camel tattoo for girls | TATTOO CONVENTION
spectacular wrist tattoos for girls | TATTOO CONVENTION
spectacular wrist tattoos for girls | TATTOO CONVENTION
Henna Tattoo for Kids-Love Tattoo Design
Henna is an of course found ingredient that is used for tattoos. Through the natural ingredients that are seen, you can simply find that you are capable to use henna natural tattoos for children. Through the natural henna ink that is use and latest tattoo art you can construct a kind of designs. As opposed to other types of temporary tattoo ink that are used for children, henna is much loved because it is indeed a natural material tattoos design. There are two ways that you can construct henna tattoos. The first way to construct henna tattoos is through the paste that can be applied to the skin. In the other version of henna tattoos and you must first use the powder and mix the powder with water and necessary oils to build a paste which can then be applied to the skin. Once the paste has been permitted to dry henna tattoo designs it shall depart the temporary tattoo on the skin.
Henna tattoos can be simply formed with the use of a brush, but they can also be used with stencils to construct some of the most well-liked children’s tattoos. Through the many designs that are accessible to opt from, you can simply find that you are capable to construct a tattoo for any child.Tattoo Wings Design
Tattoo Wings Are Becoming Popular Tattoo Designs
More and more people get tattoo wings on their shoulders today. This may be due to both to see if you are bare-chested or to make you feel like you're an angel. But 
whatever the reason is behind it, there really many people who like this design ink on their bodies. Since there is only a number of options available to you can have a tattoo wings, this article will give you some help deciding what to design you choose.
Angel tattoo wings, as mentioned, is usually done on the back of the shoulder, so there is the attraction more realistic for them. These people can have it done by a tattoo artist and ask them to do more detail to the wings so that they will be more credible. Usually, the people who decide to have a tattoo of angel tattoo wings have been doing so they can express their symbolism and religious beliefs. However, the devil wings very similar to this angel tattoo wings. And they can also express a belief and symbolism. The only difference between them is how they look as opposed to one another.
A more subtle option you can have is either a fairy or butterfly tattoo wings. People who like fantasy fairy wings to go to so they will feel like they are one. Typically, more women get the ink tattoo designs behind them and on their shoulders. In addition, the butterfly tattoo wings are preferred by the women rather than men. Getting tattoo wings of a butterfly is just one of the general design.
Usually, if you get a tattoo wings on his back, a tattoo artist would be a great and realistic. But if you prefer to have smaller tattoos, you can have it done in other parts of the body such as legs, shoulders, lower back, legs, stomach or arms. In addition, getting a tattoo fairy or butterfly wings will usually need to put some kind of ink colors. Tattoos can not be achieved only in one session and will ask you to come back several times so that the tattoo artist can finish it.
Although there are many women who choose to be a wing tattoo ink on their bodies, men also have the option to design this tattoo. Apart from the tattoo wings of angels or demons, they can also have wings of an eagle or other bird, and even get a spare wing. But this does not stop there. In the middle of the wing, there are so many things that can put like a sword, crown, heart, skull, cross, or star. You can choose between them or you can even let it empty and just select the wing. By Jennifer Langston
Flower Tattoo Design with Flowery Tattoo Pictures
They are old sufficient to memorize Woodstock, Haight-Ashbury, and the Volkswagen microbus as the transportation choice shall also memorize silence symbols and Flower Power. There was even a hit in 1967 by Scott McKenzie with the lyrics, “If you’re going to San Francisco, be ensure to put on flowers in your hair.” The latest flower tattoo designs a move toward tattooed with body art, or so much cliche lovers tattoo arts and the Flower authority of the 1960s has resurfaced again, not in hairpieces, but the tattoos. Tattoo flowers have an undeniable petition to those of gentle spirit, both men and women. But politics aside, just a gorgeous flower tattoo to see and that alone makes them a favorite for women.
Women who began flocking to the offices and boardrooms of American commerce ritual in the 1980s also began to flock to the place of American tattooing, though at first their choice were both small and placed silently. All that has changed in twenty-five years, and 21st century women are willing to adjust to all the men in opting a tattoo. Flower tattoos but yet remains one of the most normal women demand. Many women select a small flower tattoo art tattoo as an introduction, and adding more than that to form a bouquet of flowers or use it as the foundation for better and more complex tattoos in the outlook. Flower tattoos and allows the independence to opt the color of the tattoo artist’s ink palette, whether or not they were really found in nature. Blue rose, for example, was very well-liked flower tattoos, and signifies a fight for the impossible, because there are no of course blue roses.
Roses blue or apart from that, are without dilemma the most requested of all tattoo flowers. Who has come to be a symbol of whole thing from a love for everlasting prettiness, when they explained a thorn, dangers and difficulties? Hawaiian flower tattoo, on the other hand, is usually deemed to be unisex tattoos, and is as well-liked with men as women. They can consist whole thing from large, conspicuous yellow Hawaiian Cattleya Orchid Hibiscus to sleek, then the attention that can measure anyplace from one inch to eight inches.
One of the biggest attractions flower tattoos is that they shall not at all become obsolete; and a skilled tattoo artist can even build a fantasy flower with a kind of colors, the other petals, leaves and stems and third.A single flower tattoos can be centered on the navel; flower tattoo can be snaking vine about the arm or leg.
Flower tattoos, trend of the 21st century, in fact, can do something about a garden complete of natural flowers that can be done, and much more!
Body Art Tattoo Designs-Good and Bad
Having a body art tattoo is pleasing to seem at and can be a source of concentration for the one who is sporting it. This is particularly true that’s why it is frequently availed to by people who want to grow concentration like thespians, athletes and musicians. Concentration can be either positive or negative and in the case of tattoos, mostly negative. This is why having tattoos are discouraged by many people even while the thinking of it is quick becoming more and more popular.
The negative concentration at the back having tattoos was greatly influenced by the fact that it mostly linked with criminality and bad activities. It is a normal practice for gangs to sport a precise type of body art tattoo as a sign of membership and recognition. It is a normal view in prisons where jailed criminals get tattoos to represent the crook acts that they have done. This is why persons with many tattoos are simply linked with serious criminals who have lived a life that is complete of crime and misdeeds. Aside from these, tattoos are also link with people who spends most of their lives at sea. Memorize “Popeye the sailor man” with his prominent anchor tattoo? Being a sailor is just one of the many professions that regard tattoo as a normal practice and culture. Others consist soldiers and circus workers. This is why parents who don’t want their children to be linked with these professions frequently smirk at the view of even the simplest and most blameless – looking tattoo.
No matter what the reasons at the back having a body art tattoo are, the significant thing is that it is used as a medium of self – expression. Hopefully, as time goes by it shall be accepted eventually by everybody in the world.
body painting, cartoons, painted, sponge bob
Artists have always been intrigued by the human form and produced figurative based artwork. The natural curves and features of the human body are a constant source of inspiration for many artists from Beryl Cook to Banksy. This is something that has spread from the art world to every magazine cover in the country so there must be a natural intrigue for humans to examine our own and other people's bodies. Three of the top artists in this genre are Texan artist Todd White and British artists Darren Baker and Jack Vettriano although there are major differences between their painting styles. One thing that is the same is their love for painting the human figure.
Artist Todd White comes from Texas and has had an interesting career path. He started life working in Hollywood for Warner Brothers and was part of the artistic creative team behind Sponge Bob Square Pants. This could explain the cartoon looks of the people he paints in his contemporary designs. Todd White's artwork often shows people in black clothing socialising and drinking wine and this could be down to where he is based. It would seem that Todd White is surrounded by Hollywood schmoozers and social climbers and from his artwork I'd say he is not a fan.
Darren Baker is a young and very promising British artist who has already commanded a great deal of respect from his peers. Darren Baker has received numerous awards from the art world and has private and public collections in the House of Lords and Downing Street. He has also been approached by many sports personalities to paint portraits, this is probably because he was appointed official artist of The Professional Footballer's Association when he was 23 years old. Darren has a contemporary style that combines realism and classics and is fond of painting figures. Darren Baker frequently paints female figures often in relaxed, seductive positions and he often uses a mix of reds and blacks.
Jack Vettriano comes from Fife in Scotland and has won countless awards for his figurative and nude pieces. Jack Vettriano pieces have a film noir feel to them painting many of his subjects in a 50's style. He often features women in his paintings often in relaxed poses or in the middle of doing something like leaving a room through a door. Jack Vettriano often paints characters that appear distracted, many of his pieces feature people staring off into the distance or focused on something else.
Flower Body Painting Art, Sexy Female
Women get tattoos to express themselves, to convey a message or to accentuate their femininity by choosing sexy tattoo designs. The top 3 tats that females go for are flowers, butterfly and star tattoos since these are images that they can readily relate to their womanhood and life in general.
Flowers have always been associated with love, beauty, passion and a whole lot of other things. With their timeless grace and exquisite beauty, they have always been a favorite subject in art be it in paintings, decors and literature. They are admired not only for their physical attribute but also because of the symbolical meaning attached to them. That's why its no wonder that they have caught the fancy of tat enthusiasts with flower tattoos being one of the top popular designs.
Butterfly tattoos no matter how common they are still continue to be on the lead when it comes to choices of tat designs. These creatures are naturally gorgeous and women always want them tattooed on their body because of their undeniably great artistic appeal. On top of that, the meaning that comes with butterfly are very much fitting to what a woman undergoes such as change, transformation and rebirth.
Star tattoos can be indicative of going for one's dreams or goals in life or suggestive of hopes and wishes. They can also mean a woman's desire to shine and be a star. Shooting star tattoos, on the other hand, can also symbolize a brief fleeting moment in a woman's life or they can also represent important people in their lives. Stars look stunning when inked on the body and with their flexibility and versatility, they have remained as one of the top choices for sexy tattoo designs.
Advertise Body Painting
Go in for decals that will change the look of your car, making it the talk of the city. Not only is it easy to apply (with no mess of paints) but you save money by not hiring professional auto graphic installer. Vinyl decals are so easy that you can do it at home!
From jazzing up your old car to promoting your website or business, vinyl decals have carved a niche in the advertising field and are gaining popularity with each passing day. A means of effective advertising combined with low costs and even lower maintenance, decals on vehicles can really spread the message. Creative, well thought one liner's combined with attractive designing are the best way to catch people's attention.
There are many advantages of using custom decals as:
o Your own vehicle becomes the billboard (you save money!),
o Simple application and easy removals, with no damage to the body paint of the vehicle.
o Even with low maintenance, they last for a long time.
o Change an old decal to a new one when you want to.
o New adhesives are best as no heat is required for removal.
Car decals are in rage at the races, where the sponsors place their company logos and advertisement on the decals. Not only are they noticed as they reach the whole nation, thanks to the media coverage of the cars!
You can use custom vinyl decals to do the same, get them printed or maybe use the vinyl lettering to your car windows or bumper and start announcing your venture too. This is the power of a vinyl decal - just put it and it starts working for you, your best marketing tool. You will attract more customers with a brightly catchy decal than a number of advertisements in the newspaper. The decals come in all sizes and colors and can be ordered also.
There are many sign shops which deal exclusively in car decals and graphics. If you are one of the 'couch shoppers', then you can search online. Technological advancements and internet has brought everything within the click of the mouse, so you can search, survey and then buy the best vinyl decal at the best available price, sitting at home.
body painting technique by Craig Tracy
Art is usually divided in the main categories "abstract" or "realistic". But the difference between abstract and realistic painting techniques shouldn't be absolute. As long as abstract is just abstract and realistic just realistic, there's no movement or development. Painting becomes interesting right where abstract and realistic painting meet. Realistic paintings are immersed with abstract aspects like color, composition, forms and texture - and abstract paintings that are really only abstract don't mean anything to a human anymore. Good abstract art always has some (new and creative) referral to our memory of sensory perception.
When you paint realistic, you need some abstract skills to make good paintings. With an eye for color, composition and form, you can analyze your painting, gain some visual distance to it. That enables you to improve your painting. And in abstract painting, you also need to have some realistic painting skills. The best abstract painters were those, who had an old fashioned training in realistic oil painting techniques.
Even when we make photo's, we don't depict reality or nature 'as it really is'. We choose subjects, lighting, a composition. The same thing happens when we make realistic paintings. The sky is blue and trees are green - in our minds - but a closer look shows that things can have all kinds of colors, and that you can play with the mood of picture by choosing specific subjects, props, or a specific time of the day. This goes even more in realistic painting - you build up all the visual elements yourself.
In abstract painting, there is no absolute 'abstractness' either. Even the square of Malevitsch makes some reference to certain crystal shapes, to furniture, to things on earth.
When we make abstract paintings, there are always elements present that refer to reality, or, our experiences as sentient beings. "up" and "down" are general terms, but they have specific meanings - "down"you expect to find a bottom, something solid, to stand on, and "up" you expect air, and some light. That would be a natural situation. It can be the other way around, of course, but then you have quite a different mood (the perspective of someone hanging from a cliff, staring in a void down below - very stressfull)
Every visual element - color, form, proportions - refers to something. Red is a fruit color, a color of passion, and blue is a sky-color, a distance-color. Painting a red sky creates drama. And painting blue food creates an alienated, distant and unnatural look. When you take this knowledge into abstract painting, you can make use your work to communicate meaning.
The main difficulty in this is, that it's hard to perceive this natural state. It's what we are. Trying to experience what you are is like: a fish, trying to become aware of the water he's in. But painting is the best way to learn this way of perception. You only have to relate to your canvas, with your own body as referring material. Subtlety is the key.
This is important because art shouldn't be dead. Concepts like 'realistic' and 'abstract' are concepts that remain dead when taken as given objects, but they come alive when you connect them to each other. This is where reality is actually formed. There is no such thing as a given reality - the objectivity you find in a given situation is material and dead. Which is a lie, because reality is not dead. It's alive. As a living thing, it can only be recognized by a living person, who tells a story, showing what he or she has seen and learned.
Painting becomes interesting where realistic and abstract painting are connected. Then realistic painting goes from: shaping things the way we think they exist to: re-creating reality in the way YOU saw and experienced it. And importing realistic elements in abstract painting enables you to give new meaning to the things you paint. Your subject may be material (a portrait, landscape or such) or immaterial (a mood, concept or feeling). But when you make to yourself this demand of meaning, that is: a referral to reality, that's where equal, valueless colors, strokes and geometrical shapes turn into meaningful colors, forms and gestures.You might even give an outer appearance to things that didn't yet have an outer appearance.
In abstract art painting, it does make a difference if you take a naturalistic subject and paint it in a new way, or if you paint really abstract and try to generate meaning. In the first case, you still work with an 'outer' reality, and when working really abstract, you directly use your body, and the way things feel in your body, as a referral, a medium that tells you what is real. I might be idealistic, and vague, but I believe this is where a new kind of reality is really formed. This kind of objectivity is what gives the real value of art. The body is the key, because we all roughly have the same bodies. We all have hearts, livers and kidneys. Maybe it's time we start to use them.
Body Paint Art Festival
Dragonmen, Alien Mermaids, Fantastic Fire Dancers, Barebacked Santas, and even a Painted Labrador Retriever; you can see all these and more at the fantastic body painting festivals now occurring annually around the world.
There is a wide range of body painting festivals today. All include painted bodies, of course, and all include some kind of competitions; however there is a quite a range of skills and size among the different festivals, and some are more 'family friendly' than others.
Here's a quick look at the top 6 body painting festivals, where they happen and what you can expect to find there:
1. The World Body Painting Festival
This festival includes some of the most stunning professional body painting to be seen in the world today. A 3 day program includes dance, music and fireworks displays, as well as many competitions. Many of the body paintings here should fall under the category of 'fine art' with some of the dancers body paintings simply defying belief. A very large event and certainly worth traveling for.
Where: Seeboden, Austria
Duration: Three days
Events Include: World Championships in 3 categories; night contest for UV effects, Special Effects awards; classes and workshops; BodyCircus (fantasy ball); music and dance performances; an international photo contest; and a huge fireworks show.
Artistic Range: One of the very best, with stunning range of styles and surprising themes.
Family Friendliness: Not clear, but it is in Europe, so not likely to ban under 18. However this body painting festival does not advertise itself as family friendly, as some others do.
2. The Canadian Body Painting Festival
This is another body painting festival that showcases simply stunning artists and finished work. The quality of the art here is similar to that seen at the World Body Painting Festival. The Festival is themed from year to year, with the recent theme being "It's A Jungle Out There." Also includes the Canadian Body Painting Championships.
Where: Nanaimo, British Columbia
Duration: Two days
Events Include: Competitions in overall body painting, brush and sponge, and airbrush; includes the Canadian body painting Championships
Artistic Range: Most stunning, and one of the best overall. Very life-like and fantastic double-take images.
Family Friendliness: Not stated - would be worth making a call first.
3. The International Body Painting Festival
This festival takes place in Mainz, a city with over two thousand years of history. It is located on the river Rhine, has strong Celtic roots and may have been founded by the Romans as early as 13 BC. One can imagine that body painting has a long history here, if you remember the Celtic tradition of painting their bodies before going into battle. Once again, the artistic ability and range is stunning at this International festival.
Where: Mainz, Germany
Duration: Weekend festival
Events Include: Competitions include special effects and face painting
Artistic Range: Very stunning; high artistic skill.
Family Friendliness: Not known but again, it's in Europe. I would call ahead.
4. Welsh International Body Painting Festival
This festival is a bit younger and less established than the top 3, although it has some impressive artwork considering that they are just getting started. Also the atmosphere is more 'fun' orinted, less 'high art' and family participation is strongly encouraged. A good festival to consider if you want to make it a family outing and see some amazing work in the process.
Where: Wales (of course)
Duration: Two days
Events Include: Hands on demonstrations; horror specialists and flower specialists
Artistic Range: High, and impressive for a smaller sized event; not as subtle or creative as some of the others
Family Friendliness: Very good; in fact they encourage families and camping, with an 'all ages' atmosphere and events designed for younger participants
5. The UK Body Painting Festival
This festival showcases some of the least impressive - although most amusing - body painting, although it should be said that it is not presented as a stuffy 'high art' affair, but more a circus or county fair type outing for the entire family. Fun, relaxed and un-selfconscious atmosphere allows for some of the more surprising and purely 'fun' body art to be seen. If you're not a supermodel and would like to get your body painted without worrying about snide comments, this might be a good option for you.
Where: Ashford, UK
Duration: Two days
Events Include: Family-oriented face painting, body painting competitions for professional and amateur categories, craft fair, children's activities, workshops, and a 'bouncy castle.'
Artistic Range: Fair; more of a family outing with a lots to do than a showcase of spectacular art.
Family Friendliness: Very high; advertised as family event. Lowest cost of all the body painting festivals - comparable to a movie ticket.
6. The US Bodypainting Festival (or New Mexico Body Painting Festival/US Bodypainting Competition)
There is definitely some impressive body painting to be seen at this festival, and a lot of creative innovation with hair and unusual designs that you won't see anywhere else. One example that springs to mind is a model dressed in racecar theme with red, white and blue hair sprayed out behind her as though flying in the wind. Also, if you're in the US this festival obviously doesn't require a plane ticket. However this is not a family outing, as it explicitly bans anyone under 18.
Where: Alberquerque, New Mexico
Duration: Three days
Events Include: Demonstrations, workshops, competitions in body painting
Artistic Range: Good to poor - there is a mix of very impressive artistic works and things better left unpainted here; although it's all 'interesting.'
Family Friendliness: Not at all. We are in the US remember; no one under 18 allowed.
Amazing Obama Body Paint Illusion
Amazing hidden images and optical illusions discovered within Leonardo da Vinci's works of art. What has lead to a incredible journey into and through this ingenious artist and inventor's works of art, all began innocently over 12 years ago after a Texas artist hung a small copy of the painting "Mona Lisa" in her bedroom.
"Over the years as I walked past the painting I began noticing what I describe as "the ever changing faces of Mona Lisa." This lead me to suspect and eventually conclude that da Vinci's painting was indeed what can best be described as a hand painted hologram. I became so convinced of this that I began an exhaustive examination of da Vinci's works of art, discovering an endless array of hidden images which are masterfully revealed through incredible illusions throughout his entire body of work. All of which have somehow managed to elude the public's attention for over five hundred years."
"I've begun a personal blog dedicated to sharing all that I've discovered as well as explaining the simple secrets to hopefully enable everyone the means of seeing these incredible hidden images."
"There really is no way to prepare you for what all you're going to see. Of course considering we all see things differently what may be easy for one person to see, may in fact take someone else much longer. However, when an image comes suddenly into clear focus from what appears to be nowhere then another and another and another; consistently throughout da Vinci's works of art, viewers normally find it difficult, if not impossible to believe that these could be mere flukes or common anomalies."
"Of course one of the best secrets to seeing these images and illusions much faster and easier is knowing exactly what to look for in addition to knowing how to look in just a slightly different manner than we're perhaps accustom to viewing a piece of art. These images and illusions can be seen clearly with the naked eye once you know the "what" and "how" to finding them."
"My most recent blog entry features a sketch by da Vinci and is a very simple illusion that will hopefully allow viewers a sense of immediate gratification in being able to see one of these vast number of illusions. The type of illusions as well as the style of hidden images can vary from painting to painting and from sketch to sketch. Once you grasp the concept of a particular illusion or hidden image you'll quickly begin to discover more and more of the same within that particular piece of art work."
My first body painting project.
Painting our houses is the most common improvement which we choose to do on our own. Professionals have their role, but when you have the time and the knowledge to do it, there is no reason to change your mind.
It became easier to find the materials necessary for a painting project during the last years. Competition is high and producers supply specialized stores not only with the tools you need but also with different varieties to choose from. If you plan to start a painting project you must be meticulous in organizing your activity and in purchasing the necessary tools. Your shopping list should be organized according to the stages of painting.
