Tag: guam

More Guam tattoos!!

On By Ian OverseasIn TattoosLeave a comment

bouganvillea

There are a lot of things that separate Guam from most places in the world. For starters, you have to cross thousands of miles of ocean to reach a larger land mass. Because of this great distance, Guam has a unique ecosystem and endemic species of both plants and animals. Cultural interest and identity has made many tattoo collectors seek out imagery specific to Guam as the perfect souvenir or a way to identify with the island we call home.

Despite thousands of military personnel and over a million visitors a year, Guam remains a rather small community. While our environment provides us a close up view of our flora and fauna, there is not a lot of tattoo reference available to get ideas on how to approach truly local tattoos. Doing custom local tattoos can often be both a big challenge and an opportunity to create artwork that makes a tattoo one of the best reminders of Guam anyone can get.

In this case, we have a tattoo of our territorial flower, bougainvillea. Though not an endemic species, you would have difficulty finding someone on island who is not familiar with the flower. Bougainvillea is grown as an ornamental in many front yards and it’s thorns are probably the leading cause of flat bicycle tires in the region.

Initially, I could find no examples of tattoos previously done. Not that I had any intention of copying another tattoo… I was more interested in seeing different compositions and color schemes. I think I was only able to find one tattoo from an artist in California, but done on a young lady from Guam. Perfect!! This guaranteed that any work I put into the drawing could not be negated by a few minutes of browsing the internet (which is super common the last few years). For those of you who draw a lot, you may also find yourself unintentionally drawing things similar to the stuff you have seen before. Inspiration for sure, but sometimes it ends up being really close without you realizing it. I really had none of the typical design issues to worry about, and I was able to exercise a lot of creativity at every stage of the process.

Long story short, I love doing these types of tattoos! If you or anyone you know is interested in something along these lines, I can be found most days at Eli’s ink in Anigua. Feel free to stop by and see what we’re up to or give us a call before you come through at 989-6087. I’d be more than happy to help!

 

 

Epic Battles

On By Ian OverseasIn Info, TattoosLeave a comment

PhotoGrid_1509186776622Guam Waters are Rough!

It’s that time of year when Guam has high winds and rough seas. It isn’t a full on winter, but for all you who love the water enough that you can’t stay away, now is a good time to take a break and get a tattoo. This dude is an avid fisherman and spends a good part of his life out on the water in search of epic battles such as this one. I can’t wait to get another session in on this one soon!

This holiday season whether you’re out on the high seas or in the shallow end splashing around in the water, I urge all of you to be safe and aware of the conditions. By all means enjoy island life, but I’d hate to see the names of people I know in the news for something so tragic.

New Schedule Coming Up..

Eli’s Ink recently added 2 new tattoo artists to the roster. Because we have more than enough people to staff the shop, I will be working a different schedule. I’ll be posting my schedule as soon as I know and possibly some new Rules of Engagement for getting work done!!! Just a heads up guys, this will all be sorted out soon!

In the meantime, Eli’s Ink has extended business hours in order to better accommodate the busy schedules of our valued customers. Hours of operation are as follows:

12 noon – 10pm, 7 days a week and most holidays.

If for any reason you have any questions about making a tattoo appointment or our location, feel free to give us a call at 989-6087. See you guys soon!

 

Lying in a Grave

On By Ian OverseasIn TattoosLeave a comment

PhotoGrid_1481511853159

Tattoo terminology is one thing that will forever be a subject of debate. I used to work for a guy who had issues with the term “freehand.” Apparently in his mind, freehand is just going to town on somebody’s skin with no guidelines. Is he correct? Absolutely. You can call it whatever you want as long as it works for you. Since I came back to Guam, I’ve been introduced to a whole new set of tattoo theory and terminology. Things like “head artist” and “lead artist,” “powder shading” and “tagging.” Regardless of what you call it, I’m happy that I’ve been able to work alongside a lot of these artists and learn from them.

Personally, I’m not a technical guy. There are all kinds of terms for different techniques. Along the way, one of the most important things I’ve learned is that there is no single correct way to do things. Everyone has a set of tools and tricks that works for them and as long as you are practicing safe procedure, the end result is all that really matters. In fact, I recently saw some lettering done in a stateside rehabilitation facility that blew my mind. For an improvised machine and a short amount of time, it was easily some of the best fine line work I’ve ever seen up close.

There will be situations where you have limited resources and you have to rely on experience and/or guesswork to make things happen. From some of the work I’ve seen, some of Guam’s backyard tattoo artists will make use of their resources to make 2 or 3 sessions’ worth of disaster happen on someone.

Whatever the case may be, if anyone is interested in what I do and how I do it, please don’t assume that this is the only way to do things. It just happens that it works for me. Likewise, if you ever run into one of those know-it-all guys that have years of internet research and certifications under their belt, keep in mind that they are merely offering advice and not stating facts.

Local Stuff

On By Ian OverseasIn Info, TattoosLeave a comment

It’s a couple of days late, and Chamorro Month has come and gone. However, tattooing on Guam over the years, I have done a lot of local imagery. With the flowers, there is definitely some Polynesian motif, but the flowers are definitely local.

To be clear, I am not against Polynesian tattoos. I just don’t get many requests for that style. What I am against however, is the popularity of local tattoo artists claiming that this style is indigenous to Guam. In fact, there is no proof that tattooing ever existed on Guam prior to the 1950s, and that has more to do with the military population instead of the local population. You can find a more in-depth discussion of this lack of proof on the Guampedia website. The good people at Guampedia have compiled an extensive collection of information about the island and its culture, so it’s an awesome resource for anyone looking to learn more about Guam.

There are so many aspects of local culture that are beautiful and unique to Guam, and for the last 20 years or so, there has been a cultural renaissance in which many people have come to embrace who we are instead of aspiring to be someone they see in magazines or on television. From a business point of view, success depends on your ability to meet demand. however, there is danger in promoting misinformation for the sake of profit in a time where people are searching for cultural identity.

Inspiration for local tattoos can more readily be found all around us rather than on the internet. Tattoos traditionally are a depiction of a way of life, and only by going out and experiencing life can we truly illustrate that way of life on our skin. Whether or not the ancient inhabitants of Guam wore tattoos, today many of us have them.

Regardless of what history does or does not tell us, tattooing is alive and well on Guam, perhaps more now than ever before. Stop by Eli’s Ink in Anigua if you want to see what we can do for you, and I hope everyone had a successful Chamorro Month!