We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful London Reese. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with London below.

Alright, London thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. What do you think it takes to be successful?

Tattooing is a wild industry, filled with competition and trends. There is a plethora of insanely talented artists, all over the world; and trying to stand out can be a challenge. I have always lived and worked with intention. I realized that if I work harder than everyone in the room, that others will notice. I learned that if I drew more, studied more, painted more, practiced more, and worked harder and longer than everyone around me; that I would find some semblance of success and that my skills would eventually progress. I haven’t stopped and I feel like I am just getting started.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I AM MERELY A MAN; SUFFOCATED BY ART. I AM A SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA NATIVE WHO LOVES LIFE AND ALL OF THE ART IN IT. I GREW UP WITH A PENCIL IN HAND AND AN UNRELENTING PASSION FOR ILLUSTRATION. I HAVE ALWAYS BEEN AN ARTIST. I GREW UP LISTENING TO ROCK AND ROLL & PUNK ROCK, SKATEBOARDING & SNOWBOARDING WITH FRIENDS, AND MAKING ART. I FELL IN LOVE WITH TATTOO ART AND CULTURE AT A VERY YOUNG AGE AND HAVE IMMERSED MYSELF IN IT.

I DID MY FIRST FEW TATTOOS IN 2006 WHILE STUDYING ART IN COLLEGE. IT WASN’T UNTIL 2008 THAT I BEGAN TATTOOING FULL-TIME. I AM SELF TAUGHT, IN THAT I NEVER HAD AN APPRENTICESHIP; BUT I CREDIT ALL OF THE PEOPLE I’VE WORKED WITH, OVER THE YEARS, FOR TEACHING ME EVERYTHING I KNOW. I’VE HAD THE PRIVILEGE OF WORKING ALONGSIDE AND BEFRIENDING SOME OF THE BEST ARTISTS IN THE WORLD AND I AM THE ARTIST I AM TODAY BECAUSE OF THEIR INFLUENCE AND GUIDANCE. I AM FOREVER GRATEFUL FOR THE FRIENDSHIPS THAT THIS INDUSTRY HAS PROVIDED.

IN THE SUMMER OF 2011, I COMPETED IN AND WON THE TITLE OF THE REALITY TELEVISION SHOW, “BEST INK”, A TATTOO COMPETITION WHICH AIRED WORLDWIDE. I AM FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO DO WHAT I LOVE AND TRAVEL THE WORLD, PERMANENTLY SHARING MY ART WITH INCREDIBLE CLIENTS. I AM LUCKY ENOUGH TO BE AN AWARD-WINNING ARTIST AND TO HAVE HAD MY ART AND TATTOO WORK PUBLISHED IN SEVERAL MAGAZINES AND BOOKS ALL OVER THE WORLD. I TATTOO A LOT OF AMAZING PEOPLE; INCLUDING CELEBRITIES, ROCKSTARS, LAWYERS, PROFESSIONAL ATHLETES, FIREMEN, PASTORS, MUSICIANS, DOCTORS, AND MORE. I CONSTANTLY STRIVE TO PROGRESS, AS AN ARTIST, AS TO STRENGTHEN MY SKILL SET AND OFFER MY CLIENTS WITH THE VERY BEST POSSIBLE WORK. THE ART OF TATTOOING IS SACRED TO ME AND I AM HONORED TO BE ABLE TO CREATE PERMANENT ARTWORK ON SKIN.

WHEN I AM NOT TATTOOING, I AM USUALLY WORKING ON NEW ART OR TRAVELING THE WORLD WITH MY BEAUTIFUL WIFE AND KIDS. I ALSO ENJOY SURFING, TRAVELING TO FAR AWAY WORLDS, GETTING LOST, LISTENING TO MUSIC & GOING TO LIVE SHOWS, AND SPENDING TIME WITH FAMILY & FRIENDS.

Any advice for growing your clientele? What’s been most effective for you?

Providing the best possible service and quality of work has always been and always will be the most important things that allow me to maintain and grow my clientele.

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

The covid shutdown of 2020 forced me to shut the doors of my studios for a total of 7 months. I learned to day trade and traded crypto, while also making and selling art, through social media. I was able to feed my family, pay the bills, and created nearly 100 original pieces of art, during that time. We were able to get back to working at my tattoo studio, without ever having to dip in to savings. It was a new challenge but I am so grateful that I was able to continue to make a living, making art.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.theartoflondon.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/londonreese/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/i/flow/login?redirect_after_login=%2Fthelondonreese
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/LondonReese