The first stage is to clean the surface. Paint won't adhere well to a dirty surface with old paint debris. Some of necessary materials for this activity are: a heavy scrub, a wire brush, sandpaper and water to thoroughly clean any foreign body. During this stage you might need goggles and a mask because there will be clouds of dust in the air.
Then you will decide upon the paint you need to use. At this stage it is very important to know whether your painting project is takes place indoor or outdoor. There are different types of paint, some meant for interior walls and other more fit for the exterior walls because they can face the weather with success. For painting you need first of all the primer, than an appropriate paint and the tools to apply them. According to the surface you wish to paint you could use brushes, rollers or spray. Avoid emulsions with sharp smell.
After the work is done and you are admiring your work remember to clean up. This might require drop cloths, mineral spirits for oil based paint and plenty of water for water based paint. You should think about cleaning even before you start painting and remove any furniture from the proximity of the walls, cover it and also cover the floor if you are working indoors.
If you start doing your own research to help you organize your shopping list you will find many ideas which will make your work easier. The color of the walls is all that matters once you finish painting so be sure you chose right among the many options on the market.
graffiti severals amazing body painting
Fresh from the lush and flowery ambiance of Honolulu, my wife and I found ourselves staring at parched red earth and desiccated shrubbery. It seemed like the middle of nowhere. Even the tiny airport reminded me of all those end-of-the-earth little island airstrips I had flown into in the South Pacific: roll-away stairs to get off the plane, a tiny, cinder-block terminal, and a couple of burly guys tossing baggage on a bench.
"You're in the country now," a fellow passenger said to me as we disembarked the plane. He was an island local, returning home from Oahu, and he must have noticed my bemused expression. I was struck by how he said it, though; he was proud, not apologetic.
Okay, so it wasn't rainforest, palm trees, and white sandy beaches. We had decided we wanted to get away, really get away. So despite its initially barren appearance, maybe Moloka'i was just the ticket.
At the moment, though, things didn't look promising. Our rental car had failed to show up at the airport. A call to the agency only resulted in an answering machine. So we were left sitting on the curb, wondering what to do. Finally, I got in touch with Ray Miller, the real estate agent from whom (over the internet) we'd rented an ocean front condo for the week.
"I'll come out and pick you up," he said. Fifteen minutes later, Ray was helping us load our luggage into his somewhat battered, blue pickup truck. He was tall, lanky, white-haired, soft-spoken, and remarkably sanguine. "Don't worry," he said as he drove, "you'll have a car."
A few minutes later, we were in his office in Kaunakakai. While Ray made a few phone calls to try and locate our car, we went outside to look around.
As far as cities go, Kaunakakai is fairly inauspicious. In fact, someone with a strong arm could, quite literally, throw a rock from one end of the town to the other. We stood on a single main street, lined with faded and dilapidated wooden structures. It was something out of the Old West; Dodge City with plumerias and coconuts. There wasn't even a traffic signal. In fact, as we were to discover later, there isn't a traffic signal on the entire island.
Accordingly, Kaunakakai is blessedly quiet, free of tourist hype and hubbub. At Ray's suggestion, we walked to the small market across the street to buy groceries. No sooner had we finished shopping than our rental car had appeared, along with a profusely apologetic agent who immediately gave us a discount over the already reasonable price.
All the brochures say Moloka'i is "The Friendly Isle." It was becoming clear why. On this island where everybody knows just about everybody else, everyone is taken care of, even the tourists. Moloka'i is like family.
Moloka'i is the fifth largest of the Hawaiian Islands. Thirty-seven miles long and ten miles wide, it is bounded on the south by the longest white sand beach in Hawai'i and on the north by the highest sea cliffs in the world. These cliffs plunge a heart-stopping, nearly vertical 2000 feet, directly into the ocean.
Essentially, Moloka'i is what's left of two ancient volcanoes, one at each end of the island. The middle of the island is a saddle formed by lava flows from both. The higher eastern end drains most of the available moisture from the prevailing trade winds, making it the lushest and greenest part of the island. The central plain and the western end are dry; dry, in fact, to the point of being desert. Some areas are almost completely devoid of foliage.
Because most of the island is arid and lacks the "South Pacific" allure of the other islands, the tourist industry has almost completely neglected Moloka'i. The result is an island where life is slow, and where things have changed little since the 1920s. Less than 7000 people live here, and of these over 50% (some say 70%) are of Hawaiian ancestry. It's the highest percentage of any island except Niihau (a privately owned island near Kaua'i), making Moloka'i the most Hawaiian of the Hawaiian Islands.
