Inking

An artist on hiatus

Brian Hanscom

Wil Scherer, a mainstay on the Portland tattoo scene for almost 10 years, will be taking a hiatus from tattooing in Portland for a few months to get out and see a little bit of the country. Bombshell Tattoo, the shop Wil has run for the past five years, will change hands to his partner Paul LeClaire who will keep the name. "Bombshell will keep going," explains Paul. "I'll be going solo for a while and then maybe get another artist in."

Paul doesn't see Bombshell's allegiance to custom-designed tattoos, which has kept the shop's reputation as one of the best in the state, changing. However, one small addition will be made: Jason Chapman, from Bad Seed body piercing next door to Bombshell on Congress Street, will end up sharing the shop to expand their style of business. Jason is excited to be working in the new shop. "I'll get in there in a few months and we'll do some remodeling, make it bigger," he says.

As for where Scherer is off to, "I have no idea, maybe Florida, maybe California, who knows," he says. And while Scherer is definitely returning to Portland after his sabbatical, his future when he gets back in a few months is just as uncertain. Scherer says that he will not be going back to Bombshell, but it is doubtful, after having shaped Portland tattooing for much of his life, retirement and shuffle board are in his near future. Chris Dingwell of Sanctuary Tattoo is pleased that Scherer will continue working in Portland despite his vacation. "He's one of the only . . . [Portland tattoo artists] that has a real fine art direction and he has been here for a long time," notes Dingwell, "He is definitely one the finest artists in the state."