Modern Marquesan and Maori upper arm piece

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.

Ankle to hip, modern Marquesan and Maori watercolor Polynesian piece

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.

Modern Marquesan and Maori shoulder cap

I rarely do walk-ins but managed to fit this gentleman in and we had a blast. Mata hoata or brilliant eyes, are meant to protect from dangers both physical and mental. This is a profile rendering complete with teeth and koru at the top towards his chest for growth and prosperity in life.

Breakdown:

a) hope vehine (single) – this single image of the hope vehine is meant to symbolize the twin goddesses of tattoo, give protection and act as an interface for any subsequent piece that is added below it.

b) niho – tooth, the two niho at the bottom of this piece are there to protect the entire tattoo. Moving diagonally upwards from left to right, the larger niho with a dark band on the outside is meant to symbolize strength. The final set of niho form the mouth of the mata hoata and act to protect from sin and to also symbolize family.

c) ka’ake – upward raised arm, this symbol is meant to symbolize courage and strength.

d) puaika – ear, this is the ear of the mata hoata.

e) ihu – nose, this is the nose of the mata hoata and symbolizes breath and life.

f) mata – eye, this is the eye of the piece and is meant to look out for danger and to protect.

g) kape – eyebrow, this is the eyebrow of the piece and is meant to convey, intelligence, beauty and attention.

h) koru – unfurling fern head, this symbolizes growth and life as he moves forward.

 

Ana’ole Polynesian style, calf piece: honu

Did this Ana’ole Polynesian style honu on the calf of a gentleman from Canada the other day. He wanted a piece that spoke of his marriage, his two sons, his love of the outdoors and nature, family, protection, new beginnings and love for the sea. The entire piece represents his love for the sea, which is why he chose the turtle in the first place. Super cool dude! Had a blast chatting it up with him and his wife. Hope to see them again soon.

Breakdown is as follows:

a) mata/maka= eyes. These two symbols represent his sons, individually. I placed them on either side of the turtle so that they are positions of observance, to watch out for him.

b) lei e ata te hae= wedding garland. This symbols represents he and his wife’s union, and is essentially a garland of individuals holding hands, connected together as the two families unite.

c) ani ata= sky/heaven/ancestors. This symbol reinforces the bottom symbol (b) and represents his ancestors looking down on him from the heavens essentially protecting and blessing his marriage.

d) kofati= crease/fold/plaiting. This diamond pattern represents a weave of fronds, such as pandanus or palm, and is an analog to nobility and the righteousness of the earth.

e) mata hoata= all seeing eyes. This protective symbol is used to watch out for impending danger and is a more elaborate version of the mata (a).

f) niho=teeth. This symbol of a closed mouth is meant to catch sin and protect as well as offer courage and strength. It is at the front of the turtle shell to protect the symbols the follow it.

g) ka’ake= upraised arms.  These two symbols represent upraised arms that are meant to convey power, force, and generosity.

h) koru=unfurling fern head. This Maori symbol represents the unfurling fern shoot and is meant to convey life, breath, new beginnings and the earth.

i) lei niho= garland of teeth. This motif is the same as ‘f’ only set into a lei, or garland.

All of the symbols are done in Fibonacci sequence in both number and form.

Thanks for looking!

Aloha!

Calf piece

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Aloha, and thanks for taking the time to read  my blog.

I did this calf piece the other day; it is a mixture of traditional Marquesan, modern Maori, and modern Hawaiian, done in the modern Samoan taulima style.

Taulima (meaning, armband) is popular in Polynesia right now, and when people think ‘Polynesian’ tattoo, they are often referring to this style.

Taulima combines the weave structure and motifs found in the Samoan pe’a. But because the pe’a process is so time consuming and painful, many people prefer to have taulima instead. That being said, the taulima is not conducive to providing the genealogical information that the pe’a easily conveys and is mainly done for aesthetic purposes.

The main reason for this is because the structure of the pe’a is built upon the structure of the home or dwelling, with the house post (think the main beam of a house), ‘aso e tasi, being the foundation from which the other beams (‘aso fa’aifo, ‘aso fa’alava, ‘aso laitiiti) subsequently radiate from. The pe’a is built on this foundation and is finished off with, at the small of the back, a canoe shaped motif that symbolizes the generations of families of a given individual.

The taulima is not as expansive, nor is the shape, generally placed on the shoulder/chest/arm region, symmetrical and therefore does not lend itself to the elegance of the pe’a. The pe’a, when completed, is meant to resemble the shape of a flying fox, hanging upside down, wings folded against the body.

However, this does not diminish the efficacy of the tattoo! And as you can see, the taulima is something that the artist can have fun with and it looks great too.

This client wanted to have a piece that reflected his spirituality, his love for his children and a new beginnings.

The breakdown is as follows:

a)- papa konane: this lauhala variant is a modern Hawaiian interpretation of the lauhala mat, that symbolizes family, unity and exclusivity

b)- pepehipu: this Marquesan element is a simple band of black. The word means “pounded or beaten” and it symbolizes the flattened bark of the mulberry tree, or tapa (kapa) that was used as a rudimentary armor of sorts. It is meant to protect.

c)- aveau: this Samoan motif is the star of the sea and it is meant to symbolize guidance, spirits of  the deceased and devotion.

d)- ama kopeka: this Marquesan motif represents a flame and represents in this instance, illumination.

e)- mata: this Marquesan motif symbolizes a row of eyes that look forward and backward, up and down,or threats or harm.

f)- ani ata: this Marquesan motif represents the sky, heaven, ancestors and the horizon.

g)- a’aka hala: this Marquesan/Hawaiian motif represents the weave of the fronds of the pandanus tree. It is meant to symbolize family, unity, armor and protection.

h)- koru: this Maori symbol of the unfurling fern head symbolizes new beginnings, growth, life and breath.

i)- poiti and pahoe, these two Marquesan symbols represent this person’s son and daughter, respectively.

j)- hena: this Marquesan motif for the hand is used to affix the tattoo to the body.

Well, I hope you enjoyed the read!

Aloha, Roland

Modern Marquesan (and Maori) shoulder piece

I had a ton of fun with this tattoo! Meeting with the client. determining his history, drawing up the piece and then executing it, galvanized within me, the reason that I love my job so much: meeting and spending time with like-minded individuals.
This person hails from the Similkameen Indian Band (which is an offshoot of the Okanagan First Nation) in B.C., Canada. We immediately hit it off when he and his girlfriend came into the shop, asking about the significance of Polynesian tattoo. Because Polynesians and Native Americans are sister cultures, we ended up discussing the similarities of both and found that as individuals, he and I were very much the same in regards to our beliefs in both our cultures and personal lives. It is for these rare interactions, that I live to do what I do. I love meeting people from other parts of the world that have a profound love and respect for culture and spirituality as I do. It is rare, indeed and I covet those times like a junkie.
He had much history to discuss and like most folks it was filled with both happiness and sadness, love and loss, turmoil and prosperity. What we decided to glorify in this piece was his connection with the earth and the love for his family as the center point. He lives in a small village, virtually off the grid, and so his sense of community and connection to the ancient ways of his ancestors were also key points to consider. Hunting, communing with nature and respecting the practices of his ancestors are a very large part of his everyday life. I wanted to show that in the tattoo and it was not difficult. Sometimes tattoos design themselves and this is such a case.
I am so happy with this design because it manifested itself organically and in the end, displayed characteristics that were true to classic Marquesan tattoo (CMT) design, without anything being forced.
That is indeed a rarity.
Balance was what I chose to focus on because he was born on the scorpio/libra cusp and felt that balance was a key element in shaping his life. So everything in this piece is symmetrical and a mirror of itself, much like CMT. Not only that, but the entire piece works on the dual plane principle of CMT as well.
When all paka are taken into account (from a frontal plane), the entire piece can be seen to resemble an etua, or godling/divinity. The circle makes the head with each wedge shaped paka resembling (two upper and two lower, at each side of the tattoo) arms and legs, respectively.
As it happened to turn out, also along this frontal plane, another shape manifested itself in the lower quadrant, and that is the image of a face, with the koru forming a nose and the two ipu on either sides acting as eyes.
I did not intentionally set out to make this happen, it just occurred organically, which is always the best way for this to happen!
So, here is a breakdown of the motifs that speak of this person’s past and also giving him guidance and protection in the future.

Top to bottom:

The upper portion of this piece is split into 3 paka, with the circle being the center piece. From top to bottom the circle contains the following:

a) Past, present and future waves (hala, ano, mua) done as a flowing ribbon. The top arc is his past, the middle two converging lines are the present and the small pint at which they converge, the future.

b) Star (hoku), this is in reference to his spirit animal, the horse, as well as illuminates and guides him to prosperity in all future endeavors.

c) Birds (na manu), these birds represent his two daughters as well as freedom.

d) Sky/heavens/ancestors (ani ata) this represents his ancestors looking over him

Because of the symmetry of this piece, I will explain both right and left paka as one.

e) Hand (hena, i’ima) this hand holds the tattoo to the body.

f) Teeth (niho), protection

g) Palm frond (lau niu), connection to the earth, nobility

h) Eye (mata), to look out for danger, protection

When the two paka are viewed as one this is the All-seeing eyes, or mata hoata (protection from future threats)

i) Eye (mata), to look out for danger, protection

j) Spear (ihe), symbolizing the hunter

k) Teeth (niho), protection

l) Container of mana (ipu), container of power, the universe and creation

m) Container of mana (ipu), container of power, the universe and creation

n) Fish net (pahiko a tuivi), the purpose of this motif is to catch sin, or protect from sin

o) Hand (hena, i’ima) this hand holds the tattoo to the body.

p) Eye (mata), to look out for danger, protection

q) Fernhead (koru), Maori shape symbolizing growth, new beginnings, breath and life. Flowing from opposite directions for balance.

Thank you for spending time reading my blog and thank you for your interest in Polynesian tattoos.
Aloha and peace! R

Modern Maori and Traditional Marquesan shoulder piece

This client wanted a piece that could be added to at a latter date, one that reflected his new direction in life while combining elements of his family lineage, past occupation and love of music. I included a protection motif, as such things are an intrinsic aspect of Polynesian tattoo to a greater or lesser degree.

The breakdown of the piece is as follows:

a) Koru with kape and pakura elements- The koru is a Maori motif and has several meanings but are generally meant to convey life, breath or new beginnings. In this case it represents this person’s new direction in life.
The line elements in the tattoo represent a non-curved variation of pakura, or footprints of the swamp hen. They are simply meant to connect the tattoo and are also placed on the outside of koru.
The circular motifs  on the outside of the koru are called, kape and represent eyebrows/lashes. This symbol represents beauty, attention, and intelligence.

b) Mata hoata- All seeing eye motif is done in profile in this tattoo. The nose can be seen at the bottom of this motif, moving upward we can see the eye as the principle element. At the bottom there are a row of niho. The entire motif is to look out for danger; to protect him from threats when his attention may be elsewhere.

c) Koru with pakura

d) Ipu- Container of mana, the universe. Ipu are containers that store mana (power) but also represent the female uterus vis a vis creation. It is used to show the creation of all things and therefore is synonymous with the universe. The ipu in this sense represents his creation of music.

e) Ama kopeka- Fire. This speaks of his past as a firefighter. The flame also represents illumination and is also a symbol of defiance when used with vai meama.

f) Niho- Teeth. These symbols are spread throughout this piece and all are done in Fibonacci sequence to represent the mana inherent in everything in nature. They are a protective as well as warrior motif.

g) Unaunahi- Fish scales. This Maori symbol was used a lot in woodcarving and represents fish scales which themselves represent abundance (of food) or bounty. In this tattoo there are 4 scales, each representing a member of his family that are healers (nurses, doctors, etc.).

h) Koru with pakura.

Looking forward to adding to this beast!

I hope you enjoyed the breakdown. Peace and aloha!

Ana’ole fore arm piece

This forearm piece is intended to show this persons love for the land, sea, air and fire. It is also a representation of his unity with family and ancestors. At the center is a compass motif that speaks of his past and future travels.
The overall paka shape is that of a hulu ‘io, or hawk feather. This relates to his aumakua and also symbolizes freedom. The symmetry of the piece speaks to the intended duality of the overall design which reinforces the efficacy of the tattoo.
This piece is done in Ana’ole style while its component pieces are done in traditional Marquesan, Maori and Hawaiian.

a) Hope vehine/ Kea/ Mata- this symbol represents the twin goddesses of tattoo, the turtle shell and the eye. Intended to glorify the art of tattoo, protect and look out for danger, respectively.

b) Mata hoata- brilliant eyes, this motif is meant to protect the wearer from unforeseen dangers and to protect the integrity of the tattoo itself.

c) I’ima- hand, this point is where the tattoo itself attaches to the wearer. The intention is to hold it fast to the body.

d) Koru- unfurling palm frond, this Maori motif is meant to convey the cycle of life, new beginnings and breath.

e) Heo’o- compass, this Marquesan motif represents direction and acts as a guide.

f) Ani ata-sky, heavens, ancestors, this motif represents the heavens and his ancestors as they watch over him.

g) Ama kopeka- fire, this motif celebrates the element of fire while also acting as a light to guide him through life.

h) Lau hala- this Hawaiian motif represents this persons connection with the land (aina) and his relatives.

