A new tattoo shop has opened in the heart of Hamilton ready to ink the masses.Husband and wife team, Vinny and Abbie Caldaz, have opened Body Canvas Tattoo Parlour upstairs in Windsor Place, in the space that was formerly occupied by Air Canada.From Bermuda maps and longtails to tribal designs and portraits — Mr Caldaz’s designs range from the simple to the very detailed and complex. He has also completed tattoos in unusual spots, like the entire top of a bald man’s head.The tattoo artist apprenticed in Brazil, his home country, before working full time there for five years. He then moved to London, working in Camden Town, an eclectic and artistic part of the city that is home to many tattoo shops.“When I lived in Brazil, I worked in a tourist part and you need to be able to do any kind of style someone wants,” he said.Mr Caldaz, who met his Bermudian wife in London, moved back to the Island two years ago and started working for Triton Tattoo in St George’s where he built up a loyal network of customers.From those aged 18 to those in their 70s, Mr Caldaz has seen a wide demographic of people, including professionals to labourers to other artists.“Tattoos are getting more popular in Bermuda,” said Mrs Caldaz who works at the shop part time and does back office work. “I think previously people were going off island to get work done. Now hopefully we can fill that market and encourage people to stay local when being creative.”Striking off on their own, the couple started looking for new space six months ago when they recently found the 650-square-foot shop in Hamilton. The couple completed some minor refurbishments in the new space and opened their doors last Friday.“I had a lot of clients in St George’s and I’m hoping as word of mouth gets around, we’ll have new customers,” said Mr Caldaz.Mr Caldaz is a fan of tattoos himself and has at least 18, including one that covers the entire span on his back. Mrs Caldaz, however, has yet to get one and was waiting to be ‘inked’ in celebration of opening their new shop.Drawing a tattoo can take anywhere from 20 minutes to four hours to complete depending on the size and complexity. Customers can browse through Body Canvas’s supply of images, art books and magazines while Mr Caldaz can help clients decide on what to choose.“We also see a lot of tributes to loved ones lost to detailed symbols with very personal meanings,” added Mrs Caldaz, who is considering creating a book about the stories behind the tattoos people get and why. “It can be as much about the image as it is about the time in one's life and commemorating a personal milestone,” she said.The shop keeps the Windsor Place hours of 10am-6pm for walk-in customers, however, they will open up by appointment after hours as well. Contact 542-5023, e-mail bodycanvasbda@gmail.com or via their Facebook page Body Canvas Tattoo Parlour.