Tattoosday Goes to L.A.: Alisonna Shares a Little Hawai'i at LAX

Despite the fact that my flight was boarding, I was at the next gate over, talking to Alisonna.<br /><br />My trip to Los Angeles was pretty much over, but I spotted Alisonna's foot and couldn't resist one last interview. Having been raised in Honolulu, this tattoo was an added bonus:<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPmKBf1bq42R-HWcbv1w6og6s91CwfziySRZw4soVpJjMmjKDNesgw-f4KVAEmETJ3tptlNDbcwL7mr7ZFARcJbR9XNIJvcx-5BK3MBMerS08TtPlTYoTkG7dmfxb2Rin3HNx6muuWr5s/s774/photo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="386" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPmKBf1bq42R-HWcbv1w6og6s91CwfziySRZw4soVpJjMmjKDNesgw-f4KVAEmETJ3tptlNDbcwL7mr7ZFARcJbR9XNIJvcx-5BK3MBMerS08TtPlTYoTkG7dmfxb2Rin3HNx6muuWr5s/s640/photo.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />Despite my initial guess that this was a gecko, Alisonna clarified:<br /><blockquote class="tr_bq">"Have you ever heard of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aumakua">ʻaumākua</a>? It's a family guardian. Hawaiians believe in family guardians ... there's multiples, like geckos, sharks, turtles ... Gecko is mine, and so I decided to put it on my foot, on me left side, actually because in Hawaiian culture, your left side is your man side and your right side is your woman side ... the two orchids are for my ... parents, and this right here, the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lauhala">lauhala</a> [the curved fragment above the two orchids] is for the family."</blockquote>She credited the work to an artist called "Nae" who had worked at <a href="http://www.808tattoo.com/">808 Tattoo Studio</a> in Kāneʻohe, Hawai'i.<br /><br />A warm <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mahalo_(word)">mahalo</a> to Alisonna for sharing her guardian tattoo with us here on Tattoosday!<br /><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span><b id="internal-source-marker_0.18962762784212828" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">This entry is ©2013 Tattoosday.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">If you are seeing this on another website other than Tattoosday, without attribution, please note that it has been copied without the author's permission and is in violation of copyright laws. Please feel free to visit</span><a href="http://tattoosday.blogspot.com/"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; text-decoration: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">http://tattoosday.blogspot.com</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> and read our original content. Please let me know if you saw this elsewhere so I contact the webmaster of the offending site and advise them of this violation in their Terms of Use Agreement.</span></span></b>

Tattoosday Goes to L.A.: Alisonna Shares a Little Hawai'i at LAX

Despite the fact that my flight was boarding, I was at the next gate over, talking to Alisonna. My trip to Los Angeles was pretty much over,...

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Tattoos In the News: Hilo on My Mind

Tattoosday may be a New York City-based blog, but we here at the home office have roots deep in Hawai'i. We showed a whole slew of islands-based ink back in our "Tattoosday Goes to Hawai'i" posts back in 2010 (<a href="http://tattoosday.blogspot.com/search/label/Hawai%27i">this tag</a> lets you see most of those entries).<br /><br />I was on the phone with my mother yesterday and she told me that the cover of the local <i><a href="http://hawaiitribune-herald.com/">Hawaii Tribune Herald</a> </i>featured "Hilo's Illustrated Man," a guy named Bryston "Sonny" Savella:<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPxoCATJs6saFtGO-2eSd4_T3JsWtLIFrmK1XS48y1W1NOqVEx5ypBdoYr7ZLkWRqjoIY3vjRZTfNkL_qfCyn3_B1fRDmeEj-cM9sFTwteMf1y1pYU8wbYc7AdNTkwJ7yR_f9PqZjwESE/s1600/377519_4716992485500_1832128725_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPxoCATJs6saFtGO-2eSd4_T3JsWtLIFrmK1XS48y1W1NOqVEx5ypBdoYr7ZLkWRqjoIY3vjRZTfNkL_qfCyn3_B1fRDmeEj-cM9sFTwteMf1y1pYU8wbYc7AdNTkwJ7yR_f9PqZjwESE/s640/377519_4716992485500_1832128725_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;">The full article </span><a href="http://hawaiitribune-herald.com/sections/news/local-news/hilo%E2%80%99s-%E2%80%98illustrated-man%E2%80%99.html" style="font-family: inherit;">here</a><span style="font-family: inherit;"> details how Savella was inspired by images of people who had Route 66 tattoos. He wanted a similar concept, only with images from the </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">town of Hilo.</span><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq3J9TgERPsttWOYE1905nUE8fbVNBTVw2zuGFZovpa4qmgdQ42509K_m-8oNA-vMcgExUVLSroce5Ott8SvoAfQ-A95_4_7Db10tCyqQfiGz9h0UAW6sBOnb9WmcKWdNeuvaym7Ptex4/s1600/149654_web_tattoo1.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq3J9TgERPsttWOYE1905nUE8fbVNBTVw2zuGFZovpa4qmgdQ42509K_m-8oNA-vMcgExUVLSroce5Ott8SvoAfQ-A95_4_7Db10tCyqQfiGz9h0UAW6sBOnb9WmcKWdNeuvaym7Ptex4/s400/149654_web_tattoo1.jpg" width="286" /></a></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Among the expected sights, his work also features "...a </span><a href="http://www.bigislandcandies.com/BIC/" style="font-family: inherit;">Big Island Candies</a><span style="font-family: inherit;"> dipped cookie ... and a smorgasbord of menu items from </span><a href="http://kenshouseofpancakes-hilohi.com/" style="font-family: inherit;">Ken's House of Pancakes</a><span style="font-family: inherit;">." </span><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYuz-YD7uRllS0lg6IIC4cxDZo3jeLPflw-G47XM4jVkst9YDtZ0-uICXm7H-MTvKagL1FCobCh2eXAhF0fy4O3C-e229Hi6Bgs5XA8vQhpmA0QoSALwyvKX40MJiivOxb10uxw0EWQrc/s1600/149654_web_tattoo2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYuz-YD7uRllS0lg6IIC4cxDZo3jeLPflw-G47XM4jVkst9YDtZ0-uICXm7H-MTvKagL1FCobCh2eXAhF0fy4O3C-e229Hi6Bgs5XA8vQhpmA0QoSALwyvKX40MJiivOxb10uxw0EWQrc/s640/149654_web_tattoo2.jpg" width="425" /></a></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>The work is credited to local artist John Butler, who is owner and operator of <a href="https://www.facebook.com/TattoosbyButler?fref=ts">Tattoos by Butler</a>.<br /><br />It's a great article and a nice slice of Hawaiian life for a quick read. I encourage you to check out the piece and see Butler's work on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/TattoosbyButler?fref=ts">his Facebook page</a>. You may even want to book an appointment on your next trip to the Big Island!<br /><br />Mahalo to my mom for tipping me off and to Savella and Butler for combining forces on this Hawaiian-style project!<br /><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span><b id="internal-source-marker_0.3411563017871231" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">This entry is ©2012 Tattoosday.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">If you are seeing this on another website other than Tattoosday, without attribution, please note that it has been copied without the author's permission and is in violation of copyright laws. Please feel free to visit</span><a href="http://tattoosday.blogspot.com/"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">http://tattoosday.blogspot.com</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> and read our original content. Please let me know if you saw this elsewhere so I contact the webmaster of the offending site and advise them of this violation in their Terms of Use Agreement.</span></span></b>

Tattoos In the News: Hilo on My Mind

Tattoosday may be a New York City-based blog, but we here at the home office have roots deep in Hawai'i. We showed a whole slew of islan...

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A Spot of Hawaiian Ink on the New York City Subway

