I just got back from the Berlin tattoo convention and have to admit that it was a life changing experience. Never have I witnessed so much talent and appreciation at a tattoo show.
I hope to convey some of that in the newest episode of Tattoo Nomad, which is now up on my Youtube channel.
Check it out and let me know what you think.
Aloha!
This is the first official episode of Tattoo Nomad!
It is more or less the format of the show going forward. I expect running time to increase to maybe 30 to 40 minutes as more content is added.
Please share and subscribe to my channel!
Thank you for looking! Aloha!
Here is a link to a project that I have been working on called, Tattoo Nomad. It was originally supposed to be a sizzle reel to stir up interest in the idea but became a full episode and so I have made it the pilot.
The format will evolve; I am working on episode one at the moment (Belgium) and can say that it is more polished. That being said, I’m happy with how this turned out and for all the support that I had making it.
In the pilot I talk about my history and the history of Polynesian tattoo in regards to Hawaii. In the tattoo portion, the importance of remembering our ancestors and respecting the past is the topic.
I plan on making more of these as time and funds permit so stay tuned.
Aloha!
Aloha!
I am finally off across the pond. I was invited by Skin Deep magazine to attend the 2016 Tattoo Jam at Doncaster Racecourse in Doncaster, England. I am very excited about this and have been planning the trip for several months now. I will also be giving a seminar on Polynesian tattoo on Friday, August 5 at 2:00pm at the venue, which is free to attend.
I still have some open spaces if anyone is interested in having work done. Please let me know via email, supersonik@earthlink.net or social media, IG/twitter: rolandtattoo.
I leave tomorrow and will spend a few days in Ireland before heading out to Doncaster, so this will be somewhat of a much needed vacation, as well.
Here is a discount code for tickets to the show, for those interested.
Here is also a link to the show. http://www.tattoojam.com/artists
Aloha!
This client wanted a piece that reflected his faith and spirituality, his desire to become a pilot in the military and his love of family and of the sea, with the overall intention of balance. I chose to convey it all in symmetry (for balance) and again, utilized the nesting of a tattoo within the body of a tattoo.
The focal point is the large manu (bird) symbol that splits the piece in half but also acts as the crown of the head of the mata hoata that comprises a majority of the upper portion of the piece. On each wing I placed a row of ani ata which symbolize his ancestors protecting him as he moves forward. The circular mata shapes upper part feature four eyes; one set looking up, the other down. There are eyes on each cheek as well. This is a highly aware, protective piece.
This entire upper part is nested into a lower half that is itself another mata, albeit only the eyes are present. This is because the upper part is a tattoo on the head of the lower entity, speaking of divine connection and spirituality as it is, being born of mindfulness.
The lower portion shows family and protection, with the niho that form its upper mouth and growth and strength in its lower jaw, with the koru and ka’ake. There are also twin fish hooks on either side of the tiki that show his love of the sea and visually, act as ears.
I had a ton of fun constructing this piece and I hope that you enjoyed the read!
Breakdown below:
a) koru- unfurling fern head: growth, breath, life.
b) ka’ake- upraised arm: strength, also supports the growth of the koru.
c) niho- tooth: this line of niho represents family and is protective to keep danger at bay.
d) mata- eye: these are the eyes of the entire entity, looking out for danger.
e) mata- eye: these are the eye of the upper portion, which is a tattoo worn by the entity to protect the entire tattoo.
f) manu- bird: this speaks of this faith, his desire to be a pilot and acts a symbol of guidance as he moves forward in life.
g) ani ata- the horizon: these symbols represent his ancestors as the help to guide him in life.
h) matau- fish hook: this speaks of his love of the sea.
There’s a first time for everything! I was asked to do a Polynesian leg piece in water color style, something that I had never even considered before and this is how it turned out. The piece is in memory of her grandmother and is an homage to when she paddled out and spread her grandmothers ashes in the sea. The overall piece repeats the story twice: on a somewhat gloomy day she and her family paddled out into the bay as the sun was setting and it began to rain. When they stopped to spread her ashes the rain ceased and the sun broke through the clouds. Then a whale breached right next to them as the last of her grandmothers ashes fell into the sea. The symbols in the tattoo represent her grandmother, protection, life, family and the whale. I wanted the colors to mimic the sun setting on the darkened ocean. Done in modern Marquesan/Tahitian, Maori style. Some of the stencil is still visible on the top part. Super stoked with how it all turned out. Symbols also follow the Fibonacci sequence in terms of usage.
