Nick Colella
Owner and tattooer Nick Colella loves tattooing. Since 1994 he has been passionate about developing his craft, learning the history of tattooing, and preserving it. Born and raised in Chicago, he has a proclivity for Chicago tattoo history and has built his collection of original flash, tattoo machines, and ephemera over the years. Traditional American tattoos are some of his favorite to do, but he does designs of all kinds. Nick has always tattooed in street shops, starting at Chicago Tattoo, where he worked for 19 years before opening Great Lakes Tattoo in 2013. He continues the street shop lifestyle and operates by walk-ins only Tuesdays - Saturdays.
Nick Colella // GLT
Traditional Butterfly
Nick Colella
Panther Head & Snake
Nick Colella // Great Lakes Tattoo - Chicago, IL
Black & Gray Baphomet
Nick Colella // Great Lakes Tattoo - Chicago, IL
Traditional Lady Justice
Nick Colella
Flamin’ Playboy Hot Stuff
Nick Colella // GLT
Traditional Peacock with Flowers
Nick Colella // Great Lakes Tattoo - Chicago, IL
Black & Grey Flaming Rose
Nick Colella
Nick Colella // Great Lakes Tattoo - Chicago, IL
Chicagorilla vs. Snake
Nick Colella // Great Lakes Tattoo - Chicago, IL
Chicagorilla
Nick Colella // GLT
Tiger Head with Lighting Bolt & Flames
Nick Colella // GLT
Traditional Black & Gray Snake
Nick Colella // GLT
Talisman Hand
Nick Colella // Great Lakes Tattoo - Chicago, IL
Cliff Raven Battle Royale
Nick Colella // GLT
Panther Head vs. Snake
Nick Colella // Great Lakes Tattoo - Chicago, IL
Black & Gray Ship’s Helm
Nick Colella
Chicagorilla
Nick Colella // Great Lakes Tattoo - Chicago, IL
Black & Gray Ralph Johnstone Captain Skull
Nick Colella
Party Time Mouse
Nick Colella // GLT
Traditional Swallow
Nick Colella // GLT
Black & Gray Johnstone Skull & Dagger
Nick Colella // GLT
Nick Colella
Traditional Red Rose
Nick Colella // GLT
Black & Gray Johnstone Crawling Panther
Nick Colella // GLT
Traditional Diving Eagle
Nick Colella
Nick Colella // Great Lakes Tattoo - Chicago, IL
Traditional Stemmed Rose
Nick Colella // GLT
Black & Gray Winged Bat Girl Pinup
Nick Colella // GLT
Black & Gray Swallow
Nick Colella // Great Lakes Tattoo - Chicago, IL
Traditional Eagle with Banner & Stars
Nick Colella // Great Lakes Tattoo - Chicago, IL
Nick Colella // GLT
Smoking Pink Panther
Nick Colella // Great Lakes Tattoo - Chicago, IL
Black & Gray Chicagorilla
Nick Colella // Great Lakes Tattoo - Chicago, IL
Black & Gray Traditional Infantry Duck
Nick Colella
Traditional Cowgirl Head
Nick Colella
Traditional Snake with Skin Rip
Nick Colella
Chicagorilla
Nick Colella // Great Lakes Tattoo - Chicago, IL
Ralph Johnstone Panther Head
Nick Colella // Great Lakes Tattoo - Chicago, IL
Chicagorilla
Nick Colella // GLT
Traditional Rose with Banner
Nick Colella // Great Lakes Tattoo - Chicago, IL
Traditional Grim Reaper with Scythe
Nick Colella // Great Lakes Tattoo - Chicago, IL
Black & Gray Snake & Chicagorilla
Nick Colella // GLT
Traditional Bat Pinup
Nick Colella // GLT
Traditional Chicago Cityscape
Nick Colella
Black & Gray Traditional Swallows
Nick Colella // Great Lakes Tattoo - Chicago, IL
Chicagorilla
Nick Colella // GLT
Black & Gray Traditional Scorpion
Nick Colella // GLT
Black & Gray Spiderweb Skull
Nick Colella
Black & Gray Hot Stuff
