Rising Stars: Meet Alexis DeLong of Santa Fe Arts District

Today we’d like to introduce you to Alexis DeLong.

Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I moved to Denver, CO at the tail end of Covid, a little over four years ago. I was working a remote job for a corporate company and absolutely hated it. I had dropped out of college in my junior year because I was wasting a lot of money and had no clue what I wanted to do. Initially, I thought the medical field was it for me as it had been drilled into me to ‘go to college, get a reliable job, etc’ – that small midwest mentality I am sure a lot of people can relate to. After deciding that nursing was not the path for me, I began to really question myself and what brings me joy. I remember a friend looking at me point blank and saying, “Why aren’t you doing something creative? You’re an artist – be an artist.”

It always felt like I was coming back to the tiny artist within me and for a long time I didn’t think being an artist was feasible, but when I moved to Denver I found female tattooers who were/are still absolutely killing it and was filled with so much inspiration. An industry that always seemed out of the question was now calling to me more than ever and I decided to listen to that call. After learning from so many great individuals, absorbing as much information as possible, lots and lots of practice on fake skin and my willing siblings, I decided to go for it and began tattooing out of my apartment before moving to Daydream Tattoo Denver.

I am now working out of an amazing new shop that really fits my vibe (Folk Vala Studio), tattooing almost full time, and meeting so many amazing people I may have never of had the chance to meet otherwise. I feel pretty darn lucky.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
There were definitely many bumps along the road! It would be weird if there weren’t. I think the biggest struggle has been imposter syndrome and battling that doubtful voice. The fact that people want to get tattooed by me out of all of the amazing artists in Denver – you’re joking!? Imposter syndrome has been a hard battle, but thankfully I am surrounded by so many supportive family members, friends, colleagues, and now clients that that voice is much quieter and I believe in myself a whole lot more.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
As a new artist, it is hard to say I have a specialty. I am still learning every single day, every single tattoo. BUT, I mostly tattoo high contrast, fineline, illustrative, ornamental tattoos. I truly enjoy reading a client’s submission and creating something based on the information they have provided me with and putting my own bold & earthy twist on it. I am most inspired by nature, the human body, and abstract art.

My favorite part of tattooing is that it is an intimate experience with another human that I may not have crossed paths with otherwise. My goal is to always provide a safe and welcoming space for a person to be their most authentic selves during our time together and to leave with a piece of art that feels like it was meant to be, or always was, a part of them.

Who else deserves credit in your story?
Ah man, a lot of amazing people in my life deserve credit.

My siblings have been the most supportive people throughout this journey. I did my first tattoos on real skin on my brothers and sister in law. Their trust and belief in me is something I will forever be grateful for.

My friend Hayley (@hayleythomastattoos) served as a mentor for me in the beginning. I would assist her and ask a million questions and she always answered each one with thoughtfulness and intention and always allowed me to peep over her shoulder to watch as she worked. I will always be thankful to her for allowing me to shadow her.

My gals over at Daydream Tattoo Denver, (@ally.van.ink & @shanban.tats). When I was first feeling ready to push Lex Creo Tattoos out of my apartment, I reached out to these two to see if I could join them. I was nervous as hell but realized they were meeting up with me to ask me to join them too! I truly would not be where I am without these two. They were there for all of the vent sessions, the hard moments of extreme doubt, and celebrations of my first two years. I can’t thank them enough.

And lastly, my partner, Dan has been there through it all. He was my sixth tattoo on real skin after only a few months of knowing each other. Ants that now look like jumping spiders. He has been my rock throughout this journey and has always cheered me on and encouraged me to keep going – truly the ultimate hype man. His right thigh is now a collection of tattoos that mark each chapter of our time together. Each tattoo is a bit better than the last, just like each chapter in our story.

Pricing:

• My minimum for a tattoo is $200
• My hourly rate is $150/hour
• I love to do flash bundles where I create an entire flash sheet for a patchwork project that we usually complete in 2-3 sessions. This is a good way to get more for your money!
• I am happy to be flexible with budgets. I understand how expensive life is right now!

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lexcreotattoos/?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet