ago. She worked as a mortgage processor for 28 years and never thought she would own a business, until her brother encouraged her to just go for it.
“I [was] like, ‘I think you’re crazy, but okay yeah,’ so I didn’t think [anything] was going to happen,” Utley said.
She met with the original owner, Nic Domingo, and asked if the shop was for sale. To her surprise, he said yes.
Domingo opened Cloak and Draugr Tattoo in June 2017. Inside the store, guests can find art and décor that matches Domingo’s Nordic heritage.
In December 2023, Utley officially became the owner of Cloak and Draugr. Her first thought when walking into the studio as owner, was “what did I get myself into?”
“I was super nervous because I couldn’t let them down,” she said.
To this day, you can still find Domingo in the studio working as the manager.
Brianna Utley stands next to her trinkets and art inside her studio room at Cloak and Draugr Tattoo on 468 South Atlanta St.
The importance of atmosphere
The name for the studio comes from inspiration from Norse mythology. In folklore, a draugr is an undead creature that inhabits graves and burial grounds. Despite the scary background, the atmosphere in the studio is nothing but.
One of the main draws for Utley was the studio’s atmosphere. Currently, her team consists of eight artists, all bringing a different style to the studio.
“They are great spirits,” Utley said.
Utley and her team of artists work to provide a comfortable and safe environment for all who enter.
“They know how to take care of the clients, and especially the first timers,” Utley said.
The studio offers an encouraging atmosphere where first timers can ring a bell when their tattoo is finished.
Those seeking a tattoo can book at the studio by contacting an artist of their choosing on their website, cloakanddraugrtattoo.com. The minimum price for a tattoo at Cloak and Draugr is $100.
The studio offers a range of styles, from traditional to fine line, and from black and white to color.
Utley’s daughter, Brianna, mainly tattoos in an anime style. Brianna originally went to school to become a kindergarten teacher but quickly learned that it wasn’t for her.
She then went on to make her passion of drawing into a career by tattooing. For Brianna, drawing and tattooing is an escape.
“My brain goes quiet,” she said.
Inside her private studio room, guests can find a welcoming environment with little trinkets and artworks from her favorite animes, cartoons and Studio Ghibli movies.
Brianna’s first customer was her mother. To this day, Utley still allows her artists to play around and put new art pieces on her. Before owning the shop, Utley didn’t have a single tattoo, now she has 10.
Brianna, who is coming up on her 26th birthday, will be handed over the shop when she gets older. A second shop, now in the works, will be given to her son.
“I think it’ll be a good idea to leave them as my legacy,” Utley said.
Brianna said she finds it cool that one day the shop will be all hers.
Connecting with community
Utley said that she learned a lot in the past two years.
“It blows my mind, this new world,” Utley said.
Utley is now in an apprenticeship to become a tattoo artist, under Domingo.
“I’ve always been talented at drawing, but I got married, had kids and I abandoned that,” Utley said. “But now that I have the time, I’m relearning how to draw.”
Although Utley has been welcomed into the tattoo industry with open arms, things haven’t been the same with the community in Roswell.
Despite having loyal clients and over 10,800 followers on Instagram, Utley is having a hard time connecting with the people of Roswell. She said she thinks it is because of the taboo behind tattoos.
“I think people need to change that, because tattoos now are different,” Utley said. “…you’re expressing yourself through your body.”
Utley said she has a hard time being able to feature not only her tattoo artists’ pieces, but also their other artworks, such as drawings or paintings at events or festivals.
“They pushed me away,” Utley said. “It’s very difficult as a woman owning a tattoo shop [and] being accepted, especially because it’s the tattoo industry.”
Utley knows it will take time for the community to change their perspective about her shop, she hopes people will understand that her studio is different.
“We are not your regular tattoo shop, we’re unique,” Utley said. “We’re very classy, we like to make people feel comfortable.”
To book an appointment, email cloakanddraugrtattoo.com.
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