SPL LIVING
The Fine Art of Tattoo
Peter Bogdanov brings his artistic mastery to the ‘Burg with Legend Ink BY MARCIA BIGGS The past year has been a labor of love for the Bogdanov family. How clan head Peter, wife Donna and two grown children landed in St. Pete after nearly three decades of running tattoo shops in California, Hawaii and Oregon, seems to be kismet anchored by a good dose of determination, optimism and sweat. It’s a steamy day in mid-June and we are meeting at the nearly complete BOGDANOV Legend Ink tattoo studio in the heart of downtown. Atop the small storefront, a large bold sign says BOGDANOV – Orchestrating Wonder with a mysterious logo of a winged eyeball topped by a royal crown. Wonder is apropos, as I wonder what it all means. I was about to find out. BOGDANOV is Peter Bogdanov, something of a renaissance man in his jeans, tatts and black BOGDANOV t-shirt, part artistic juggernaut and part businessman. He is an entrepreneur, a family man and a chaser of the American Dream. He is a fine artist who
can tattoo stunning masterpieces on a back or arm or leg, or paint a mural with themes that range from dark fantasy to sunflowers. In 2013, he created Bad Petrovich, a brand of handmade surfboards featuring his custom designs. While they are made for surfing, collectors use them as fine art for offices and home interiors. As creative director of Bogdanov graphic design, he offers brand management, website development and marketing services, all of which he does pretty much single handedly. “ I have the Da Vinci syndrome, I don’t do just one thing,” he jokes. “But I do so many things that from day one I knew I had to be prolific.” The Bogdanovs moved here from the West Coast just a year ago, part of the great exodus. “We had run successful shops in three states, but just before COVID we decided we wanted to be a small family business again,” Bogdanov explains. “It’s hard to beat Hawaii, where do you go
Peter Bogdanov, wife Donna, daughter Natalia and son Isaiah, are at the helm of BOGDANOV Legend Ink in downtown St. Pete.
60
StPeteLifeMag.com
July/August 2021