Earlier this week, I <a href="http://tattoosday.blogspot.com/2012/01/tattoosday-goes-tribal-on-ink-master.html">posted</a> about my experience on <a href="http://www.spike.com/shows/ink-master"><i>Ink Master</i></a>, getting a tribal tattoo that was inspired by my upbringing in Hawai'i. Do note that I have not referred to this as a <i>Hawaiian</i> tribal piece, which is a whole different thing altogether.<br /><br />Just to illustrate, one of my "leftover" posts from 2011 is this tattoo:<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO19izVz0RZddy-aOGWpZlkNqSLKQY-GGo0TgxXiAEn467hHzz92Qfx9faKxn9j5cnZ9tsW-knXXRrkNMPDBDJTwvomgz6YWYgahHAkyNSJ_O2G8j6PaUsUK5RbL59MSpKYHDV7vuhmq4/s1600/hawaii+subway+leg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO19izVz0RZddy-aOGWpZlkNqSLKQY-GGo0TgxXiAEn467hHzz92Qfx9faKxn9j5cnZ9tsW-knXXRrkNMPDBDJTwvomgz6YWYgahHAkyNSJ_O2G8j6PaUsUK5RbL59MSpKYHDV7vuhmq4/s640/hawaii+subway+leg.jpg" width="301" /></a></div><br />This was a real treat for me, spotting an authentic Hawaiian tattoo, in New York City of all places.<br /><br />Looking back to last June, I had just attended a networking event at <a href="http://www.bowlmor.com/timessquare/home.php">Bowlmor Lanes</a> in Times Square and was headed home to Brooklyn. On the 8th Avenue subway platform at 42nd Street, I spotted a bunch of folks with t-shirts bearing Hawaiian names. I got to chatting with them. Turns out they were affiliated with<span style="font-size: small;"><span class="profileName fn ginormousProfileName fwb"> <a href="http://familyprogramshawaii.org/resources/na-keiki-o-ka-moi-canoe-club/">Na Keiki O Ka Mo'i</a>, an outrigger canoe club from Wai'anae, Hawai'i, and they were in town to compete in the <a href="http://newyorkoutrigger.org/press110127.php">2011 Liberty World Outrigger Competition.</a> </span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><span class="profileName fn ginormousProfileName fwb">I was shocked. Outrigger canoes in the East River? I've lived in New York for almost 15 years and never knew that this existed in the Big Apple!</span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><span class="profileName fn ginormousProfileName fwb">There was a whole lot of local folks from Hawai'i on the platform, and when an express and local train pulled in simultaneously, chaos erupted as the visitors scattered into both downtown trains.</span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><span class="profileName fn ginormousProfileName fwb">I sat down on an "A" train next to a handful of the group and struck up a conversation with a few people. I spoke with one guy, in particular, named <a href="http://www.facebook.com/samkapoi">Sam "Kamu" Kapoi</a>. Go figure, the talk turned to tattoos and Sam stretched out his left leg to show me his ink.</span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><span class="profileName fn ginormousProfileName fwb">Sam and I have kept in touch, so I was able to get some additional information on this piece.</span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><span class="profileName fn ginormousProfileName fwb">Sam is a filmmaker and was accompanying the group as they competed in New York.</span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><span class="profileName fn ginormousProfileName fwb">The art of Hawaiian tattoo has deep roots in the culture of the islands, and every aspect of a tattoo has personal meaning that is often held very privately by the tattooed individual. You just don't go up to someone with a Hawaiian tattoo and ask, "So what does it mean?"  </span></span><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmER7bQdqlS8tCOCNDpVixRe3Vma9OLmXQ3ydsjwVLBLrNbDWjI9WGDcPpkqFJ42VYC-FhwykfMLFesS5nIh7KsZUvTcxlYccV9JBpbOSOyIC5_Xo1dsJsaBnTH-s6COfszVgJSF7BIek/s1600/Hawaiian+subway+tribal+detail.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmER7bQdqlS8tCOCNDpVixRe3Vma9OLmXQ3ydsjwVLBLrNbDWjI9WGDcPpkqFJ42VYC-FhwykfMLFesS5nIh7KsZUvTcxlYccV9JBpbOSOyIC5_Xo1dsJsaBnTH-s6COfszVgJSF7BIek/s400/Hawaiian+subway+tribal+detail.jpg" width="211" /> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Sam said it himself in a message to me, "the tattoo itself ... is my family design, very sacred." He credited his artist as <a href="http://honoluluweekly.com/cover/story-continued/2007/07/keone-nunes/">Keone Nunes</a>, who specializes in traditional Hawaiian tattoos and uses the tapping method.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Here's a nice clip on YouTube with Mr. Nunes discussing the art of <i>kakau</i>:</div><br /><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="284" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/urWcEGG8ieI" width="500"></iframe><br /><br />The juxtaposition of this illustration compared to my own experience getting a tribal piece on a tattoo reality show is stark. Whereas I love my new tattoo, I in no way hold it in the same high regard as the traditional art of kakau in Hawai'i. I feel honored to have been lucky to come across an example, by chance, in New York.<br /><br />A big <i>mahalo nui loa</i> to Sam for sharing his traditional Hawaiian ink with us here on Tattoosday.<br /><br /><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: x-small;">This entry is ©2012 Tattoosday. </span></div><span style="font-size: x-small;"> </span><br /><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: x-small;"> If you are reading this on another web site other than Tattoosday, without attribution, please note that it has been copied without the author's permission and is in violation of copyright laws. Please feel free to visit <a href="http://tattoosday.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">http://tattoosday.blogspot.com</a> and read our original content. Please let me know if you saw this elsewhere so I contact the webmaster of the offending site and advise them of this violation in their Terms of Use Agreement.</span></div><span style="font-size: x-small;"></span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span class="profileName fn ginormousProfileName fwb"> </span></span><br /><span class="mainButtonSpan" id="mainbuttonspan"></span>

A Spot of Hawaiian Ink on the New York City Subway

Earlier this week, I posted about my experience on Ink Master , getting a tribal tattoo that was inspired by my upbringing in Hawai'i. ...

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Tattoosday Goes Tribal on Ink Master

<span id="internal-source-marker_0.7983786932645566" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">What’s the hardest thing about being an ink-blogger and getting a tattoo on a televised competition show? Keeping my mouth shut for almost six months about the experience. </span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO2R2c-vx0SewZPGiikWuUNlQNUVFcvDLt9C4n72gR1OqvJN8Xofcoe6QSgcT8SifoOCEosTO2jTwDFAiCxdq4t7AI4t5IvjSBOKt_DmVvKZA0Wx8zMxZ11rImFzymuq281YAu4_dj7nc/s1600/Honu+Tribal.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO2R2c-vx0SewZPGiikWuUNlQNUVFcvDLt9C4n72gR1OqvJN8Xofcoe6QSgcT8SifoOCEosTO2jTwDFAiCxdq4t7AI4t5IvjSBOKt_DmVvKZA0Wx8zMxZ11rImFzymuq281YAu4_dj7nc/s400/Honu+Tribal.jpg" width="236" /></a></div><span id="internal-source-marker_0.7983786932645566" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">This is the tattoo that  I received back in August in the course of my stint as a "human canvas" on  the set of Spike TV's <a href="http://www.spike.com/shows/ink-master">Ink Master</a>.</span><br /><br /><span id="internal-source-marker_0.7983786932645566" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">What you didn't see on the show (if you watched last night) was the consulting session in which I sat down with the artist and hashed out the ideas and concepts that I wanted represented in this tribal piece that ultimately ended up on my left thigh.</span><br /><span id="internal-source-marker_0.7983786932645566" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br /><span id="internal-source-marker_0.7983786932645566" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The two main elements are the <a href="http://coffeetimes.com/aug97.htm">honu</a>, or Hawaiian sea turtle, and the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hibiscus">hibiscus</a>, which is the state flower of Hawai'i. Having grown up in the Aloha State, I wanted something that represented my childhood home.</span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA-7z4t5dKp22UPUE227mhIa7cmvq8HqLzzDTREJ6hCSOd6mvyUJqg-LnpEknJ_Dy026UzDOAXbR2KXgGhqEXQeKTB7Qefzl5_29Q3tW5W1sW7bPd7t6CxH7sAoGO-te70Qy5gKdYDxfg/s1600/HeatherSin-blog-thumb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="230" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA-7z4t5dKp22UPUE227mhIa7cmvq8HqLzzDTREJ6hCSOd6mvyUJqg-LnpEknJ_Dy026UzDOAXbR2KXgGhqEXQeKTB7Qefzl5_29Q3tW5W1sW7bPd7t6CxH7sAoGO-te70Qy5gKdYDxfg/s400/HeatherSin-blog-thumb.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><span id="internal-source-marker_0.7983786932645566" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span><span id="internal-source-marker_0.7983786932645566" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span><br /><span id="internal-source-marker_0.7983786932645566" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The end result far exceeded my expectations. I want to again thank <a href="http://www.theartofheathersinn.com/">Heather Sinn</a>, my artist, for giving me an exceptional tattoo under less than ideal conditions. </span><br /><span id="internal-source-marker_0.7983786932645566" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I also want to share a little bit more about how I lucked into being tattooed by such a wonderfully talented artist.</span><br /><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The episode that aired last night was dubbed “Botched Head Tattoo” by the network. Fortunately, mine was not the botched head tattoo, although I have stayed in touch with the human canvas who chose to have his scalp inked and can say, with 100% confidence, the only thing botched about it was that it wasn’t completed in the five-hour time limit. The artist, <a href="http://www.bilivegas.com/bilivegas/Home.Blog/Home.Blog.html">Bili V</a></span><a href="http://www.bilivegas.com/bilivegas/Home.Blog/Home.Blog.html"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt;">ë</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><a href="http://www.bilivegas.com/bilivegas/Home.Blog/Home.Blog.html">gas</a>, ultimately finished the piece at his shop in New York, and Ryan, who shared one of his other tattoos with us <a href="http://tattoosday.blogspot.com/2011/08/ryans-tattoo-commemorates-life-of-dolly.html">here</a> on Tattoosday back in August, is very happy with the end result.</span><br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7lJSksrof7fViBh7bNtU-AVks2F6Ky1ivQdrTMOV7oFQiwi6CO2HimkOl67ywbv3Fu8PV6SqJa1Tc5qvsGDbN4GlBRz6_rYu17QF1L-ovN5q0VReXAVeNIuz5rmRrTHWASr5VS0mts_Q/s1600/ryan+head.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="163" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7lJSksrof7fViBh7bNtU-AVks2F6Ky1ivQdrTMOV7oFQiwi6CO2HimkOl67ywbv3Fu8PV6SqJa1Tc5qvsGDbN4GlBRz6_rYu17QF1L-ovN5q0VReXAVeNIuz5rmRrTHWASr5VS0mts_Q/s400/ryan+head.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo Courtesy of <br /><div class="MsoNormal">Bili Vëgas @ <a href="http://www.bilivegas.com/">www.bilivegas.com</a></div></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Back in July, I wrote <a href="http://tattoosday.blogspot.com/2011/07/chance-to-cover-up-reality-style.html">here</a> about Ink Master’s call for candidates looking for a cover-up.</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> Shortly after posting the piece, I sent in my own idea for a tattoo for the show, thinking it was a long shot.</span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Within the hour, I got a response asking if I could come in and discuss the idea in person. Fortunately, I was off that day, and I went into Manhattan and met with production staff, discussing what I wanted in terms of a memorial piece for my step-father, who passed away in April 2010. This discussion also included a mention of my almost having been tattooed with a Hawaiian tribal memorial band.</span><br /><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Things moved quickly from there and after a series of phone calls, my original idea was scrapped and I was confirmed to be a human canvas on an episode dedicated to tribal tattoos. I am not generally a fan of tribal ink, but I thought that if I could get something with a Hawaiian influence, I would be cool with that. Having grown up in Honolulu, and with family still in the islands, it made sense to get something along those lines. I was concerned, however, whether whoever was tattooing me would approach the challenge with an understanding and respect for the culture of Hawai’i.</span><br /><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">On the designated day, I met at the rendez-vous point with three other human canvases near Times Square to be transported to the set by shuttle. The studio was set up at an old church building in Newark. We were shown to a holding room with five other canvases and, as is typical in television production, we waited.</span><br /><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">We didn’t know who the judges were until moments before being led to the set, which was quite impressive, as is evident on the show. I was initially happy to pick the skull with artist Heather Sinn’s name on it and, after our consult, during which I threw idea after idea at her about what would be ideal in the tattoo, I was excited to see what she would come up with overnight.</span><br /><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">On the shuttle from Manhattan to the set the next day, we all chatted about our artists and talked about how we thought it would go. Ryan, who was about to have his head inked, was chowing down on a big bowl of red jell-o, a trick some tattoo artists recommend to minimize bleeding (the gelatin aids with blood coagulation). We were also still abuzz about the one canvas who was dismissed because of his psoriasis. The guy had been a veritable comedian in the holding room, and his absence was surprising.</span><br /><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">After getting miked up and led to the set, we met with the artists in their work rooms and saw our designs for the first time. I was blown away by what Heather came up with, especially having looked at her online portfolio the night before, and noticed that she wasn’t an artist that did a lot of tribal work.</span><br /><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">There was one glaring concern that I did have, however. Heather was not a happy camper. This was episode 2, so they had just started production, and one show was already in the tank. Mind you, they don’t wait a week between episodes, they are often shot in succession, and the hours are long and grueling, even to artists who spend hours on delicately maneuvering a vibrating machine doing meticulous work on a canvas that moves.</span><br /><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Heather did not hide this sentiment from me, the client, and I was concerned, especially since the challenge was rigorously timed, and had dropped from 6 hours to 5 hours after the initial cover-up challenge of episode 1.</span><br /><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">She assured me that she was going to do her best under the not-so-ideal circumstances. I would direct readers to <a href="http://blogs.laweekly.com/stylecouncil/2012/01/heather_sinn_ink_master_3.php">this interview</a> that recently ran with Heather in the LA Weekly. She wears her emotions on her sleeve and does not back down from her feelings.</span><br /><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Heather told me she would not be very talkative when she was doing the initial line work as she was not accustomed to this type of tattoo. Fine by me. The cameras were around us constantly and Heather was very concerned that she would not have the time to finish the piece. She also expressed to me that she was not very fond of any of the judges. After seeing the flash challenge that preceded our meeting, I can see why.</span><br /><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">When all was said and done, however, she powered through it and knocked it out with time to spare. The result left me with an awesome tattoo, and I have nothing but praise for her craftsmanship.</span><br /><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">As for the show itself, so much footage went unused, including scenes in which the human canvases saw their tattoos for the first time in a full-length mirror, met with the judges, and did candid interviews with the producers.</span><br /><br /><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I can say that, despite all the tattoo flaws picked out by the judges in the show, none of the canvases on my episode were disappointed with the final result of their sessions with the <i>Ink Master</i> artists. And, as much as I would like to bemoan the massive amount of "canvas" footage on the cutting room floor, ultimately the artists were being judged on the quality of their work, not on the stories behind their clients' tattoos, or their feelings about the final product.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I think that this is one of the compelling aspects about <i>Ink Master</i> that makes the show so interesting from a technical standpoint. Sure, there's the reality show drama involving the artists' personalities, but the show seems committed, more than most of the other "reality" shows out there, to celebrating the tattoos for art's sake.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I'm not on any more episodes, but I'll keep watching.</span><span style="font-size: x-small;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: x-small;">This entry is ©2012 Tattoosday. </span></div><span style="font-size: x-small;"> </span><br /><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br />If you are reading this on another web site other than Tattoosday, without attribution, please note that it has been copied without the author's permission and is in violation of copyright laws. Please feel free to visit <a href="http://tattoosday.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">http://tattoosday.blogspot.com</a> and read our original content. Please let me know if you saw this elsewhere so I contact the webmaster of the offending site and advise them of this violation in their Terms of Use Agreement.</span></div><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span>

Tattoosday Goes Tribal on Ink Master

What’s the hardest thing about being an ink-blogger and getting a tattoo on a televised competition show? Keeping my mouth shut for almost...

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Hawai'i and Germany Meet Halfway in Manhattan

Last Sunday, I found myself unexpectedly in my weekday stomping grounds, outside of Penn Station. I saw a couple sitting on the steps in Penn Plaza and noticed the gentleman had a remarkable tattoo on his outer left calf.<br /><br />We had a slight language barrier, as they were tourists from Europe. But Rico agreed to let me take the photo:<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjABu4X61WWLWCUkNnklEVrf6F2DaJ-lclmMGOcDptJV2OrxBHqMUDCQCpR7RM51LeNiQ_f1aHBLueYmwnMTXTX-sE7b16kL7qZT5KVKe8Qq4VlLI4PnxxwoOcvUzSJjJMdnWS_YN1N/s1600/Hibiscus+wm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjABu4X61WWLWCUkNnklEVrf6F2DaJ-lclmMGOcDptJV2OrxBHqMUDCQCpR7RM51LeNiQ_f1aHBLueYmwnMTXTX-sE7b16kL7qZT5KVKe8Qq4VlLI4PnxxwoOcvUzSJjJMdnWS_YN1N/s640/Hibiscus+wm.jpg" width="318" /></a></div><br />The tattoo was done by <a href="http://www.stechwerk.com/index.php5?p=gallery-tom">Tom</a> at <a href="http://www.stechwerk.com/index.php5?p=home">Stechwerk Tattoo Studio</a> in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kempten_im_Allg%C3%A4u">Kempten</a>, Germany.<br /><br />Rico said he just liked the design and that Hawai'i is somewhere he hopes to visit one day. The surfboard and the archipelago outline are symbolic of our fiftieth state, and the yellow hibiscus is the state flower.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLgDQ9mcz3oervhmWbrd04Q3EzI0GqYAKbNtGAnFWi9-Gn9MF2a202vYkvAvygu1tU860fausIWBLdFtFn2mSmm-az40bD7GTvUJU176G79hjwpCtcmXmqg9SDN65aKZjueCIbPVFX/s1600/Hibiscus+detail+wm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLgDQ9mcz3oervhmWbrd04Q3EzI0GqYAKbNtGAnFWi9-Gn9MF2a202vYkvAvygu1tU860fausIWBLdFtFn2mSmm-az40bD7GTvUJU176G79hjwpCtcmXmqg9SDN65aKZjueCIbPVFX/s400/Hibiscus+detail+wm.jpg" width="293" /></a></div><br /><i>Danke schön</i> to Rico for sharing this cool Hawai'i-themed tattoo with us here on Tattoosday!

Hawai'i and Germany Meet Halfway in Manhattan

Last Sunday, I found myself unexpectedly in my weekday stomping grounds, outside of Penn Station. I saw a couple sitting on the steps in Pen...

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Tattoosday Goes to Hawai'i - Sylvia's Back Piece

The one day in Hawai'i when I didn't take any tattoo pictures, I did pass out a few fliers. One I handed to a woman sitting in a chair at the <a href="http://www.kapahuluavenue.com/?p=112">Safeway Center on Kapahulu Avenue</a>.<br /><br />She had what appeared to be an incredible back piece, the top of which was visible to passers-by.<br /><br />Sylvia later e-mailed me and shared a link to a site that featured a photo of the tattoo, along with an explanation of the piece. I have extracted it here for the enjoyment of the Tattoosday audience.<br /><br />First, the tattoo:<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuIspwE9O6QgIsx2fbgrquTpIVZos5jX_iSbFpMiii8AV4iveLZaO-CmJKIgBZBkgbFaZvZAr2TUSEHtc-dmDuDi8XeNQLvtXfOoLmNhS1XBkwNW5od_gKQVNxkj7ayNclSO4UbrSc/s1600/sylvia+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuIspwE9O6QgIsx2fbgrquTpIVZos5jX_iSbFpMiii8AV4iveLZaO-CmJKIgBZBkgbFaZvZAr2TUSEHtc-dmDuDi8XeNQLvtXfOoLmNhS1XBkwNW5od_gKQVNxkj7ayNclSO4UbrSc/s400/sylvia+2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />Sylvia explains:<br /><br /><blockquote>"My tattoo represents my ancestry...from the family of the 'Royal Hawai'ian Ole' (chanters of the Alii court), from the snowy mountains of Japan, the homeland of <a href="http://tastyislandhawaii.com/blog/2010/01/13/time-for-zippys-portuguese-bean-soup/">Portuguese Bean soup</a>, and the inter-mix marriages of American Indians and Puerto Ricans. I believe the seven I have on my back describe who I am the best. Most locals have meaning for <u>their</u> tattoos but we also have people like <a href="http://tattoosday.blogspot.com/2009/12/all-i-want-for-christmas-is-tattoo-with.html">Lindsay</a> who just go with <u>their</u> flow. Many families have several signs that make up <u>their</u> families even as far as the Scottish Clan "<a href="http://www.clan-duncan.co.uk/">Duncan</a>" like me..."</blockquote><br />What's wonderful about this tattoo to me is that Sylvia has incorporated so many cultures and motifs into the design which, as she acknowledges, is based on the wonderful mix of heritage and ancestry that comprises her background. This is very typical of people who live in Hawai'i, which is host to such an explosion of multicultural intermingling.<br /><br />I love how the honu/sea turtle brings all of the elements together. The eagle, dragonfly, bear paw, wolf, buffalo, and shark all join to provide a rich tapestry of images that each speak to a different aspect of her heritage.<br /><br />Sylvia's tattoo was inked by <a href="http://www.myspace.com/thestainremains">Joseph Garcia</a>, <a href="http://local.yahoo.com/info-21877195-trigga-happy-tattoo-waipahu">Trigga Happy Tattoo</a> in Waipahu. Eagle, Dragonfly, Bear Paw, Turtle, Wolf, Buffalo, and Shark.<br /><br />Thanks to Sylvia for responding to me initially and for sharing her tattoo via her post <a href="http://wwwyolga.yolasite.com/index/-tattoos-">here</a>. We here at Tattoosday appreciate your contribution!

Tattoosday Goes to Hawai'i - Sylvia's Back Piece

The one day in Hawai'i when I didn't take any tattoo pictures, I did pass out a few fliers. One I handed to a woman sitting in a cha...

