ONE of the country’s leading tattoo artists has opened up a new studio in Bolton.

From celebrities to sports stars, including Wigan rugby league players, Farnworth born Paul Owen’s tattoo work is something to be savoured.

And the 34-year-old is now operating from his new premises at Lea Gate, Harwood.

Anybody wishing to have one of his masterpieces put onto their skin can wait up to one year to go under the needle, which suits Paul, a multi-award winning international artist, absolutely fine.

Paul says he has an 11 month waiting list and his main concern is to do good tattoos for all of his clients. 

He said: "I am booked up for 11 months, even the rugby players book in. The waiting time allows people to be sure of what they want and not make any rash descisions they may later regret."

His tattoo career started after he dropped out of a second year product design degree at Salford University following a road accident. It was then that he started selling his very distinct and detailed designs to tattooists.

One of them offered him the chance to try out the medium, and before he knew it, he had become an apprentice to the craft, eventually setting up his business Naughty Needles at Halliwell Road, Halliwell, where he has operated for the past 13 years.

Paul, who runs the expanded business with wife Kathryn, 34, explained: “The most common requests I get is for pictures of children, parents, grandparents, film characters, famous singers, skulls, lions and flowers but then you get bizarre requests, like one I did of a monkey chasing a banana.

“The one I spent the most time on was of a lady walking through a jungle and the person in question spent more than £2,000 on it. It took me 52 hours to complete over an 18-month period.

“After I had finished he was really happy with it and pleased it was complete.”

Paul, who works between seven and nine hours a day, said the worst aspect for him was a sore back and shoulder by the end of each session.

He said: “The work I do is highly detailed rather than the general big outlines produced by many tattoo artists.

"Not everybody can do the style of tattooing that I do. I prefer detailed work. Other artists have different preferences. Detailed work can take longer, it doesn’t hurt more they just spend more time being tattooed."