Longest, highest, most, friendliest--a lot of superlatives for a place the world seems to have forgotten. While we were there, you could have added another one: windiest.
"Not so good for diving today," Bill Kapuni said. "Maybe tomorrow. I'll call you in the morning."
I hung up and looked out the sliding glass door at the coconut palms and the wind-blown sea. Far away, a humpback whale flung itself out of the water, its long white pectoral fins flashing in the sun. We had come to snorkel and dive and lie on a beach. This was Hawaii, after all! Unfortunately, unusually strong trade winds were making these activities impossible. Bill Kapuni, the owner of the only scuba business on the island, had scheduled our first dive for today, but he was concerned that the choppy seas would make diving unpleasant, if not unsafe.
I started to wonder if perhaps I should take up golf. Our condo at Kaluakoi, a resort at the western end of the island, was a mere 100 feet from a rugged, rocky beach with pounding surf. But between us and the waves was a putting green. In fact, we were situated in the middle of the golf course, which for a non-golfer like myself is sort of like being the only vegetarian at a Texas barbecue. But I had to admit, as I watched the putters in front of me putter around, that there was a certain allure to the almost Zen-like concentration they were using to place recalcitrant balls into little holes. Perhaps it was the perfect pursuit for a quiet island. At least I wouldn't have to worry about rain. In fact, it was hard to imagine a better spot for the sport.
In the end, though, we opted for an exploratory drive. We'd been told that the Kalaupapa overlook was worth a stop, so we headed toward the center of the island, then turned north toward the cliffs.
I inched as close to the edge as I could force my acrophobic body to go. Straight down. I mean straight down. 2000 feet. Below, a dark, roiling ocean and crashing waves.
To say that these are the highest sea cliffs in the world is to say nothing at all. Those are just words designed to categorize and pigeonhole, but they cannot convey the sheer scale and majesty of these verdant walls of ancient lava plunging vertically into a dark sea. The vista is stunning. Anywhere else in the world, this would be a tourist mecca, lined with souvenir shops hawking "Overlook" T-shirts and bustling with people. Here there were only a few people besides us. No one said anything, stunned into silence by the spectacle. 'Worth a stop' indeed.
Jutting out improbably from the bottom of the cliffs was a tiny, flat peninsula called Makanalua. Formed by a rogue, late term lava flow, the final belch of a volcano before it died, Makanalua sits like the perfect natural penal colony. Isolated by steep and treacherous cliffs on one side and pounded by high surf on two others, a person marooned there would have a hard time escaping. Which is precisely why the rulers of Hawaii decided to cast their lepers ashore there.
The anguish and suffering that must have taken place at this seemingly idyllic spot is almost unimaginable. People with leprosy were torn from their homes and families and cast onto the shore-and often into the rough ocean offshore--to fend for themselves. Many drowned before touching the land. Those that survived lived a mean and Spartan existence. There was little food, no building materials to speak of, and no medical care. Then, in 1873, a Belgian priest named Father Damien exiled himself to Makalanua to tend to the outcasts. Father Damien built shelters, cultivated food, tended to the sick, and essentially brought civilization to the leper colony called Kalaupapa. Damien himself fell victim to the scourge in 1889, but his legacy remains. Today he is revered on Moloka'i almost as a saint.
From my vantage point high above, the former colony looked like paradise. The beaches were pristine and the land uncrowded. On the leeward, western side of the peninsula the ocean was calm and clear. It looked like excellent snorkeling. Unfortunately, Kalaupapa is off limits to all but carefully controlled tour groups. Leprosy is curable now, but a few people still carry the scars and are permitted to live out their lives in privacy and seclusion.
We pulled ourselves away from the sheer precipice and followed a trail to the famous Phallic Rock. The ancient Hawaiians, like many ancient peoples, were concerned with fertility. So when a naturally occurring rock somewhat resembled a phallus, it was only natural, apparently, to embellish. Hence, the Phallic Rock, tucked away in the trees at the top of the Moloka'i sea cliffs. Warning to women: Don't visit the rock unless you wish to get pregnant. Such is the legend.
Moloka'i is an island rife with history and legend. The hula was supposedly born here, at Mauna Loa on the western end. The ancient Molokaians were also renowned for their prowess at warfare, and the island was a stronghold of powerful kahuna (sorcerers). The great Kamehameha, the first to bring all the islands under one rule, used Moloka'i as a training ground for his soldiers. Some people even believe the ancient Hawaiians first made landfall at Halawa Valley, a mystical place at the eastern tip of Moloka'i.