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Tattoosday Goes To Hawai'i - All in the Family, Part 3 (Ikaika, In Progress)

Continuing with the mini-reunion, of sorts, with my family in Hawai'i, back in April, let's visit with my nephew Ikaika. If seeing my nephew Keali'i for the first time in 18 years was a trip, then talking to Ikaika was an all-out exercise in time travel, it seemed.<br /><br />Ikaika, to my memory, was a toddler, barely a kid. Or, at least that's how I last remembered him. Now, he is an adult, and he remembered who I was, much to my amazement.<br /><br />He shared his work in progress, a traditional-style Hawaiian pattern tribal sleeve, here:<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh54Rezzsn5tJgQHk0icWrhH7CylIThMtpnaOWaDwKwtLO_kbM-BeIej75_OybfoB18gHmROUyvM1Kxm-RREjxB9H3IXD-Y7rOuKPCa2-V-URaq4EwEiD6R7nf4ZAO2UT69jOBtUA3z/s1600/ikaika+pattern.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh54Rezzsn5tJgQHk0icWrhH7CylIThMtpnaOWaDwKwtLO_kbM-BeIej75_OybfoB18gHmROUyvM1Kxm-RREjxB9H3IXD-Y7rOuKPCa2-V-URaq4EwEiD6R7nf4ZAO2UT69jOBtUA3z/s400/ikaika+pattern.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />This sleeve represents about twelve hours of work, all done by <a href="http://hippografix.com/?page_id=394">George "Keoki" Davis</a> at <a href="http://hippografix.com/">HippoGrafix</a>. <br /><br />Ikaika also shared this <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hannya"><i>hannya</i></a> mask on the back of his calf, courtesy of <a href="http://www.myspace.com/3322049">"Tattoo Mike" Higuchi</a> at <a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz/dark-side-tattoo-honolulu">Dark Side Tattoo</a> in Honolulu:<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT8ZeC4WDzure9QGysHhIn4JYVY9VyerqJtrwe_oMOXaf15dwCJtDZxcVg-_ggbIZjKn0IiqU00b8F5HFQzZNeHNL5m2dcvnSdazJsanFxE-GMrGJCPrG0lUTbN8tGi_RRNUwLH8hV/s1600/Ikaika+Hannya.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT8ZeC4WDzure9QGysHhIn4JYVY9VyerqJtrwe_oMOXaf15dwCJtDZxcVg-_ggbIZjKn0IiqU00b8F5HFQzZNeHNL5m2dcvnSdazJsanFxE-GMrGJCPrG0lUTbN8tGi_RRNUwLH8hV/s400/Ikaika+Hannya.jpg" width="266" /></a></div><br />Thanks to my nephew Ikaika for sharing his ink with us here on Tattoosday!<br /><br />Previously in the <i>Tattoosday Goes to Hawai'i - All in the Family</i> series:<br /><br /><a href="http://tattoosday.blogspot.com/2010/05/tattoosday-goes-to-hawaii-all-in-family.html">Part 1, A Preface</a> <br /><a href="http://tattoosday.blogspot.com/2010/05/tattoosday-goes-to-hawaii-all-in-family_19.html">Part 2, Keali'i's Sleeves</a>

Tattoosday Goes To Hawai'i - All in the Family, Part 3 (Ikaika, In Progress)

Continuing with the mini-reunion, of sorts, with my family in Hawai'i, back in April, let's visit with my nephew Ikaika. If seeing m...

Read more »

Tattoosday Goes to Hawai'i - All in the Family, Part 2 (Keali'i's Sleeves)

Mind you, readers, that the last time I saw my nephew Keali'i, he was not yet into the his teens or, if he was, he had just started. So when I saw him for the first time in nearly twenty years, I was stunned. There, in the blindingly bright <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kaneohe,_Hawaii">Kāne<span class="okina" style="font-family: Lucida Sans Unicode,sans-serif;">ʻ</span>ohe</a> sunlight, where once I had remembered a boy, stood a man.<br /><br />My first glimpse of his tattoos was at a time when I wasn't thinking much about ink - a sad occasion that gives everyone a bit of perspective, in the bright shadows between the living and the dead.<br /><br />It wasn't until later that evening, as small glasses with clear liquor were raised in honor of a departed husband, father, and grandfather, when the talk of tattoos began.<br /><br />I had known Keali'i had ink, but I never realized how much. He has two full sleeves and he kindly shares them here.<br /><br />His left arm is distinguished by a black and gray depiction of a skeletal warrior king presiding over a dark domain. Skulls are prevalent in the flowing piece that runs the full length of the arm:<br /> <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFTHpNps3RdIkRxZXnPHq2fPMyU7U6x-PMbghEwBvQ8nMNIp9XG03qjx-0OqS9rdNFouwxwkiaZ73sJ7XPnTZ7PwqaHbX7aAXCGuvuLsYfa9OIBch6CsSm-icpm_PpgxluElx5Pc1x/s1600/Kealii+left+arm+top.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFTHpNps3RdIkRxZXnPHq2fPMyU7U6x-PMbghEwBvQ8nMNIp9XG03qjx-0OqS9rdNFouwxwkiaZ73sJ7XPnTZ7PwqaHbX7aAXCGuvuLsYfa9OIBch6CsSm-icpm_PpgxluElx5Pc1x/s640/Kealii+left+arm+top.jpg" width="262" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUEFX6-6BocCF7WfvSttxP2xsb_uxC9J8wvj2S1-OuQ9xJqNCcQ9hC7gvp8wGOQ_S4B66Thu2sDxBKNUqBNh5PK7W_CPUaHKSFpFVQZipQBrD_cKjF1jANO-AsBm0-Dfyp9hUl01cj/s1600/Kealii+left+arm+bottom.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUEFX6-6BocCF7WfvSttxP2xsb_uxC9J8wvj2S1-OuQ9xJqNCcQ9hC7gvp8wGOQ_S4B66Thu2sDxBKNUqBNh5PK7W_CPUaHKSFpFVQZipQBrD_cKjF1jANO-AsBm0-Dfyp9hUl01cj/s640/Kealii+left+arm+bottom.jpg" width="228" /></a></div><br />The depiction of the great Hawaiian king, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kamehameha_I">Kamehameha the Great</a>, is a popular element in many tattoos for people honoring the history of Hawai'i. <br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiSLGwFkjs-vGJm_sICFPdH8OEF2UhAMK8eArczqxJCqfLAdeTuzm227wP7_N08nExs6IxvkD7DnJlc_W5cbNgNG_Ag5TyR-8N0Gg53mQK2oenV9qpe_IY4lFLb7oGDtoPyFolgfa2/s1600/Kealii+left+arm+detail.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiSLGwFkjs-vGJm_sICFPdH8OEF2UhAMK8eArczqxJCqfLAdeTuzm227wP7_N08nExs6IxvkD7DnJlc_W5cbNgNG_Ag5TyR-8N0Gg53mQK2oenV9qpe_IY4lFLb7oGDtoPyFolgfa2/s320/Kealii+left+arm+detail.jpg" /></a></div><br />The traditional warrior helmet on the skeleton signifies that this is an undead Kamehameha, a twist on the cultural and historical icon that makes the dark side of Keali'i so unique.<br /><br /><br />Keali'i's right arm contrasts the left with an explosion of color:<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihDQnn-VaXWIM4xGq-oA9w9Ov9HY_8P8OWUYg4B55wrKEFxeWtBZMWFpHc816SMetun1SSeHZ8nLlaaG8KjU2CQvhAOprFgJepg3H0B9IY4qp9muH_bdDXIIEdeMwxk3iZDKWcyNRn/s1600/kealii+collage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihDQnn-VaXWIM4xGq-oA9w9Ov9HY_8P8OWUYg4B55wrKEFxeWtBZMWFpHc816SMetun1SSeHZ8nLlaaG8KjU2CQvhAOprFgJepg3H0B9IY4qp9muH_bdDXIIEdeMwxk3iZDKWcyNRn/s640/kealii+collage.jpg" width="368" /></a></div><br />My nephew's full Hawaiian name is Keali'i 'O ka Moana, which translates to "Chief of the Ocean". And he lives up to this moniker, being an avid fan of surfing, diving, and fishing. Embracing his love of the sea, Keali'i adorned this side of his body with the bright vibrant colors of the ocean reefs, with multi-hued corals, anemones, and other sea life, including a fish and an octopus.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRxz4FD-E3cjh0MtFKDi1L3_3cMS0pxtGK_Nb6GAW9ysRtDB3t9K_iH-Qr1-d7YEhPjF01Ffx304vXP-hSnJbj0lWcJAcndJWoHqhflJ18VsVC3bmy2G68zLJGKG-u34ZMKeDdlJpJ/s1600/kealii+right+arm+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRxz4FD-E3cjh0MtFKDi1L3_3cMS0pxtGK_Nb6GAW9ysRtDB3t9K_iH-Qr1-d7YEhPjF01Ffx304vXP-hSnJbj0lWcJAcndJWoHqhflJ18VsVC3bmy2G68zLJGKG-u34ZMKeDdlJpJ/s640/kealii+right+arm+2.jpg" width="212" /></a></div><br />Unfortunately, the bottoms of Keali'i's arms are darker than the tops, a fact that he grudgingly accepts as the cost of being in the sun so much, combined with having naturally darker skin to begin with.<br /><br />His artist, <a href="http://www.808tattoo.com/portfolios.php?id=4">Billy Whitney</a> from <a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_1591938139">808 Tattoo</a><a href="http://www.808tattoo.com/"> Studio</a>, has scolded him, Keali'i told me, but he swears up and down he can't help it.<br /><br />Regardless of the visibility of some of this work, it's still wonderfully done and was great to see in person after hearing so long about his great tattoos.<br /><br />I want to say a big mahalo to my nephew, Keali'i, for sharing his sleeves with us here on Tattoosday!<br /><br />Previously in the "Tattoosday Goes to Hawai'i - All in the Family" series:<br /><br /><a href="http://tattoosday.blogspot.com/2010/05/tattoosday-goes-to-hawaii-all-in-family.html">Part 1, A Preface</a>.

Tattoosday Goes to Hawai'i - All in the Family, Part 2 (Keali'i's Sleeves)

Mind you, readers, that the last time I saw my nephew Keali'i, he was not yet into the his teens or, if he was, he had just started. So ...

