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. Do note that I have not referred to this as a Hawaiian tribal piece, which is a whole different thing altogether.

Just to illustrate, one of my "leftover" posts from 2011 is this tattoo:

This was a real treat for me, spotting an authentic Hawaiian tattoo, in New York City of all places.

Looking back to last June, I had just attended a networking event at Bowlmor Lanes 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 Na Keiki O Ka Mo'i, an outrigger canoe club from Wai'anae, Hawai'i, and they were in town to compete in the 2011 Liberty World Outrigger Competition. 

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!

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.

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 Sam "Kamu" Kapoi. Go figure, the talk turned to tattoos and Sam stretched out his left leg to show me his ink.

Sam and I have kept in touch, so I was able to get some additional information on this piece.

Sam is a filmmaker and was accompanying the group as they competed in New York.

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?" 

 

Sam said it himself in a message to me, "the tattoo itself ... is my family design, very sacred." He credited his artist as Keone Nunes, who specializes in traditional Hawaiian tattoos and uses the tapping method.

Here's a nice clip on YouTube with Mr. Nunes discussing the art of kakau:

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.

A big mahalo nui loa to Sam for sharing his traditional Hawaiian ink with us here on Tattoosday.

This entry is ©2012 Tattoosday.

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 http://tattoosday.blogspot.com 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.

Saree Blouse in Different Colours

Sri lankan Saree Blouse Designs India is a land of exotic locations and home to approximately one billion people. Indians follow different religions and have completely different cultures and that is reflected in their dressing styles, prominently amongst the women. A Lehenga  Sarees blouse combines the charisma of a Lehenga with the elegance of a sarees blouse and is perfect for weddings and grand festivals.

Lehenga sarees blouses blouse are not only easier to drape around than a conventional sarees blouse but also much more comfortable and are available in a myriad of styles and designs.Some commonly available must try in this category are: georgette Sarees blouse, crepe Lehenga Sarees blouse, brocade Lehenga Sarees blouse, viscose Lehenga Sarees blouse, etc.

Saree Blouse in New Style

Saree blouse pattern has gone through a minimalist transformation. Earlier blouses were covered and had long or 3/4 sleeves. Now the trend is completely changed and is influenced by western culture. Back open fancy cholis, backless blouses and bare back blouses are in fashion.

 

Expensive designer back open cholis are sewn with padding so that a bra is not needed. Working women usually complain about the large amount of time they have to invest in draping around the sarees blouse and some also point out the care they have to take to keep the pleats in place. The best solution to this problem is a readymade pre-stitched sarees blouse.

Saree Blous

Wearing Saree is also an art. Wearing style vary from region to region in India. Saree Blouse with Straps usually wear by the women of all over the India.  The wearing style epitomizes perfect outlook of a woman. Some of most famous and striking wearing styles are North Indian Style, Rural Style, Urban Style, Gujarati Style,

Tribal Style, Bengali Style, Oriya Style, Rajasthani Style, Marathi Style,etc. When talking about traditional festivals such as Navratri, it’s best to stick to traditionally styled Sarie Blouses that exude an authentic Indian appeal. However, that does not mean opting for plain and boring designs.

Beautiful Saree Blouse

As far as traditional festivals are concerned, it’s best to pair a Saree with traditional Sarees blouse since that looks sober and best suitable for such events. Karwa Chauth is one such traditional Indian festival for married women when they pray for the well-being and permanence of their husbands. Saree Blouse Front Neck Designs This part of the designer Indian sari is meant to cover the upper part of the body of the wearer.

It is like a short tank top shirt that is tight fitting in nature and accentuates the shape of the breasts and the back. There is a large variety of designs available for the discerning user, and an even larger variety of material. Designer saree blouses are customized made depending on the choice, individual taste and demand of the female clients.

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 six months about the experience.

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 Ink Master.

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.

The two main elements are the honu, or Hawaiian sea turtle, and the hibiscus, which is the state flower of Hawai'i. Having grown up in the Aloha State, I wanted something that represented my childhood home.

  
The end result far exceeded my expectations. I want to again thank Heather Sinn, my artist, for giving me an exceptional tattoo under less than ideal conditions. 

I also want to share a little bit more about how I lucked into being tattooed by such a wonderfully talented artist.

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, Bili Vëgas, ultimately finished the piece at his shop in New York, and Ryan, who shared one of his other tattoos with us here on Tattoosday back in August, is very happy with the end result.

Photo Courtesy of

Bili Vëgas @ www.bilivegas.com

Back in July, I wrote here about Ink Master’s call for candidates looking for a cover-up. Shortly after posting the piece, I sent in my own idea for a tattoo for the show, thinking it was a long shot.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

She assured me that she was going to do her best under the not-so-ideal circumstances. I would direct readers to this interview that recently ran with Heather in the LA Weekly. She wears her emotions on her sleeve and does not back down from her feelings.

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.

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.

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.

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 Ink Master 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.

I think that this is one of the compelling aspects about Ink Master 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.

I'm not on any more episodes, but I'll keep watching. 

This entry is ©2012 Tattoosday.

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 http://tattoosday.blogspot.com 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.

Styles of Saree Blouse Trends

It is equally important to note the type or design of Saree Blouse it is being paired with. A gorgeous Designer Saree paired with a simple, plain Regular Blouse will definitely not achieve the same stunning look that a not-so-gorgeous Saree with a Trendy Designer Blouse would. While few designs of Saree Blouse are stylish and can be worn by women at large, there are other designs which tend to be quite trendy and bold that might prove to be too courageous for most women.

  

 

When talking about traditional festivals such as Navarro, it’s best to stick to traditionally styled Saree Blouses that exude a dependable Indian appeal.

New Look Saree Blouse

However, the newest type of sarees blouse style that is an instant eye-catcher is a Lehenga style sarees blouse. A Lehenga Sarees blouse combines the charisma of a Lehenga with the elegance of a sarees blouse and is perfect for weddings and grand festivals. Lehenga sarees blouses blouse are not only easier to drape around than a conventional sarees blouse but also much more comfortable and are available in a myriad of styles and designs. These beautiful blouses are expensive designer made cholis that are sewn with padding and reinforcements so that a bra is not needed.

These can be worn with ease and looks gorgeous with Indian attire. Some commonly available must try in this category are: georgette Sarees blouse, crepe Lehenga Sarees blouse, brocade Lehenga Sarees blouse, viscose Lehenga Sarees blouse, etc.