Nick Colella // Great Lakes Tattoo - Chicago, IL
Chicagorilla
Nick Colella // GLT
Spiderweb Girlhead Combo
Nick Colella // GLT
Black & Gray Rose, Dagger, & Snake
Nick Colella // Great Lakes Tattoo - Chicago, IL
Black & Gray Ralph Johnstone Devil
Nick Colella // Great Lakes Tattoo - Chicago, IL
Nick Colella // GLT
Traditional Cowgirl & Steer Skull
Nick Colella // Great Lakes Tattoo - Chicago, IL
Traditional Johnstone Top Hat Skull
Nick Colella // Great Lakes Tattoo - Chicago, IL
Cliff Raven Design
Nick Colella // GLT
Chicagorilla
Nick Colella
Ralph Johnstone Design - Crawling Panther
Nick Colella // GLT
Nick Colella // GLT
Traditional Chest Eagle
Nick Colella // GLT
Traditional Panther Head
Nick Colella // Great Lakes Tattoo - Chicago, IL
Traditional Dagger, Skull, Banners
Nick Colella // GLT
Traditional Diving Eagle
Nick Colella
Traditional Double Ladyheads
Nick Colella // Great Lakes Tattoo - Chicago, IL
Chicagorilla variation
Nick Colella // GLT
Traditional Elbow Web
Nick Colella // Great Lakes Tattoo - Chicago, IL
Nick Colella // GLT
Traditional Medusa
Nick Colella // Great Lakes Tattoo - Chicago, IL
Ralph Johnstone Devil Head
Nick Colella // GLT
Traditional Crawling Panther
Nick Colella // GLT
Traditional Diving Eagle
Nick Colella // Great Lakes Tattoo - Chicago, IL
Nick Colella // GLT
Traditional Cowgirl
Nick Colella // GLT
Traditional Ladyhead Dagger
Nick Colella // GLT
Black & Grey Traditional Scorpion
Nick Colella
Gold Coast Leather Daddy
Nick Colella // Great Lakes Tattoo - Chicago, IL
Gold Chain Chicagorilla
Nick Colella // GLT
Happy Hot Stuff
Nick Colella
Full Color Traditional Ralph Johnstone Design
Nick Colella // GLT
Black & Gray Johnstone Crawling Panther
Nick Colella // GLT
Ralph Johnstone Bulldog Design
Nick Colella // Great Lakes Tattoo - Chicago, IL
Traditional Johnstone Pirate Woman
Nick Colella
Traditional Diving Eagle
Nick Colella // GLT
Traditional Mermaid
Nick Colella // GLT
Barbed Wire Palm Tattoo
Nick Colella // GLT
Traditional Panther Head Blastover
Nick Colella
Traditional Popeye
Nick Colella // GLT
Traditional Sailor Ladyhead
Nick Colella // GLT
Spiderweb on our own Chip Douglas
Nick Colella // GLT
Traditional Snake Handshake
Nick Colella // Great Lakes Tattoo - Chicago, IL
State Street Back Piece
Nick Colella // GLT
Snarling Tiger Head
Nick Colella // GLT
Flaming Torch
Nick Colella // GLT
Traditional Cobra & Rose
Nick Colella // GLT
Traditional Full-Body Wolf with Arrows
Nick Colella // GLT
Traditional Diving Eagle
Nick Colella // GLT
Traditional Nurse Ladyhead
Nick Colella // GLT
Traditional Gorilla - Design by Ed Hardy
Nick Colella // GLT
Traditional Red Rose
Nick Colella // GLT
Traditional Ladyhead with Roses & Dice
Nick Colella // GLT
Traditional Snake with Banner Lettering
Nick Colella // GLT
Borneo Tribal Blastover
Nick Colella // GLT
Traditional Cowboy Skull
Nick Colella // Great Lakes Tattoo - Chicago, IL
Traditional Black & Red Scorpion
Nick Colella // Great Lakes Tattoo - Chicago, IL
Traditional Pharaoh’s Horses, Roses, Cobras, and Chains Back Piece
Nick Colella
Traditional Swallow with Envelope, Banners
Nick Colella // GLT
Traditional Black & Grey Cobra, Bright Red Rose
Nick Colella // GLT
Traditional Diving Eagle
Nick Colella // GLT
Traditional Devil & Winged Raper
Nick Colella // GLT
