Mark Longenecker: USA

               Mark Longenecker, originally from New Jersey, grew up skateboarding and surfing along the Jersey shore. It seemed he was a bit of a free spirit from the beginning. Born of artistic parents, his dreams were always supported. He chose to attend the Savannah College of Art and Design and graduated with a degree in Graphic Design. 
               From there he moved down to Key West, FL and worked as a graphic designer, designing logos and other artwork for the local businesses, as well as Jimmy Buffett's recording studio. Living in the Keys helped him develop a tropical island vibe in his artwork that he now calls "tropistyle". At the time, he lived with two tattoo artists who repeatedly talked to him about taking his art to another level - a level of permanency.
               At that point, Mark began getting lots of tattoos and was designing them for friends. So he joined Goldie's Tattoo, the shop where his roommates worked, and got him a spot as an apprentice. After a shop trip to a tattoo convention in Miami he was hooked for life. There he saw firsthand what the lifestyle of a truly sought-after tattoo artist was all about. He finished his apprenticeship with Goldie, worked at his shop for a while, then moved to Miami Beach. There he worked for Ken Cameron for a bit and then moved up the coast to Ft. Lauderdale to work for Bruce Bart.
               Longenecker traveled around the country for a year until he decided to settle in Cocoa Beach in 2004 and open up his dream studio, Endless Summer Tattoo. It's located right on A1A across from the beach. Mark has made himself a fixture of the Cocoa Beach community, donating his time and art to many local charity events and fundraisers. In 2014, was a competitor on Spike TV’s show Ink Master. He made it to the semi-finals out of 18 artists and was recognized for his will to fight and never give up. 

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