ONLINE
 
The Metropolitan Museum of Art has a photographic timeline of Art History which includes the majority of Pacific Island cultures: http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hi/te_index.asp?i=24
 
Artist and Gallery owner, Vanya Taule'alo has a good blog on Samoan tattoo and her personal experiences. See http://vanyataulealo.wordpress.com/traditional-samoan-tattooing/ 
 
A good video featuring master tattooist Paulo Sulu'ape discussing some interesting controversial topics is online at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZUHexe2T4tI&feature=share&list=PLG56NRLrRQlCAmsFc_qHkuB0GV0epV5I9&index=4
 
Archaeologist Gemma Angel has an interesting blog on some ancient tools that were very likely used for tattooing in ancient Egypt: http://blogs.ucl.ac.uk/researchers-in-museums/2012/11/19/tattooing-in-ancient-egypt/
 
Some truly spectacular photos by Jimmy Nelson of traditional peoples and cultures are online at http://www.beforethey.com/  Watch the video as it gives you a better idea as to how he went about staging the photos. And yes, they are staged. In fact, one of the Maori wears a paint-on facial moko.  Most people today do wear modern dress (tshirts and shorts) except for performances, festivals and special cultural events. The image of a people/culture “frozen in time” is erroneous--cultures are ever-evolving.  Nelson's images are gorgeous artistic creations featuring the traditional body ornamentation of people in their respective geographic settings, however, oftentimes in poses or locales that were not necessarily comfortable or familiar to the participants, as shown in the film.  I found this the most thought-provoking aspect of this work--the portrayal of "the Other". A highly critical blog on Nelson's work is online at http://readingthemaps.blogspot.com/2013/11/the-noble-savage-and-toilet-club.html and well-worth reading.

UNIQUE GIFT IDEAS
Since the holidays are nearly here's some suggestions for great gifts:
 
Consider giving a signed copy of  TATTOO TRADITIONS OF HAWAIʻI, with a personalized dedication.  Within the United States, the price is  $26.30 including Priority Mail shipping--please see http://www.thepolynesiantattoo.com/tattootraditions.htm  Just include a note in your payment or e-mail with the name of the person you would like the book signed to or e-mail details to  tattoo@lava.net.  Orders received before Dec. 18th should arrive in plenty of time for the holidays. We can ship to you, or directly to your recipient with a gift card. International shipping costs vary from one country to country, so please e-mail me at tattoo@lava.net for international shipping quotes.
 
TATTOO GIFT CERTIFICATES:  Keep in mind that my tattoo sign-ups are all computerized so it is EASY to keep running credits for clients. Hence, I can easily do GIFT CERTIFICATES in any increments of $50.00.  If it is for a new client, my recommendation is the $100 deposit fee, which is applied to the cost of their final session.  If you are a regular client, tell your friends to gift you some ink!  Just pass on  my contact information.  The buyer will be e-mailed a nice color certificate that they can print & wrap up to surprise you!
 
MAORI JEWELRY DIRECT FROM AOTEAROA (New Zealand)!  I've just returned from Aotearoa with a limited number of earrings and bracelets with traditional patterns, but it sold almost immediately.  These are stunning pieces etched in high quality resin so they are lightweight, nearly indestructible waterproof and affordable, yet they have the look of etched glass.  I will be offering a line of jewelry from my website that should be available on an ongoing basis, but for now, I'm sold out. Please e-mail me at tattoo@lava.net with JEWELRY UPDATES in the subject, and I'll notify you when more becomes available. You can get a sneak preview at http://www.thepolynesiantattoo.com/jewelry.htm
 
TRAVEL AND TATTOO SCHEDULE:

I am home on Oʻahu until mid-May. In May I'll be heading first to SACRAMENTO, then the SF area, then LONG BEACH, Perhaps NORTH SAN DIEGO COUNTY if there are enough clients signed up in all areas. The deadline for the next mainland trip is April 1st  but as always, the sooner you sign up, the better, as it allows us more time to communicate & work on your art and gives you higher priority in scheduling.  Details are on my website at http://thepolynesiantattoo.com/schedule.htm 
 
If you are a new client, the FAQ link on my website has quite a bit of info on the process-it may help to read it over:  http://thepolynesiantattoo.com/schedule.htm 
 
You can also call me at  (808) 734-8677 or you can e-mail tattoo@lava.net but I talk FAR faster than I type so prefer the phone whenever possible.
 
Aloha,
Tricia
http://www.ThePolynesianTattoo.com