Today we’d like to introduce you to Jonny Ocean.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Jonny. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I’ve been tattooing for almost 20 years. I’m a graduate from the Art Institute of Washington and my love for learning the arts didn’t stop there. I continued to learn every day and everything I could, especially in the tattoo industry and with amazing people, helping to guide me in the right direction. Now I’m the teacher helping others to become the artist they want to be.
I opened my first studio at 26. Having owned 5 very successful studios in the Washington, D.C. area – including a 3,000–sq. ft. studio in “Dupont Circle,” D.C.’s premiere hot spot of fine restaurants and nightclubs – I decided it was time to explore new challenges on the West Coast and landed in Hollywood, where, amid the entertainment industry, tattoo art is greatly appreciated.
I’ve had tremendous success here for eight years. I have a great clientele made up of musicians, actors, entertainment execs, businessmen, and hundreds of people who appreciate the fine art of tattooing. I strive every day to become one of LA’s best tattoo artists. Everyone
I tattoo everything from Neo Traditional to Realistic portraits. I was 16 when I did my first tattoo – with a homemade machine. Next thing I know, I’m tattooing the whole neighborhood, until I made it into a shop where multiple artists took me under their wing. Soon, I ventured out on my own to find my own style and do what I truly love – Realism! My clients love Realism and I tattoo some amazing people. I love the tattoos they ask me to do and the designs both the client and I merge, into a beautiful piece of art.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
It’s been a pretty amazing journey throughout my career- but, I’ve had my ups and downs. Once I landed in Hollywood, I, like many others, got caught up in the temptations of the Hollywood scene. My saving grace was my beautiful 10-year-old daughter. So I took, literally, a different path – the Pacific Coast Trail, to be exact. I wanted to start my new life with this hiking experience to “…find the peace and spirituality I was seeking,” to become the best Dad a kid could ever have.
I hiked the Trail for almost three months – a trail that led straight into Portland, Oregon (where my daughter lives with her mom) to surprise my beautiful daughter and to reassure her that she and my family, are the reason I’m dedicating myself to be the “best me.” On the way, I climbed Mt. Whitney –all 14,508 feet. Then climbed it again, two years later, just for fun! It was a “new beginning for me,” and “it changed my life.”
I would need this great strength and determination that the Pacific Coast Trail and Mt. Whitney gaveme. Three years ago, my dad was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s and today, as this horrible disease erases his once, great mind, I realize life is really about those you love and those who love you. It’s all I need to know.
Jonny Ocean (Tattoo Artist) – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
I have a great work ethic, I learned from my parents who are very successful in their careers. I’m very career oriented, so I work hard and am very focused. I continue to educate myself in my art, learning new techniques and experimenting with new colors and designs. I love what I do and can’t wait to wake up and see what I’m tattooing that day.
I only do full-day sessions, so I can really get into the piece, which means I take my time and tattoo all day long or until I get done. I’m a hardworking artist and my clients know it. It seems like I’ve tattooed everyone in Hollywood… from producers who are working on feature films, to major actors, to musicians – right before they get on stage – to Hollywood’s finest! I’ve always got a waiting list, and my clients are very patient. I’m very proud of how far I’ve come and I’m only going to get better.
The older I get, the more I appreciate working in a “Private Studio.” It’s easier to “pamper” my clientele and they love the solitude of just them and their artist… where the focus is on finishing a great piece of art in a relaxing, beautiful, tropical atmosphere, right in the heart of Hollywood.
What is “success” or “successful” for you?
My real success comes from being what and who my family and friends expect me to be – a great father, son, and friend. My talent helps me do that – but, it is my “determination” to be the best I can be, that makes me succeed at it.
Success in my business comes at the end of every tattoo. Every night I finish a tattoo, I like to know I did my very best. I am my biggest critic and I critique myself after every tattoo – so tomorrow I’m better than the day before. My success comes from the pleasure I bring my clients – it’s why they keep coming back, and it’s why they tell their friends to come. Success is when my clients post, or share my posts, of my work. My clients are my success, and as long as they keep coming back, I’ll “…meet them in the chair,” to do my very best!
There’s nothing more satisfying than the look on a young man’s face when he sees a perfect imagine of his brother – who has fought and died in Afghanistan – come to life as “a part of him.”
Pricing:
Contact Info:
• Website: www.
• Phone: 323-301-8541
• Email: [email protected]
• Instagram: jonny ocean
