INUVIK - If you look closely in Inuvik, you'll see there's a whole world of stories peeking out from under people's clothing.

Many people with tattoos - whether they have portraits of Elvis, bear claws, lovers' names or anything else - owe their ink to Uwe Vullings.

With arms covered in dragons, stripes, waves and all sorts of images, tattoo artist Uwe Vullings worked on Inuvik's Brent Feniuk June 28. Feniuk was getting a raven and cloaked figure tattooed on his shoulder, and sat for three hours in the chair. Philippe Morin/NNSL photo

In late June, he came to visit Inuvik and his friends "Ali" and Pete Carrington.

He brought along his tattoo machine and some colourful inks, and did commissioned work from a clean studio built in a friend's renovated storage room.

"We met with the health inspector, and have a hospital-grade sterilizer," said Vullings, who owns a studio in Smithers, B.C.

As Vullings went to work on 17-year-old Brent Feniuk on June 28, it seemed as though Inuvik had a real tattoo parlour.

The pirate flags were also a nice touch.

Vullings, who is originally German, heavily-tattooed and has been working as an inker for 20 years, said tattooing is not an easy job.

Since Inuvik has no resident artist, he said there was pressure to accommodate too many people in two weeks.

"We kept going until five in he morning once," he said.

Since demand was so overwhelming, Vullings said he might come back in October.

He added that Inuvik residents - perhaps because they had more time to think about it - gave him original ideas.

"What's really nice is that the artwork is varied," he said.

Vullings' wife, Mel Emdee, also offered her services as a piercer.

She said business was steady to slow, but she didn't advertise very much.

"Every high school girl in Inuvik would have flocked through the doors if they knew we did piercings," joked Vullings.

"We didn't want that to happen."

As a veteran of the tattoo business, it's not surprising Vullings has amassed quite a collection of tattoos himself over the years.

On June 28, before he held a buzzing tattoo machine and inked Feniuk's shoulder piece, he commented on his own skin art.

"I've had some of these since I was 17," he said.

Examining the wild collection of dragons, grim reapers, roses, vines, waves, mountains and other symbols, it became clear that Vullings' journey through life has been marked with the collection of symbols.

Both Emdee and Vullings also developed an interest in traditional Northern body art while visiting.

Vullings was fascinated by a photo of the late Susie Tingtalik from Sachs Harbour, who had traditional face tattoos.

"I was aware they did tattoos, but I had never seen this, it's very cool," he said upon seeing the picture.