Monte Livingston, a San Clemente native, first began his self-taught studies of the practice of tattoo at the age of 15 after being inspired by a San Clemente High School art teacher to pursue the types of art that truly inspired him. Although Monte’s entire life has been surrounded by art, it wasn’t until 2007 where he truly began to perfect his trade. He opened Living Art Gallery in November 2011, which serves as both an art gallery and tattoo lounge. Since the opening of the shop, which Monte has used as his home base to develop his artistic expression and love for tattoo, the gallery continues to expand in an effort to support the local artists and provide a platform to expose each artist’s unique talents.