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Tattoosday Goes to Hawai'i: Reston's Expansive Ink

I've alluded, in previous posts, to a trip to <a href="http://www.alamoanacenter.com/">Ala Moana Center</a>, during which I was astounded by the amount of tattoos I saw, much more than I recall seeing on my previous trip, five years ago.<br /><br />I was in the expansive food court section of the complex when I met Reston and his uncle. I was first intrigued by the work on his left arm:<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfsR9NRBaMhuG0CGx3vk9GdyF8F2Wjyp9iHxtB6OynLmiRzNJzc5-UEhOTzExYuU8KCdkzzQd2zIdLxJFatv-EGWfNNgiHO7fkCudghe24ahThQwz5eACbCbKDrmLpq4H1uRcjdkPC/s1600/Reston+Arm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfsR9NRBaMhuG0CGx3vk9GdyF8F2Wjyp9iHxtB6OynLmiRzNJzc5-UEhOTzExYuU8KCdkzzQd2zIdLxJFatv-EGWfNNgiHO7fkCudghe24ahThQwz5eACbCbKDrmLpq4H1uRcjdkPC/s640/Reston+Arm.jpg" width="212" /></a></div><br />but then, in one of those rare Tattoosday moments in which I see much more than I anticipated, his uncle convinced Reston to show me his back, which revealed this wonderful work:<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOwN2PgUoDwXlSJYP83vAQXmqbp_iwQWO3GHZWY0YjtXhC2ZZUv7xLs2sNy_dE0r5o0jCp1VG2Rwomv_tSUS7GVnuSblrHxULCSanMKTsilZyK5vc43onCO-mqAei__ItbsiFX-Ih6/s1600/Reston+Back.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOwN2PgUoDwXlSJYP83vAQXmqbp_iwQWO3GHZWY0YjtXhC2ZZUv7xLs2sNy_dE0r5o0jCp1VG2Rwomv_tSUS7GVnuSblrHxULCSanMKTsilZyK5vc43onCO-mqAei__ItbsiFX-Ih6/s400/Reston+Back.jpg" width="346" /></a></div><br />For Reston, his tattoos are tributes to his heritage. The large <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gautama_Buddha">Buddha</a> on his back acknowledges the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buddhism">Buddhist</a> faith that can be found on his father's side of the family. The <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tiki">tiki</a> and tribal patterns are in honor of his mother's Pacific Islander lineage. This is apparent from the merging of the two styles (and the names "mom" and "dad" at the top of his back:<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdVjH2gfnrwlt83C7TGgBOfyKlUb0EOu7g62Yv4JxVL5vDlmIqN-IFPV6j47BgcQwCmIhoPQ1KWpuAFuHmY6QK9_sPToqBHHjCb2Gl9JBjjwA1Q8sIyq6T72S9PME1sA4wyn2NhhmV/s1600/Reston+back+-+detail.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="247" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdVjH2gfnrwlt83C7TGgBOfyKlUb0EOu7g62Yv4JxVL5vDlmIqN-IFPV6j47BgcQwCmIhoPQ1KWpuAFuHmY6QK9_sPToqBHHjCb2Gl9JBjjwA1Q8sIyq6T72S9PME1sA4wyn2NhhmV/s400/Reston+back+-+detail.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />In addition, Reston shared this cool lizard on his left shoulder:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZCMkiEScIMqfetf4OJKi6vQTVP6eqWKW1nBj3CLNT7I7QtqLIQBkRaPm0Z8w9zIJG1ymlJgAQ3InDzRzUwyoNiFZbF8XuZgMNXI7xnnb5ZTy-IoPgS79k9tZWwwku9s2wLc_fa_H9/s1600/Reston+Shoulder.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="261" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZCMkiEScIMqfetf4OJKi6vQTVP6eqWKW1nBj3CLNT7I7QtqLIQBkRaPm0Z8w9zIJG1ymlJgAQ3InDzRzUwyoNiFZbF8XuZgMNXI7xnnb5ZTy-IoPgS79k9tZWwwku9s2wLc_fa_H9/s400/Reston+Shoulder.jpg" width="400" /></a>Actually, in Hawaiian tattoo styles, this is referred to more specifically as a <i><b>mo'o</b></i>, which can be defined (source <a href="http://www.nps.gov/history/history/online_books/kona/historyg.htm">here</a>) as a "spirit guardian (lizard) that protects a resource, such as a fishpond, from overuse and other abuse". Mo'o are also referred to as geckos.<br /><br />There's a lot going on with Reston's personal canvas, but you can see the geographic shapes of the <i>mo'o</i> design jumping off the skin.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRh_L_tEjqgQJqJB3KLLsMNFtpLWZK6zz98_3YTqw60VP7AROH4NoQO4RHET5rBrrRq263hFPNuxQugei-A7v79SuGUVEutdInyd6ZCMpug5DUVuctxNkWSWS9idQLlsYjtcfjPng0/s1600/Reston+Shoulder+detail.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="296" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRh_L_tEjqgQJqJB3KLLsMNFtpLWZK6zz98_3YTqw60VP7AROH4NoQO4RHET5rBrrRq263hFPNuxQugei-A7v79SuGUVEutdInyd6ZCMpug5DUVuctxNkWSWS9idQLlsYjtcfjPng0/s400/Reston+Shoulder+detail.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />  All the work was done in California. The Buddha back piece was inked by <a href="http://www.12monkeystattoos.com/jon-highland.html">Jon Highland</a>, owner of <a href="http://www.12monkeystattoos.com/">12 Monkeys Tattoo</a> in Tracy, California. The majority of the tribal/Polynesian work was tattooed by <a href="http://www.hbtat2.com/orly/">Orly</a> at <a href="http://www.hbtat2.com/">Humble Beginnings Tattoo Studio</a> in San Jose.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqMgHSWwSO4pKjh4Nto9xFLoRME-c8dZGTJQdhDa34T7wONWRnrMF5sXEOYpHPHSVKwBSyxrtAQZ7dJpOU_zdcnoVScY_s4-bR3zfzGGlTLAicmesOQuFmt9rNVreAHaHdps3FTCnS/s1600/Reston+Arm+-+Detail.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqMgHSWwSO4pKjh4Nto9xFLoRME-c8dZGTJQdhDa34T7wONWRnrMF5sXEOYpHPHSVKwBSyxrtAQZ7dJpOU_zdcnoVScY_s4-bR3zfzGGlTLAicmesOQuFmt9rNVreAHaHdps3FTCnS/s640/Reston+Arm+-+Detail.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><br />A hearty mahalo to Reston for being bold enough to remove his shirt in the Ala Moana food court so we could all get to better appreciate his ink. We here at Tattoosday thank you for your contributions to the site!

Tattoosday Goes to Hawai'i: Reston's Expansive Ink

I've alluded, in previous posts, to a trip to Ala Moana Center , during which I was astounded by the amount of tattoos I saw, much more ...

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Tattoosday Goes to Hawai'i: Tricia Allen's The Polynesian Tattoo Today

<span style="font-style: italic;">This is the first of many posts to follow from my recent trip to the beautiful state of Hawai'i....</span><br /><br />On Saturday, April 24, I had the distinct pleasure of meeting a tattoo artist and writer who I have admired for quite some time.<br /><br />I previously spoke about <a href="http://thepolynesiantattoo.com/">Tricia Allen</a> when I looked at her book, <a href="http://thepolynesiantattoo.com/tattootraditions.htm">Tattoo Traditions of Hawaii</a>.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1SOFxEp-JC-Kl9h-qxN00qG5lJloA-T2xN7jabWprSu5nDv0obQ9nvcnI6h9JvteN6jUv1ck2nNK4CI9ttnikBx3ovvXilGVW1IpDeHpoNxJt0A-LuuDxDDIjKnIfYUOrordBph3V/s1600/Tricia+Signing.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5466970720311946674" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1SOFxEp-JC-Kl9h-qxN00qG5lJloA-T2xN7jabWprSu5nDv0obQ9nvcnI6h9JvteN6jUv1ck2nNK4CI9ttnikBx3ovvXilGVW1IpDeHpoNxJt0A-LuuDxDDIjKnIfYUOrordBph3V/s400/Tricia+Signing.jpg" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" /></a><br />Now, with her new book freshly published, I not only got to have my copy signed, but I was fortunate enough to be there for the tattoo contest that followed.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVt95Uw6LQgh35sPr3bH4eDGP3saLVWtWcdjAI_998vRduSxY9i5b4U3Vk7fs_Yrxz-y_5hDGd8FKLAepDC-tzHgrrbU0G_xWDRPOnjUF60ogtK8FYlB9R5uwVhYAyZ14_I1e-Y_jS/s1600/poly+ad.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5466969244229249522" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVt95Uw6LQgh35sPr3bH4eDGP3saLVWtWcdjAI_998vRduSxY9i5b4U3Vk7fs_Yrxz-y_5hDGd8FKLAepDC-tzHgrrbU0G_xWDRPOnjUF60ogtK8FYlB9R5uwVhYAyZ14_I1e-Y_jS/s400/poly+ad.jpg" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 311px; height: 400px;" /></a><br />The competition was divided up into four categories (Traditional Polynesian, Tribal, Non- Polynesian and Color). The whole event was pretty laid back, as far as tattoo contests go. In fact, there was a lot of work that was not entered among the audience that could have been in the money, so to speak.<br /><br />With a heavy focus on the Polynesian style, the two entrants in the color category meant <a href="http://tattoosday.blogspot.com/2010/01/tyger-tyger-burning-bright.html">my tiger</a> could have won third prize, at least, had I been astute (and courageous) enough to enter.<br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmTsZidob8E10oHJ5daecxIBPRZMGg234-3rS6bnApkXrZOG-Ku0ODJLaPAfQ-44SG45FTbNSeq1cXhLWs8zw1gb670HfzWA8gmRT8npRa25QL3LxQLqDpIF5VF55Fpgnl6l28mk0o/s1600/Tino+Hoffman.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5466973630805592162" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmTsZidob8E10oHJ5daecxIBPRZMGg234-3rS6bnApkXrZOG-Ku0ODJLaPAfQ-44SG45FTbNSeq1cXhLWs8zw1gb670HfzWA8gmRT8npRa25QL3LxQLqDpIF5VF55Fpgnl6l28mk0o/s320/Tino+Hoffman.jpg" style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 222px; height: 320px;" /></a>In the Traditional Polynesian <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi01JuhJr6iVql8mujmn0KbwNYQjjXutTcvqelCPo71RfJjmS1oGqyC_895f6wyMb-F6t_95MdXUrNqLYx5yFqIyPlgkIMH435QtasDQfc1KsVBo427XexD7Q_gqNnLeILfOnKt5z6z/s1600/Robert+Medeiros.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5466971663643304322" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi01JuhJr6iVql8mujmn0KbwNYQjjXutTcvqelCPo71RfJjmS1oGqyC_895f6wyMb-F6t_95MdXUrNqLYx5yFqIyPlgkIMH435QtasDQfc1KsVBo427XexD7Q_gqNnLeILfOnKt5z6z/s400/Robert+Medeiros.jpg" style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 207px; height: 400px;" /></a>category, I was particularly fond of Tino Hoffman's thigh piece (pictured, left) with a <span style="font-style: italic;">honu </span><span style="font-style: italic;">(</span>sea turtle<span style="font-style: italic;">) </span>at the center. Although one could also not help buy be impressed by Robert Medeiros (right), whose canvas merited him top honors in the Tribal category.<br /><br />A whole slew of photos from the event can be seen <a href="http://www.facebook.com/home.php#%21/album.php?aid=172635&id=331757672364">here</a> in one of the Facebook albums on the <a href="www.808ink.com"><span style="font-style: italic;">808Ink</span></a> <a href="http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=3865674&id=331757672364#%21/pages/808ink-Magazine/331757672364">fanpage</a>. <a href="www.808ink.com">The magazine</a> premieres next month as a quarterly publication dedicated to tattoos in and around Hawai'i.<br /><br />It was clear to me that one of the many talents present was the namesake of <a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Honolulu-HI/TATTOOS-BY-BONG/225592315559?v=info">Tattoos by Bong</a>. I even had a chance to meet Bong, who was responsible for the incredible art on Mr. Medieros.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipEiNU-yaz9MhoaiTNI6fq8g0KSqAvi1KeTcgeXiVZfoq2Gj14FGIDiJjAGcxMgc6Kg-nd7r46IAQ9F380W-vZ0YG24ou80P1j3BKDc96CGQ3VG-_C8CBbPBb4ew1gwaEvo4FozjXZ/s1600/scan0004.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5466977466455619538" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipEiNU-yaz9MhoaiTNI6fq8g0KSqAvi1KeTcgeXiVZfoq2Gj14FGIDiJjAGcxMgc6Kg-nd7r46IAQ9F380W-vZ0YG24ou80P1j3BKDc96CGQ3VG-_C8CBbPBb4ew1gwaEvo4FozjXZ/s320/scan0004.jpg" style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 181px;" /></a>Having just flown in earlier that day from New York, I most likely would have been a little more hyper-involved with the post-contest mix of book signing (even the subjects featured in Ms. Allen's book were signing the pages on which they appeared) and tattoo admiration among the dozens of contestants and throngs of tattoo fans. But, as 10:00 PM approached, my internal clock was still screaming at me from the Eastern Time Zone yelling "4AM! 4AM!". So i had to bow out a little earlier than I would have liked to.<br /><br />I spent just under five days on Oahu, and was amazed by the amount of tattooed folk I spotted, much more than I remember seeing just a few years earlier. The skyrocketing popularity of tattooing on the mainland is certainly mirrored in the fiftieth state and amplified, it is safe to say, by the deep roots of tattooing in Polynesian culture and history.<br /><br />Nowhere is this more apparent than in the beautiful, glossy pages of Tricia Allen's new book, which receives a ringing endorsement from us here at Tattoosday.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJBghQTZzMREEArKzbVrtligYn8aOy2qxLjn-FXNI-mZtV4LUodG9_kF2ecgZhemOtV9fSBvjfZ3ge8Yhq3eUGVp9aKJapZrbIxpdURfI5-CAWOK5tnRQvLis2SzqyH7KqToMxCvUv/s1600/polynesian+tattoo.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5466969167014956482" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJBghQTZzMREEArKzbVrtligYn8aOy2qxLjn-FXNI-mZtV4LUodG9_kF2ecgZhemOtV9fSBvjfZ3ge8Yhq3eUGVp9aKJapZrbIxpdURfI5-CAWOK5tnRQvLis2SzqyH7KqToMxCvUv/s400/polynesian+tattoo.jpg" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 288px;" /></a><br />The book is no tiny effort. At 285 pages, it features hundreds of full-page color photos of various styles of Polynesian tattoos, not just from Hawai'i, but from all around the South Pacific. In addition, many of the artists who created the work are profiled in the back section of the book.<br /><br />I cannot help but enthusiastically recommend the book to all. It certainly made my flight back to the East Coast a lot more enjoyable. My biggest regret was not being in Hawai'i long enough to be able to have Ms. Allen tattoo me, an activity at the top of my to-do list in the future.<br /><br />One more ringing endorsement comes from Ed Hardy:<span style=";font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:medium;" ><em> “This collection of amazing photos attests to the high level of artistic achievement and technical ability of the Polynesian people today, as well as non-islanders who have been heavily influenced by the art of the Pacific.”<br /><br /></em></span>Buy your copy from Tricia's website directly <a href="http://thepolynesiantattoo.com/tattootoday.htm">here</a> and while visiting the site, explore the galleries, sign up for her newsletter, and check out her schedule to see when and where she will be tattooing and/or signing copies of her book in the future.

