Maverick Spotlight Artist: Clark North
Clark North
@clarknorthtattoo
📍 Las Vegas, Nevada
This month we are giving a spotlight to an amazing artist located here in Las Vegas, NV- Clark North. Clark has been in the industry since 1979! He has had over 30,000 hours of experience and AT LEAST 15,000-20,000 clients throughout his time as a tattoo artist. He now focusses on large Japanese/ fusion-style tattoos which take multiple sessions for full sized tattoos to be completed.
Throughout his time as an artist he has accomplished so many things including being featured on A&E's 'INKED' & Named one of the top 50 tattooers worldwide in "Tattoo Masters" Issue #1. His story is unbelievable and inspiring, make sure to keep reading to learn more!
Excited to get to know Clark North? Check out his INTERVIEW on the Support Your Local Tattooer Podcast LIVE: APRIL 6th
When did you first discover that you wanted to be a tattoo artist?
I was born in Chandron, Nebraska in 1963. At age 4, my family moved to Maywood, Los Angeles, CA. (Maywood is where I first started seeing and drawing tattoos). Then my family moved to Huntington Beach CA in 1969 through the 70's & 80's.
Early inspiration:
I've been drawing tattoos since I was 4 ( at that time my mom had a boyfriend who was fully-covered with tattoos, he was a tattooer in the Los Angeles/Long Beach area). I started hand poke tattooing on friends and their friends when I was 16 in '79, it was Mike Brown at TattooLand in 1980 who taught me how to make Japanese-Style-Terobi-Tattoo-Needles and how to stretch the skin properly. I continued sporadically doing hand poke until committing full-time in 1991. I have been drawn to classic Japanese tattooing since first seeing it at the age of 11 in '74.
Artist Inspiration:
Inspired by these originaly mid 1800's Japanese artists-
Kuniyoshi · Kunisada · Kyōsai · Eishun · Yoshitoshi & Kunichika
Anything else to share?
My focus these days is entirely old style Japenese tattoos, including body suits, sleeves, as well as smaller 'one-point' designs.
I am primarily self-taught though mentored by Mark Mahoney, Rick Walters, Mike Brown, Kari Barba and Catfish Carl.
In 1986, an accident left me with extensive injuries including the loss of my eye.. as well as the death of my mother and multiple plastic/reconstructive surgeries in the same month. This was when I was 23. I lost the plot from my life being flipped upside down so I moved to Florida and lived with my mom's sister and her family, where they helped me regain my passion for art and tattooing. Later returning to California, I resumed tattooing friends.
In 1991, Mark Mahoney introduced me to Rick Walters at Bret Grimm's Tattoo in Long Beach, CA. Rick from then on mentored me, teaching and refining my techniques, professionalism, and tattooing longevity. I balanced a day job while training with Rick and tattooing at home during night-hours. It was 3 years before I began working in a shop.
My first tattooing job at Kari Barba's Outer Limits Tattoo from 1994-2004, managing her Costa Mesa location from 2001-2003. Then I didn't want to manage anymore.
In 2004 I moved to Las Vegas to film A&E's TV series called "Inked" at Carey Hart's "Hart & Huntington". I also worked with Kent Kelley at StayTrue Tattoo from 2008 before establishing my private place in 2011.
Clark through the years: