Mel Lockett

Mel Lockett

A North Carolina native, Mel is an artist at heart. She moved to Tampa, Florida to study art and animation, completed her apprenticeship after graduation, and has been tattooing since 2011.

Her favorite tattoo styles are minimalist designs, fine line floral pieces, watercolor, and black-and-grey—really anything she can get lost in that requires great attention to detail and precision.

When Mel’s not tattooing, drawing or painting, she’s hanging out with her husband, collecting Harry Potter memorabilia, or just relaxing with a movie. She also makes a mean duct tape wallet.

Latest Reviews

After seeing Hart & Huntington open in Nashville I knew I'd be able to find an artist for what I was looking for. I currently live in Knoxville and there wasn't any possible way I was staying local for this one. I was immediately drawn to Mel's work from Facebook pictures and Instagram @mkltattoos. I made my appointment after briefly corresponding with her via email, simple. Mel was able to take a tattoo I had on my wrist and turn it into a masterpiece on my entire forearm.

Chad C for Mel Lockett

Mel Lockett has done two tattoos for me so far and I plan to schedule more in the future! Mel does such a wonderful job and creates amazing tattoos as well as provides a chill atmosphere that makes me feel at ease every time! She manages to always design the perfectly unique tattoo for me that I'm thrilled to have as a part of me. Everyone at the shop was kind and helpful! It's a clean environment with a ton of fun things to look at/buy.

Lindsey Pearl for Mel Lockett

I don't have many tattoos, but this is the cleanest and most professional place I have ever been to! The whole experience from start to finish was easy! I appreciated all of the organization and detail prior to getting my tattoo. I felt well taken care of by the staff and the tattoo artist, Mel. Mel's artwork and creativity for my cover-up tattoo was phenomenal! It was such a pleasure to work with her!

Ashley Cox for Mel Lockett

Mel did such an amazing job with my most recent tattoo. I gave her a few reference photos but she really blew it out of the water. The detailing, the shading, and the small detail of white added into the piece to make it pop is phenomenal. This has to be my favorite piece of work yet! The vibes of her room in the back are inviting, calming, and quiet (the studio is off broadway and you couldn’t hear a thing). Everything is kept very clean.

Nadine W for Mel Lockett

Mel was such a pleasure to work with and I am still in awe of my tattoo months later. I came in with a general idea and she nailed every aspect of it. I really appreciated that she drew the tattoo while I was there as our conversation when I first arrived helped to solidify the direction of the tattoo. The shop is really nice and it’s the best tattoo experience i’ve had!

Nina R for Mel Lockett

Girls trip to Nashville and tattoo planned in advance. H&H is and awesome place. Everyone was kind and helpful, especially with the newbies to tattoos. Mel was wonderful and her artwork is amazing. We are so happy with all of our tattoos and are already planning another trip!!!

Angie York for Mel Lockett

My experience was great! Super clean shop plus everyone was nice and inviting. I was obsessing over Mel’s work for quite sometime so I was happy she could get me in. I love my new piece with my whole heart! I will agree with other reviews stating it’s expensive, but you get what you pay for and I have no regrets! My tattoo looks amazing!! I’ve experienced the bare minimum of scabbing and peeling so far… I got my tattoo a little more than two weeks ago.

MaShayla Malone for Mel Lockett

Hart and Huntington Tattoo is a very professional and expert tattoo shop. I have specifically gone to Mel twice, once to add on to a tattoo I already had and then again to have Mel do a free rein on the rest of my thigh. Mel’s work is creative and detail oriented! I absolutely love the pieces she has done and I get the most complements on them as well.

Samantha Currie for Mel Lockett

I had an incredible experience at H&H. Everyone was welcoming and helpful, and Mel brought my long time dream into the most gorgeous reality. I am still in awe of her skill- from her interpretation of my inspo pics and general style I was looking for, to her artistic ability in design and placement, to her fine line work- I just can’t get over how amazing my piece is. And it’s not even finished! Looking forward to my final session in a few months.

Jacqui Long for Mel Lockett

This was my first tattoo. I was nervous because with very simple tattoos you notice every little detail or imperfection. But Mel took all my nerves away! She drew a beautiful and delicate design, and was patient while I decided on the placement (it took 3 tries and she was so kind and didn’t make me feel pressured or dumb for being indecisive) She made sure to go over the aftercare instructions thoroughly to make sure my tattoo healed properly.

Michaela Jones for Mel Lockett

I had this vague idea of wanting a Tom Petty influenced wildflower tattoo and started researching artists. I came across Mel Lockett’s portfolio and started following her on Instagram—I knew immediately that she was the perfect artist for my tattoo. Her line work, florals, and creative spin are incredible and I knew I could trust her to fully develop my vague idea into something spectacular.

Brittany Carlberg for Mel Lockett

Mel and the team at Hart & Huntington Tattoo were absolutely amazing! The building is clean and welcoming, the staff was friendly and got me situated while Mel drew up my tattoo. Mel did great work and listened to exactly what I wanted. Her room was comfortable and I really appreciated the TV to help pass the time!