Tattoosday Goes to Hawai'i: Tricia Allen's The Polynesian Tattoo Today

This is the first of many posts to follow from my recent trip to the beautiful state of Hawai'i.... On Saturday, April 24, I had the dis...

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The Tattoosday Book Review: Tattoo Traditions of Hawai'i

As we wind down through the last third of National Poetry Month and our annual <a href="http://tattoosday.blogspot.com/search/label/The%20Tattooed%20Poets%20Project">Tattooed Poets Project</a>, I look ahead to the coming week with very mixed emotions.<br /><br />I will focus on the positive, however, and say that Tattoosday is going on a little excursion, traveling nearly 5000 miles to the archipelago known as the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hawaiian_Islands">Hawaiian Islands</a>.<br /><br />There, I hope to spot some ink and meet a member of the tattoo community who I very much admire.<br /><br />Last weekend I threw a photo on the sidebar recommending the new book by artist and writer <a href="http://thepolynesiantattoo.com/">Tricia Allen</a>, who tattooed my friend Cat several years ago (I wrote about it <a href="http://tattoosday.blogspot.com/2009/01/cats-ink-pays-homage-to-her-experience.html">here</a>). On Saturday, April 24, Tricia will be having a book release party (and tattoo contest) at the Barnes & Noble in Ala Moana Center in Honolulu.<br /><br />I will be in attendance, covering the event, and reporting on it to our loyal Tattoosday audience.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge9DSU5y5N8nUMteOVY8rj2gro-tbkZKE3hYMrEdvHeihhA6LLngJ0dW5t7ZUfJf3Af8Lrxv8oIzznzTtrC4cPoiYDVY3YF1mQ0x94npug8z2vx4trxd72ZmAyEgrtx6_UiRWdEuIG/s1600/poly+ad.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5462921161897882866" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge9DSU5y5N8nUMteOVY8rj2gro-tbkZKE3hYMrEdvHeihhA6LLngJ0dW5t7ZUfJf3Af8Lrxv8oIzznzTtrC4cPoiYDVY3YF1mQ0x94npug8z2vx4trxd72ZmAyEgrtx6_UiRWdEuIG/s400/poly+ad.jpg" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 311px; height: 400px;" /></a><br />But the purpose of this post is not only to announce my travel plans, but to make some more folks aware of Ms. Allen's talents.<br /><br />Shortly after posting Cat's ink, my awesome mother, who I can't wait to see, sent me a copy of <a href="http://thepolynesiantattoo.com/tattootraditions.htm">Tattoo Traditions of Hawai'i</a>, written by none other than Tricia Allen. It was a coincidental gift, but a much-welcomed one at that.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVeZWgKnhtsiuW_RDI1tM-nSeE0_LPA8m9MyKB2aJCnhK1m8h56zn4ygVrpWOgDYeteH-Diex9EtxrRT33fEvM54UV-kvlNT5GBIz7vLCuZK00yP8CaQa_dOz9u5SnBLh05Jo5virx/s1600/tattootraditions.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5462922435866025858" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVeZWgKnhtsiuW_RDI1tM-nSeE0_LPA8m9MyKB2aJCnhK1m8h56zn4ygVrpWOgDYeteH-Diex9EtxrRT33fEvM54UV-kvlNT5GBIz7vLCuZK00yP8CaQa_dOz9u5SnBLh05Jo5virx/s400/tattootraditions.jpg" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 272px; height: 400px;" /></a><br />As a resident of Oahu for fifteen years, I have roots in the islands, despite my New Yorkerness, which is itself diluted by a dozen years in L.A.<br /><br />It was with this appreciation of Hawaiian culture that I gobbled up the book and, rather belatedly I'll admit, have decided to review it here on the site.<br /><br />What sets this volume apart from most tattoo books is that it approaches the traditional tattoos of Hawai'i from archaeological and sociological standpoints. The reader who is interested in the development of tattoo art through history will find this book informative and fascinating.<br /><br />And despite the subject matter and the minimal existence of historical photography, Ms. Allen still engages the reader, as her respect and appreciation for the art form guide her efforts.<br /><br />Once she has dispatched the historical aspect of the tattoo in Hawai'i halfway through the book, the author speaks to the resurgence of the art form in the 1970's and beyond.<br /><br />And although much has been said about <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sailor_Jerry">Norman "Sailor Jerry" Collins</a> and his contribution to the popularity of tattooing in the armed services, Ms. Allen focuses not on the widespread social acceptance of tattoos across the United States, but rather, she breaks the second half of the book into anecdotal sections focusing on specific individuals, their tattoos, and their relationship with their own personal and cultural art.<br /><br />To the lay person unfamiliar with Hawaiian culture, this exercise is a fascinating journey that analyzes more than just a design; it explores the process and sets the modern Hawaiian tattoo apart from the more common tribal art that took the mainland by storm in the 1990's.<br /><br />What we are left with is a unique pursuit of the understanding of not just the art of tattoo, but the cultural significance of the practice that has gone from a remnant of an ancient tradition to a new expression of cultural and ancestral pride.<br /><br />Tricia Allen's Tattoo Traditions of Hawaii is a fascinating look at the art of "Hawaiian" tattoo both ancient and modern. It is important to recognize the history of the tattoo in Hawaii, yet also to appreciate the influence of other Polynesian cultures in the art form. Not only do we recommend this title, but we anticipate that Ms. Allen's new title will be similarly compelling.<br /><br />To learn more about Tricia Allen, the art of the Polynesian tattoo, and to buy her books, check out<a href="http://thepolynesiantattoo.com/"> her great website here</a>.

The Tattoosday Book Review: Tattoo Traditions of Hawai'i

As we wind down through the last third of National Poetry Month and our annual Tattooed Poets Project , I look ahead to the coming week with...