Traditional Ralph Johnstone Panther Head Blastover
Nick Colella // GLT
Striped Chicagorilla
Nick Colella // GLT
Nick Colella // GLT
Keith Haring Design with Custom Lettering
Nick Colella // Great Lakes Tattoo - Chicago, IL
I’m Sorry I Made You Cry - State Street Flash Design
Nick Colella // GLT
Traditional Bulldog
Nick Colella // Great Lakes Tattoo - Chicago, IL
Traditional Cobra & Rose
Traditional Hong Kong Style Eagle Nick Colella
Nick Colella // GLT
Traditional Eagle vs. Snake
Nick Colella // GLT
Traditional Hot Stuff Riding a Panther
Nick Colella // GLT
Hot Stuff
Nick Colella // GLT
Traditional Double-Headed Snake with Daggers
Nick Colella
Traditional Eagle
Nick Colella // Great Lakes Tattoo - Chicago, IL
Chicagorilla Boy
Nick Colella // Great Lakes Tattoo - Chicago, IL
Traditional Eagle vs. Snake
Nick Colella // GLT
Traditional Cowgirl
Nick Colella // GLT
Traditional Picasso “Rock of Ages” Inspired Design
Nick Colella // Great Lakes Tattoo - Chicago, IL
Traditional Eagle vs. Snake with Skull & Rose
Nick Colella
Traditional Battleship
Nick Colella // Great Lakes Tattoo - Chicago, IL
Traditional Grim Reaper & Hourglass
Nick Colella // GLT
Traditional Johnstone Tiger Head
Nick Colella // Great Lakes Tattoo - Chicago, IL
Traditional Eagle with American Flags & Banner
Nick Colella
Traditional Eagle
Nick Colella // GLT
Traditional Cobra
Nick Colella // Great Lakes Tattoo - Chicago, IL
Traditional Wolf Head - State Street Flash Design by Ralph Johnstone
Nick Colella // Great Lakes Tattoo - Chicago, IL
Traditional Ghost Panther vs. Snake
Nick Colella
Traditional Eagle
Nick Colella // GLT
Traditional Skull with Dagger & Dice
Nick Colella // Great Lakes Tattoo - Chicago, IL
Black & Gray Traditional Boxer
Nick Colella // Great Lakes Tattoo - Chicago, IL
Traditional Ghost Chicagorilla vs. Snake
Nick Colella // GLT
Traditional Kewpie Boxer
Nick Colella // GLT
Traditional Chest Eagle
Nick Colella // Great Lakes Tattoo - Chicago, IL
Traditional Black & Gray Eagle
Nick Colella
T-Rex
Nick Colella
Traditional Crawling Panther vs. Snake
Nick Colella // GLT
Traditional Charging Dog on Chain Leash
Nick Colella // Great Lakes Tattoo - Chicago, IL
Traditional Bert Grimm Sun
Nick Colella // GLT
Traditional Crybaby Palm Tattoo
Nick Colella // GLT
Traditional Black & Gray Gangster Pinup
Nick Colella
Traditional Diver
Nick Colella // GLT
Traditional Eagle with Banner
Nick Colella // Great Lakes Tattoo - Chicago, IL
Nick Colella // GLT
Hong Kong Style Eagle
Nick Colella
Traditional Panther vs. Snake
Nick Colella // GLT
Traditional Eagle
Nick Colella // GLT
Traditional Girlhead
Nick Colella // GLT
Traditional Hong Kong Eagle
Nick Colella // Great Lakes Tattoo - Chicago, IL
Traditional Ralph Johnstone Panther Head with Border
Nick Colella // Great Lakes Tattoo - Chicago, IL
Nick Colella // Great Lakes Tattoo - Chicago, IL
Traditional Ghost Panthers, vs. Snake & Thorns
Nick Colella
Traditional Full Body Lion
Nick Colella // GLT
Traditional Baboon Head
Nick Colella // GLT
Traditional Navy Pinup
Nick Colella // Great Lakes Tattoo - Chicago, IL
Nick Colella // GLT
Traditional Skull & Dagger
Nick Colella // Great Lakes Tattoo - Chicago, IL
Nick Colella // GLT
Barbed Wire
Nick Colella
Wizard Holding a Skull
Nick Colella // Great Lakes Tattoo - Chicago, IL
Traditional Chest Eagle