Emily Hyden for Mel Lockett

Mel was my artist: Hands down the best tattoo experience I’ve had yet. (I have 6, now 7 tattoos) She is amazing! Her style, her vibe and the conversation was amazing. Got to watch a Harry Potter marathon and get a sick half sleeve, it was great! She took all my ideas and turned it into something beautiful. I appreciate her dedication and enthusiasm for my concept! She made sure it was exactly what I wanted. She is a true artist and professional!

Raven Connell for Mel Lockett

I just got my tattoo from Mel today, and I am so very pleased with my piece and the experience! She put together a perfect design for me based off what I said I wanted. I was overly nervous for my first big tattoo but she helped me stay calm throughout the whole process. Her artwork is truly one of a kind. The whole staff was very friendly and great with communication. A very clean and nice facility as well! I will 100% always recommend Mel to anyone who wants a rad tattoo!

Amanda Delfini for Mel Lockett

I absolutely loved the tattoo shop! It was super clean and very open layout. I really liked how close the parking garage was to the shop. All the staff were extremely friendly and helpful. Mel Lockett is the artist that did my tattoo and she did an amazing job! She was very accommodating and answered all of my questions. Her work is stunning! I have received so many compliments on the tattoo she did for me.

Hailee B for Mel Lockett

I just had a piece done by Mel, and the experience was fantastic. She took my idea and created a piece that I love, and she made sure to triple check that I was happy with the artwork before starting to tattoo. It was a pleasure working with her, and it was definitely worth the trip to Nashville to get a tattoo. I was also very impressed by the rest of the staff leading up to and on the day of my appointment.

Akzl Pultorak for Mel Lockett

I had a fantastic experience at Hart and Huntington in TN—Mel was my artist and she was incredible. Even before my appointment she worked with me to ensure she knew exactly what I wanted. Everything was on time, super clean and Mel was a dream to work with. She did a watercolor wave tattoo on my upper arm - my largest tattoo to date - it truly exceeds all expectations. It is a beautiful piece. I would travel back to Nashville for any future tattoos to see Mel.

Janna Millette for Mel Lockett

Absolutely incredible experience. I got my first ever tattoo here yesterday, with Mel Lockett. First, every person who greeted me was kind, helpful, and encouraging. Everyone just seemed happy to be there. The place is spotless and has incredible artwork all over the place. Then, Mel started my tattoo and was flawless.

Megan Moreaux for Mel Lockett

I worked with Mel to create a special tattoo for my son. She did a beautiful watercolor piece on me that I cherish. My son was able to write his name and watch her tattoo it on me from behind the counter which was super special. After I had mine done, my husband also went to Mel for his next tattoo! My best friend sees her in two weeks as well for a Harry Potter tattoo!

Haley CB for Mel Lockett

Incredible experienceI I made an appointment with Mel and she took time to talk to me figure out what I wanted. She understood that the current symbol, triforce, has a special meaning to me. I got the tattoo for a kid that has shown bravery and strength thru a congenital disadvantage who powers through his challenges with a smile on his face.

Jennie Alexander for Mel Lockett

This was my first time getting a tattoo after 6 years of waiting. I walked in and was greeted by Brittany. Kind, informative and patient. I felt so comfortable I put a deposit down that day. I designed my own tattoo and fell in love with artist Mel’s work. She has got to be one of the greats. She is a badass wrapped in kindness. Her art speaks for herself. And her skill.... let me put it this way... I was slated for 12:30-3:30. She started on me at 1pm and was done by 3.

Emily Rohrbach for Mel Lockett

This was the biggest tattoo I've gotten, and it is of my sweet dog so I searched long and hard for an artist I connected with and thought would nail it. Mel absolutely did-- she not only got the design/look I wanted but she captured him perfectly. She was really fantastic and answered questions for me before during and after, making this an incredible experience. She also made some changes to the design based on my preferences and really got my vision and brought it to life.

Jenn Lucas for Mel Lockett

I fell in love with Mel's style from her instagram and drove all the way to Nashville from New York for my first large tattoo after 5 smaller pieces—I could not have chosen a better artist! The piece is perfect, healing beautifully and with the little input that I gave she came up with a design better than I could have pictured :) She was incredibly efficient - I expected a 6+ hour tattoo and I was out the door within 4 with a gorgeously detailed piece.

Jocelyn Modelski for Mel Lockett

Mel at H&H absolutely saved me. From the moment I walked in, everyone made me feel welcomed and calm about my tattoo. I attached pictures so I can describe what happened. The middle pink flower, I got done at H&H in Orlando. LOVED it. I made the mistake of going somewhere else to get the white/gray & red flowers. I hated it the moment I walked out. I thought I could get used to it, but I couldn't. I made an appointment with Mel, and she saved my life.