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Two for Tattoosday: Hawai'i Calling and a Pin-Up Boy

I met Joakim and Marina last month on the sidewalk, just outside of the 34th Street Penn Station entrance.<br /><br />The couple were visiting from Sweden and it was Joakim's sleeves that jumped out at me.<br /><br />He shared this one segment on his lower right arm:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTLM3s_DG1afs2naJvirWzYyfelK9vxGDaylrgp7B-Zt1tYg3suEQ08hdmKjaU0DyNDKJ8NgWzd51awYJf-DuHN-volrgJ4-j-k6_mofSBdjsoXFvbnR4I-Z-6cfMjlK7iqh21zPKz/s1600-h/Hawaii+Calling.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5394616044022033826" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTLM3s_DG1afs2naJvirWzYyfelK9vxGDaylrgp7B-Zt1tYg3suEQ08hdmKjaU0DyNDKJ8NgWzd51awYJf-DuHN-volrgJ4-j-k6_mofSBdjsoXFvbnR4I-Z-6cfMjlK7iqh21zPKz/s400/Hawaii+Calling.jpg" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 267px; height: 400px;" /></a><br />He asked me if it looked familiar. It did, but I couldn't quite place it. He smiled, and told me it's a variation on the cover of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Clash">The Clash's</a> quintessential album, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/London_Calling" style="font-style: italic;">London Calling</a>,<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEmGbIwFy75JZOtStCaJbKmVNY7vlkZxKu5pzdIIcsipmAmpCYcgw6CYtVfVVtgyDU8wjUivruK8GGOSDJ0N4-7GHsdWa0Z7ot9-hbsmpbYX8g0dKWDbEhBsPFDRguqCQo896FXC4p/s1600-h/album-The-Clash-London-Calling.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5394617000547574690" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEmGbIwFy75JZOtStCaJbKmVNY7vlkZxKu5pzdIIcsipmAmpCYcgw6CYtVfVVtgyDU8wjUivruK8GGOSDJ0N4-7GHsdWa0Z7ot9-hbsmpbYX8g0dKWDbEhBsPFDRguqCQo896FXC4p/s400/album-The-Clash-London-Calling.jpg" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 398px;" /></a><br />Joakim loves the Clash and loves Hawaiian culture, so he <del>designed</del> had the tattoo artist design the piece to merge both elements for a great tattoo.<br /><br />The piece was inked by <a href="http://www.myspace.com/_bigfatjoe">Big Fat Joe</a> at a shop called <a href="http://www.fafnir.se/">Art by Fafnir</a> in Stockholm.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDYDt9npeW5f_cz045Bzg3EKaP4Ec9vGoy82tHijOwArz6uawnv917Ck7fvHO8t9-7_ACz6PmQQ9F8fGJVdNfmeslGVtT4rvf3Lwj-oLkOsqmsZtuyzAwyjvVuXbNcNZUK-naX3WrU/s1600-h/art+by+fafnir.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5394618748418389170" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDYDt9npeW5f_cz045Bzg3EKaP4Ec9vGoy82tHijOwArz6uawnv917Ck7fvHO8t9-7_ACz6PmQQ9F8fGJVdNfmeslGVtT4rvf3Lwj-oLkOsqmsZtuyzAwyjvVuXbNcNZUK-naX3WrU/s400/art+by+fafnir.jpg" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 182px;" /></a><br />I turned to Marina and asked if she had any tattoos. She smiled and said she did, removing her jacket to reveal this piece, also by Joe:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzQcA20WtUgi7neUrG-XtMkYCK2PgXu-3zrFJ-YQi4liX2HePVXWAENffUfrt1qnaTeIbDilPmtClRV_9dLieFooLCU94ppCCh7AmSW_BzH9hyFPk-uXwo6bgSoJStblbzH-iIoMnn/s1600-h/Sailor+Pin+Up.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5394615928567763938" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzQcA20WtUgi7neUrG-XtMkYCK2PgXu-3zrFJ-YQi4liX2HePVXWAENffUfrt1qnaTeIbDilPmtClRV_9dLieFooLCU94ppCCh7AmSW_BzH9hyFPk-uXwo6bgSoJStblbzH-iIoMnn/s400/Sailor+Pin+Up.jpg" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 267px; height: 400px;" /></a><br />"It's my pin-up boy," she laughed. Her variation on the traditional pin-up girl is going to tie in with a sleeve she is working on, as well.<br /><br />She remarked that the artist was "thrilled" to do this tattoo, because it was not the typical pin-up tattoo.<br /><br />Thanks to Joakim and Marina for sharing their great tattoos with us here on Tattoosday!

Two for Tattoosday: Hawai'i Calling and a Pin-Up Boy

I met Joakim and Marina last month on the sidewalk, just outside of the 34th Street Penn Station entrance. The couple were visiting from Swe...

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Dani Helps Tattoosday Celebrate 50 Years of Statehood

Today is the 50th anniversary of <a href="http://www.gohawaii.com/">Hawaiian</a> statehood.<br /><br />As a former resident of the Aloha State, I thought we could honor the occasion with a Hawaii-themed tattoo:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0Dy1ejdLPrR6OyGd4Zel_rtZX4m777tQ7JNndTpnVbUNFappjTRykFbQji49QsLmL1FefWNyRrQJ_6ncS-dmx0cvR9n3PvIwMg0ZJeW24AIiZcVKJ-O8Z7fSC2LH6f1zXzH0zX5YTCts/s1600-h/Tiki.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5372355021109744354" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0Dy1ejdLPrR6OyGd4Zel_rtZX4m777tQ7JNndTpnVbUNFappjTRykFbQji49QsLmL1FefWNyRrQJ_6ncS-dmx0cvR9n3PvIwMg0ZJeW24AIiZcVKJ-O8Z7fSC2LH6f1zXzH0zX5YTCts/s400/Tiki.jpg" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 174px; height: 400px;" /></a><br />This cool tiki is on the right forearm of Dani, who estimates she is 60% covered in ink.<br /><br />Dani and I met near Penn Plaza and had a lovely chat about tattoos. This tiki is one of her favorites.<br /><br />Don Lussier at <a href="http://www.myspace.com/artfreektattoo">Artfreek Tattoo</a> basically free-handed the design on her. Don is the ex-husband of Doris, who is a friend of Dani's. A piece from Artfreek appeared last month on Tattoosday <a href="http://tattoosday.blogspot.com/2009/07/jonathan-gives-us-sun-on-sunday.html">here</a>.<br /><br />She has the tiki as an acknowledgment of her heritage, being part Hawaiian, with ancestors two or three generations back.<br /><br />She loves the detail Don put into the piece, especially the heart inked on the tiki's left arm.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhToHgCc0EEikR1H4kTxIg5Ema8KbZHhcYS4-BR2l2eL9jfYSe5dMam5VK9d9BabnuUy14SwFqxjIGYheIAx3XnTiz-yiSSaYYOxrF0UxYktwGG4L8jkK144ubTfTF4_w0bNJl-tWiYN8M/s1600-h/tiki+detail.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5372354697688418994" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhToHgCc0EEikR1H4kTxIg5Ema8KbZHhcYS4-BR2l2eL9jfYSe5dMam5VK9d9BabnuUy14SwFqxjIGYheIAx3XnTiz-yiSSaYYOxrF0UxYktwGG4L8jkK144ubTfTF4_w0bNJl-tWiYN8M/s400/tiki+detail.jpg" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" /></a><br /><a href="http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/mahalo_nui_loa" style="font-style: italic;">Mahalo nui loa</a> to Dani for sharing this great tattoo with us here, and helping Tattoosday celebrate Hawaii's Golden Anniversary!

Dani Helps Tattoosday Celebrate 50 Years of Statehood

Today is the 50th anniversary of Hawaiian statehood. As a former resident of the Aloha State, I thought we could honor the occasion with a ...

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Cat's Ink Pays Homage to Her Experience on the Ocean