Breakdown:
a) koru – unfurling fern head, this symbolizes growth and life as she moves forward.
b) kohola – whale, this symbolizes a venerated ancestor as well as the spirit of the sea.
c) etua – venerated ancestor, this symbolizes her grandmother.
d) lauhala – pandanus weave, this woven symbol represents her ties to her grandmother and overall family unity.
e) niho – tooth, this protects the intention of the tattoo itself.
f) u’uhe – piece of turtle shell, this is to protect the wearer.
g) mata – eye, this is the eye of the piece and is meant to look out for danger and to protect.
Aloha!
I did this piece over the course of two days last week and had a blast! The client was a gentleman from Hilo who was looking for something to speak of his time in the military, his ties to his ancestors and also to show familial ties. It was also important that the tattoo incorporate protection as well as warrior motifs.
He came to me already having researched his family name and discovered that he had an ancestor that was a kumu lua (teacher in the art of Hawaiian hand to hand combat) who had taught skills to ali’i on Kauai during the time of Kamehameha I. He was also a pilot in the Vietnam war and also flew search and rescue with the fire department here in West Hawaii and also created the protocols for the now defunct marijuana eradication program, Green Harvest.
He wanted to tell his story of a warrior, of being descended from warriors and also to pay homage to his family. This piece was an awesome undertaking as I tried to combine all of these elements to create a cohesive piece. I had a blast working with the client and enjoyed immensely they time we spent over the two days that it took to complete.
Here is the breakdown of the symbols used:
a) maka [eye], this paka contains an eye; one looking forward, the other looking backward to protect from harm in either direction.
b) koru [unfurling fern head], symbolizing growth, life, breath, this gives intention to the piece behind it ‘c’.
c) na niho [teeth], there are 3 large niho, followed by 3 sets of 3 niho, the larger represent his 3 daughters and each set of 3 represent their respective children.
d) unahi [fish scales] love of the sea and for swiftness.
e) manu [bird] this theme is repeated throughout the piece and is a reference to his time as an airplane/helicopter pilot.
f) pepehipu [hammered tapa cloth] this is an armor analog for protection, it is inset with a row of niho at the end that is meant to protect the tattoo from harm.
g) ama kopeka/ahi [fire] this keeps bad spirits away and also acts to illuminate the path of the symbol behind it ‘i’.
h) pili niho [joined teeth] two joined teeth representing the union of him and his wife.
i) manu [bird] this theme is repeated throughout the piece and is a reference to his time as an airplane/helicopter pilot.
j) lei niho [garland of teeth] there are 2 rows, top and bottom, of teeth, each representing a year of marriage, 50 total, plus one to symbolize many more to come.
k) manu [bird] this theme is repeated throughout the piece and is a reference to his time as an airplane/helicopter pilot.
l) hoka [rays of the sun, rafter motif] this sort of symbol was one of many found carved or painted upon the rafter of a home or dwelling, it represents courage.
m) malu [protection] overlapping diamond shapes are meant to protect as armor.
n) lei-o-mano [string of shark teeth] this club-like weapon was used in hand to hand combat and in this instance is used to indicate his ancestral ties with a kumu lua that taught fighting techniques to ali’i on Kauai during the era of Kamehameha I.
o) ikeike [cyclophyllum barbatum] this hearty flowering shrub of the coffee family was known for its resistance, fortitude and toughness, its wood was also used to make weapons and tools.
p) a’aka hala/lauhala [Pandanus weave] this symbolizes the woven fronds of the hala tree and symbolizes family unity and armor.
q) la’au [club] this symbol represents a club used for combat and is a reference to part of his family name and ancestral past as kumu lua.
r) maka [eye], this paka contains an eye; one looking forward, the other looking backward to protect from harm in either direction.
symbols s,t,u,v,w are considered as one image, and that is the Spirit of War (SoW), which is a direct analog to his ancestor that was a kumu lua. It forms a head in profile, of the SoW.
s) pahiko a tuivi [fish net] this symbol makes up the mouth of the SoW and is intended to catch sin or protect from sin.
t) niho mano [shark teeth] this represents the first of his ‘aumakua, the shark, and makes up the part of the head portion of SoW.
u) naheka kai [sea snake] this represents his second aumakua, the sea snake, the triangle and two dots represent the pattern on the snake’s skin.
v) hulu pu’eo [owl feathers] this is his third aumakua, the owl.
w) mata hoata [all seeing eye] this makes pup the face of the Sow, it also has an ama kopeka, or flame on the top of its head.
x) ani ata [sky, heavens] this represents his ancestors as well as heaven and the horizon.
y) a’aka hala/lauhala [Pandanus weave] this symbolizes the woven fronds of the hala tree and symbolizes family unity and armor.