Peace!

Ana’ole, Marquesan and Maori shoulder piece

Did this shoulder piece the other day. It contains Ana’ole as well as traditional and modern Marquesan and Maori motifs. This was a walk-in client and the overall piece was conceived as an aggressive, warrior-oriented design. The overall pauku was meant to resemble armor to some degree, that would be placed on the shoulder area.

Here is the breakdown of the paka:

a) ana’ole style, niho or teeth. This is meant to protect the tattoo and gives an aggressive appearance.

b) niho. For the same reasons as stated above and additionally, this traditional motif also forms the mouth of the mata hoata above it.

c) mata hoata. The brilliant eyes are meant to watch for any danger or threat to the individual.

d) niho peata, or shark teeth. These represent courage and power as well as protection in this piece.

e) koru. This Maori symbol represents the cycle of life and growth.

f) lauhala/a’aka hala. This weave pattern of leaves from the hala tree symbolize protection and unity.

g) hope vehine. This rendition of the symbol for the twin goddesses of tattoo represents protection.

note: f,g are fit into the overall shape, ka’ake, or uplifted arm, symbolizing strength that fortifies the overall piece.

That’s all for now. Stay tuned for more. Aloha and Peace! R

Modern Marquesan/Maori chest piece

This chest tattoo was conceived as an aesthetic piece rather than a specific representational piece reflecting family, protection, or any other personal intent. I enjoy creating these pieces because there is less emphasis on retaining and conveying meaning in individual parts. More effort can be put into making the overall piece shine as a whole, rather than attempting to bring cohesion to a collection of pieces.
The motifs that are used are a mix of modern Marquesan and Maori. The chest plate and subsequent paka comprised of a-g, is a mata hoata, or brilliant eyes. This is to provide another set of eyes that look out for danger and protect the person. Above the mata hoata is a lei of ani ata, representing the horizon, clouds, heaven and ancestors. I placed a mata komoe, or death’s head motif in the center to refer to this person’s warrior spirit and ‘dark side’.
I chose to use koru throughout to match the piece on his left arm that was a poorly executed Maori piece and also because I felt that this tattoo was a new beginning of sorts, for this person. The difficulty, I thought, would be to blend the Western tribal on his right side (that I did not do) with the Polynesian style on his left (out of view in this shot, did not do, either), but in the end, it didn’t look all that disparate and actually flows well, in my opinion.
What you see in the top shot (before) are the stencils applied to the area. All other work was done free hand. There is more to this piece than is shown as he wanted to fill in gaps at the back of his arms. Eventually, this will include a full back plate.
This was done over two sessions; five hours each. I used Stigma V3 and Centri machines, and Fusion Ink as always.

Breakdown of motifs:

a) hope vehine/kea= creation, protection
b) ihu=  nose: breath, life (nose of mata hoata)
c) niho= teeth: courage, to protect from pain/harm
d) koru= breath, life, new beginnings (some contain open, curved lines called pakura, representing bird foot prints)
e) kai, tai= ocean
f) niho peata/ mano= shark teeth, warrior spirit, to devour, to drive out (mouth of the mata hoata)
g) mata= eyes (eyes of the mata hoata)
h) any ata= clouds, horizon where the sea meets the sky, heaven, ancestors watching over
i) mata komoe= death’s head: warrior spirit
j) ama kopeka= flame, dancing flame: fire that keeps death at bay
k) kohati= fold, crease: mark of authority
l) unaunahi= fish scales: love of the sea, fisherman
m) hinenao= love, to love passionately (representing his wife)
n) ka’ake= upraised arm: strength, power, rainbow, to lift, fly, generosity
o) pohu= Marquesan folk hero; bravery, courage

Peace! R