<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqusxrpQXUCA9Ka3QtPn2Z9a0euXdh6-W1WIYcjhK-30fMGcFJZ_3E3tBbg_cD3EGGby-IZ-6pFoYgBfYHaR2V2n7ua5CXO7RNSdYinLo37kdvGvj54qrmSpPXAdhevC6LwtkCD4-xxMEJ/s1600-h/Cattoo-enhanced-detail.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5290154822860972002" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqusxrpQXUCA9Ka3QtPn2Z9a0euXdh6-W1WIYcjhK-30fMGcFJZ_3E3tBbg_cD3EGGby-IZ-6pFoYgBfYHaR2V2n7ua5CXO7RNSdYinLo37kdvGvj54qrmSpPXAdhevC6LwtkCD4-xxMEJ/s400/Cattoo-enhanced-detail.jpg" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 294px; height: 199px;" /></a><br />Over the last few months, I have reconnected with old friends through <a href="http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/home.php?ref=logo">Facebook</a>, many of whom I haven't seen in years. In so doing, many have discovered my burgeoning interest in tattoos, and the manifestation of that in Tattoosday. Many of these old friends are inked and I've posted their work here (i.e. this <a href="http://tattoosday.blogspot.com/2008/12/michaels-mariachis-celebrate-life-with.html">one</a> form Michael).<br /><br />Today's post comes to us from Catherine, the only person with whom I went to high school <span style="font-weight: bold;">and</span> college.<br /><br />After college, Cat returned to Hawai'i, where she re-connected with the ocean, paddling and, among other things, taking a voyage on the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hokulea"><em>Hōkūle‘a</em></a>, traversing the sea in the style of the ancient Polynesians who settled on the Hawaiian Islands. That's an oversimplification but, rest assured, the journey is quite different from booking a ticket on a cruise ship.<br /><br />So, it made perfect sense to me when Cat sent me an e-mail with the subject line "Cat's Tat," accompanied by the photo of her ink:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWu9smEO28UdFHjUnBqXXLM8Od3SrfBCsCaN0lR-2uFgZSOFu4zF2GMUmP9b-Gqe-e1MbC0ZDIgG2Fgz-gQdcincOK-pRacJZUWOJjosDtB4oMaAwtsH-1IIzNpxi7llUC2wVRGZsYHiy6/s1600-h/Cattoo-enhanced.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5290154728040455954" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWu9smEO28UdFHjUnBqXXLM8Od3SrfBCsCaN0lR-2uFgZSOFu4zF2GMUmP9b-Gqe-e1MbC0ZDIgG2Fgz-gQdcincOK-pRacJZUWOJjosDtB4oMaAwtsH-1IIzNpxi7llUC2wVRGZsYHiy6/s400/Cattoo-enhanced.jpg" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 277px;" /></a><br />This amazing tribal piece on her lower back pays homage to her love of the ocean and Polynesian culture. I'll let her explain the rest, in her own words:<br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><blockquote>I had this done for my birthday a few years ago by <a href="http://tattootraditions.alohaworld.com/">Tricia Allen</a>, who is well recognized for her knowledge of Polynesian tattooing. She's pretty much in demand for work, and is often on the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hawaii_%28island%29">BIG big island</a> for jobs and conferences. I had known her a little bit while I was taking classes at <a href="http://www.hawaii.edu/">UH</a>, and met her again on <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rapanui">Rapa Nui</a> - we had a mutual friend there. Anyway, she did it in her living room in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palolo">Palolo</a>. I was sitting on a stool, bent over, with my face in a pillow. I was beginning to feel somewhat like <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ivan_Pavlov">Pavlov's</a> dog, because ever time the buzz started, I'd get tense. She also seemed to enjoy pointing out where nerve clusters were located (owww).<br /><br />Here's the story/reasoning/rationale: I had gotten a small one after our canoe club won the state championship in 1993 - my crew won the "blue ribbon" race for women, having been second all season. Anyway, once I really got into sailing, I wanted to design a new one that represented what I had seen and done in terms of canoes (both sailing and paddling). Canoes and canoe related activities have taken me all over the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pacific_ocean">Pacific</a>: <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Society_Islands">The Society Islands</a> (including <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tahiti">Tahiti</a>), <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marquesas_Islands">The Marquesas</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mangareva">Mangareva</a>, Rapa Nui, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_zealand">New Zealand</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australia">Australia</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fiji">Fiji</a>. It took 7 years of my trying out different designs before I found the concept I liked. I went for a consultation with Tricia, who gave me the idea; the Marquesans often use the idea of the human face, where each feature is a symbol in it's own right. Tricia had given me a diamond-shaped example, and from that I immediately saw what I would do.<br /><br />So - the Marquesan concept, the shape of the <span style="font-style: italic;">hihimanu</span> - ray - represents the twin-peaked mountain of Mangareva. As we approached it from the sea, it looked like a ray emerging from the sea. The eyes are Hawaiian <span style="font-style: italic;">honu</span> - sea turtle, the wings are New Zealand <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maori">Māori</a>-style <span style="font-style: italic;">naia</span> - dolphins, on the sides of the eyes are Rapa Nui <span style="font-style: italic;">makohe</span> - frigate birds (separate story here - not getting into it), the mouth and nose are a double-hulled canoe and sail, with waves on either side, and the tail is supposed to be moons (for navigation and tides) and fishhooks done in a Tahitian style. Kinda ran out of room at the tail end, though! The whole represents <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tangaroa">Tangaroa</a>/<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kanaloa">Kanaloa</a>, who is the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polynesian">Polynesia</a>-wide god of the sea. Not that I've been out there a LOT, but I have been out there...you see the myriad incarnations of Kanaloa: the good, the bad and the truly frightening. I guess the design is in homage of what's out there...<br /><br />Now I'm contemplating the next one. I have some <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cook_islands">Cook Island</a> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maori">Māori</a> ideas, but I want to go there first. Have also had a few people ask me to design things for them. I have also met maybe three or four others with <span style="font-style: italic;">hihimanu</span> on their lower backs...you see LOTS of tattoos at canoe regattas!<br /></blockquote></div><a href="http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/mahalo_nui_loa"><span style="font-style: italic;">Mahaloa nui loa</span></a> to Cat for sharing this awesome piece with us here on Tattoosday, and for providing such an in-depth explanation. Truly fascinating and inspiring! We're loking forward to seeing the next one!

Cat's Ink Pays Homage to Her Experience on the Ocean

Over the last few months, I have reconnected with old friends through Facebook , many of whom I haven't seen in years. In so doing, many...

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Massimo Shares A Tribal Design

<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilx7A7_3B_-XTsvTVILeU5qiVtUfIH5Xhb7vpy1jzt2cTaX5MT3fDaaO_tayXJ3qMbd_00xPtOwwuAPJZ5-i1YbhrIt1nTm07Ehp3uqbbs3OP1f7bzwp4VfSIaySRIaaMvGEpt2aittH2t/s1600-h/PICT0480.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5235129414896421250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilx7A7_3B_-XTsvTVILeU5qiVtUfIH5Xhb7vpy1jzt2cTaX5MT3fDaaO_tayXJ3qMbd_00xPtOwwuAPJZ5-i1YbhrIt1nTm07Ehp3uqbbs3OP1f7bzwp4VfSIaySRIaaMvGEpt2aittH2t/s400/PICT0480.JPG" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" /></a><br />I met Massimo on the plaza in front of Penn Station last Friday and talked to him about this cool piece he has on his right foot.<br /><br />He was visiting from Milan and, according to him, designed and tattooed this himself about seven years ago. He had a friend who was a tattoo apprentice around that time, who taught him the basics of tattooing.<br /><br />He began by saying this was Hawaii-inspired, which is understandable, as it has the "look" of a Hawaiian tiki in its design.<br /><br />He also said that the top part is inspired by the fact he had been doing a lot of cycling, which<br />lot of cycling, which influenced the top half of the tattoo. A closer look reveals a resemblance to a bicycle wheel:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFalVkykFi8beqKsRWbFiO7Cuhhgjudl1uG8ME98Nar-6oih2e7kJ2AR2OByHiv4OTw_EVnAiBySXrb0KjXV2uVRM4bKTfM9cY2K_XUPIgxDwFs5jLMxNUknh4WFkCIKREni6D1Q2RkaI6/s1600-h/cycle+detail.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5235795015873814082" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFalVkykFi8beqKsRWbFiO7Cuhhgjudl1uG8ME98Nar-6oih2e7kJ2AR2OByHiv4OTw_EVnAiBySXrb0KjXV2uVRM4bKTfM9cY2K_XUPIgxDwFs5jLMxNUknh4WFkCIKREni6D1Q2RkaI6/s400/cycle+detail.jpg" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" /></a><br />He was also very candid with me and said that he was smoking a lot at that time and he would wake up the next day and find incredible designs lying around. This was one of them.<br /><br />After I took the picture, Massimo had second thoughts, hesitating about letting me post this on Tattoosday. He was worried that his design would be copied. I appealed to him and I must have been convincing, as he changed his mind and assented.<br /><br />Thank you, Massimo, for sharing this design with us here at Tattoosday!

Massimo Shares A Tribal Design

I met Massimo on the plaza in front of Penn Station last Friday and talked to him about this cool piece he has on his right foot. He was vis...

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Link O' The Day

Remember the Hawaiian Tattoo in Brooklyn (read post <a href="http://tattoosday.blogspot.com/2007/10/hawaiian-in-brooklyn.html">here</a>)?<br /><br />Here's <a href="http://articlewagon.com/Article/Hawaiian-Arm-Tattoos/6833">a related article</a> about Hawaiian arm tattoos.

Link O' The Day

Remember the Hawaiian Tattoo in Brooklyn (read post here )? Here's a related article about Hawaiian arm tattoos.

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Hawaiian in Brooklyn

It's not every day that one sees the Hawaiian language tattooed on a Brookylnite, so I was stunned to see the following tattoo wrapped around the arm of a woman in Foodtown earlier this week:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4YS4VbD_8dPQ3RrlHxYE24DhiJ3OUGOrGYWvneMNuNMVTe3VZGbhYVVWz9q6gQrT0J-4B_Th1HRF5-qhBjs6ah8t3rHgz_K1RtjDMQ9hN7_g0sn6sOWnRa5SX2pCPssEdG8i5zSv_2EGD/s1600-h/100_5420.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5119108993927289426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4YS4VbD_8dPQ3RrlHxYE24DhiJ3OUGOrGYWvneMNuNMVTe3VZGbhYVVWz9q6gQrT0J-4B_Th1HRF5-qhBjs6ah8t3rHgz_K1RtjDMQ9hN7_g0sn6sOWnRa5SX2pCPssEdG8i5zSv_2EGD/s400/100_5420.JPG" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidzVOoxDzUR52UB5KD45g07Zu6QIc5bglM83tnqsYtzeNjMqWKQLxym293PPYYZ0UgzyoYSbqDYBm8NFnGxwelk7WlGQ2Xo01O8BKuUaa5sQ1L4dpnlYdj57rsfncoDMf12IHOKWpw6_Qq/s1600-h/100_5421.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5119109526503234146" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidzVOoxDzUR52UB5KD45g07Zu6QIc5bglM83tnqsYtzeNjMqWKQLxym293PPYYZ0UgzyoYSbqDYBm8NFnGxwelk7WlGQ2Xo01O8BKuUaa5sQ1L4dpnlYdj57rsfncoDMf12IHOKWpw6_Qq/s400/100_5421.JPG" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" /></a><br />The tattoo reads, in Hawaiian, "e ola aui ke Akua". I'm not fluent, but I know the Hawaiian language when I see it. I had to speak to this person and find out what possessed this person to inscribe these words on their flesh.<br /><br />The woman is Danielle Tay, and the tattoo is a tribute to her Hawaiian heritage. Her paternal grandfather is Hawaiian, her father was half-Hawaiian, or one hapa-Haole, as we would say it in the islands. Danielle is therefore a quarter Hawaiian, by birth, and despite being a Brooklynite, feels connected just the same.<br /><br />"Uh," I asked, "Can you tell me what that means?"<br /><br />Danielle believes it to loosely mean "May God grant me Life".<br /><br />This was inked at <a href="http://www.funcitytattoo.com/">Funcity Tattoo</a> in the East Village.<br /><br />Danielle, thanks for letting me take your tattoo's picture. I lost your e-mail address, however. Please <a href="mailto:oxypoet@gmail.com">shoot me an e-mail</a> if you're reading this....I have some additional questions for you.<br /><br />UPDATE: My friend Cat in Hawai'i says:<br /><br /><blockquote>"E ola au i ke Akua" means "I live in the Lord" or "I live because of the Lord". There's some flexibility in translation, but that's the gist, I think. It's OK, although the "aui" should be split into "au i".</blockquote><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0nmAuLzQiFOcDCi7PsXpor3REC2hlfDBjz0uccqb3d2Rff-tjUVmLryZfZJXC2-dzC0NO4xSOCHZ60nL6qMFmpZTct1G-J6sF0GBwPeKO7mZAxbVh_Ps5VuPW2ndC0gBitojbIgSYvR3a/s1600-h/100_5421.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><br /></a>

Hawaiian in Brooklyn

It's not every day that one sees the Hawaiian language tattooed on a Brookylnite, so I was stunned to see the following tattoo wrapped a...

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