Mahalo for your time!
Roland
I am very proud to have been able to contribute to the launch of this phenomenal new product from Eikon Device. This is by far the most effective, cutting edge anti pathogen product out there. I only use products that I truly believe in and this is one of them. Not only is it exceptional at killing nasty pathogens but it also calms the skin and keeps redness and swelling to a minimum. I am able to tattoo longer with less irritation to the clients skin. Freshly finished tattoos look healed. No harsh chemicals and a neutral ph. Electrasyn is a game changer in the tattoo industry! Thank you for your time. Peace!
Aloha! Here is an upper arm/shoulder piece that I finished recently in Hawaiian, Marquesan and Maori styles. This client wanted a piece that spoke of his life’s ordeals, his love of the sea, his children and new beginnings. I did the overall layout in a very subtle Samoan taulima style to better integrate all of the symbols. I kept it the coverage light and airy as opposed to the very heavy aesthetic of the taulima. It can easily added to and will wear better over time. Here is the breakdown of motifs: a) na niho, this collection of many teeth/sins is Hawaiian based and speaks of the obstacles that he has had to endure and overcome throughout his life. b) this combination of kiko (dot) and small dashes representing pohaku (stone) symbolize a beach or shoreline, this is to symbolize the flow from his past challenges (a) into the present, symbolized by the beach. c) kai/nalu, ocean and waves, to speak of his love for the sea. d) mata, eye(s) to look out and protect from harm as he moves into the future. e) lei niho, garland of teeth for protection of the overall tattoo. f) ipu oto, bowl/container, this symbol represents a container of mana (power) as well as creation of the universe. In this particular example I have incorporated 4 mata, 2 above, 2 below for protection. g) kea, turtle, these 2 turtle motifs, (that can also represent a person, enana or a god, etua) are there to symbolize his children. h) koru, these 4 mirror reflected fern heads, represent a new beginning, life and breath. The configuration in this instance is representative of the Maori mangopare, which is a pattern representing the head of the hammerhead shark. i) henna, hand, this affixes the tattoo to the body. Thank you for taking the time to read my blog! Peace!
Aloha!
I thought that I would post some of the clay Scratchbord™ etchings that I have been doing lately. If you don’t know what a scratch board etching is, please let me explain: A scratch board is either a cut piece of clay (masonite) or paper, that has a slick white coated surface, underneath a thin veneer of flat black paint. Using a scraper tool (xacto knife, sculpting tools, or proper etching tools), the surface of the scratch board is slowly etched away to reveal the bright white (and some times gold, silver, or bronze) color beneath. Working from a reference, I have created many etchings, and here are some of the ones of late.
I started out doing sea life: turtles, an octopus, etc. then moved onto a celebrity, Lauren Bacall, and even a T-rex skull. Over the past month, I have decided to do etchings of musicians that have influenced me over the years.
T-rex skull
Octopus
Lauren Bacall
Sea turtle
David Bowie
Sea turtle 2
Peter Tosh
Debbie Harry
Johnny Cash
Frank Sinatra
I find that although etching and tattooing are worlds apart in almost every regard, there are similarities that help me to become a better tattoo artist. Etching requires patience, accuracy and utmost attention to detail; one wrong line and it all looks like hell. By focusing on these things, I have found that my tattooing technique has become much more honed. So, I do etchings on down days when I have no appointments, or between appointments if time allows.
John Bonham
Sid Vicious and Johnny Rotten (Sex Pistols)
Most of them are quite small, 8″x8″, the largest being 8.5″x11″. I even have a stack of playing card-sized scratch boards that I have yet to tackle. 🙂
Thank you for looking!
Aloha,
Roland
rolandpacheco
Living in Lava Land 