"This is where you get your feet wet," Pilipo said, as he sat on a stone to remove his shoes. Only a few minutes into our cultural hike, we had come upon a rocky stream flowing through the rain forest.
Pilipo Solatorio was our guide into the historic Halawa valley, near the northeast tip of the island. Our goal was the famous Moaula Falls. On the way we were to learn about the ways of Pilipo's ancestors, the ancient Hawaiians who had lived in the valley for hundreds of years.
Once safely across the stream (from which one member of our group emerged somewhat damper than before), we followed Pilipo's certain lead through dense jungle and under overhanging vines. Halawa Valley was not always so overgrown with lush vegetation, Pilipo told us. At one time the entire valley was under cultivation. The first farmers had covered the valley floor with an intricate patchwork of terraces for growing taro, a staple in their diet. These terraces were held in place by carefully constructed rock walls, many of which still stand.
We stopped to look at one of them. It loomed out of the jungle like an ancient black skeleton, tinted green by a skin of moss. The stones fit together like the pieces of a puzzle, solid and perfect after hundreds of years, even though the Hawaiians had no metal tools for carving.
A few steps further on, Pilipo reached up to pick a yellowish, mottled fruit from a broad-leafed tree. "This is called Noni fruit," he said. "The ancient Hawaiians used it as a medicine, either drinking the juice as a treatment for cancer or applying it topically for burns." He also told us about the kukui nut, taken from the "candle tree," so called because the Hawaiians would skewer several of the waxy, heart-shaped nuts on a sharp stick and light the top one. Since the nuts are very oily, they'd burn with a slow, steady flame and thereby supply the Hawaiians with nightime light.
Giant monkeypod trees, more than a hundred feet tall and adorned with enormous bird's nest ferns, lined the trail. The air was rich with the damp, green, earthy smell of new and decaying foliage. Surinam cherries--tart, red, heart-shaped fruits the size of grapes--grew randomly, and every few minutes we'd come upon a patch of raspberry-like berries, sweet and ripe for plucking.
Soon we were far from any sign of civilization. The only sounds were the gurgling of the stream below us, the twittering of tropical birds, and the rustle of a slight breeze through the thick foliage. It was easy to imagine that we were walking back in time, following the well worn path of ancient Hawaiians to their secret place in the jungle. Each new set of ruins we passed added to the feeling.
Pilipo held up his hand, stopping us in our tracks. "We are about to walk across a heiau," he said. Heiaus were sacred places to the Hawaiians, their temples. "In the ancient days, one would be immediately put to death for crossing a heiau, but the stream has washed out the original trail." He pointed to the stream flowing below us in a ravine. "So we have no choice." But he made it clear we should be respectful of the ground we walked on.
A moment later we had gathered around a large pile of stones. It was a burial mound, Pilipo explained, and we were standing in a former City of Refuge, one of several such places in old Hawai'i. Any lawbreaker, no matter the crime, could escape punishment if he or she could make it to a City of Refuge before capture. The fugitive was then required to remain in self-imposed exile for seven years. Criminals who tried to slip out of the City before their time was up faced immediate punishment-often death. But after seven years, the slate was wiped clean and the former lawbreaker was free to go back to home and family.
I looked at the moss-covered pile of rocks in front of me and wondered if the person buried before us had made it here only to die before his seven years were up.
We pressed forward, through luxuriant flowerbeds and across rocky streams. The sound of rushing water grew louder until, finally, we could see the falls. We entered a small clearing surrounded by steep, jungle-covered hills. A high, shimmering column of frenzied water cascaded from a sheer, volcanic cliff to plunge into a dark pool. We clambered over giant boulders to stand before the swirling water. Billowing mist dampened our faces and created rainbows in the air around us. A deep roar drowned out every sound.
Standing on a large boulder with the falls behind him and shouting to be heard, Pilipo cleared up a monumental cartographic misunderstanding. "This place is called Moaula Falls on all the maps," he said, "but that's a mistake. The foreign mapmakers got it wrong. In Hawaiian, moa means "chicken" and ula means "red," but "red chicken falls" makes no sense. There are no red chickens here! Instead, the true name is Mo'o'ula Falls, named after the red lizard god, Mo'o, who guards them."
Then Pilipo described how the Hawaiians would prepare for a swim by tossing in a carefully prepared cluster of ti leaves and watching it closely. If it floated around and washed out of the pond, it was safe to swim. If it sank, the god of the pool was displeased and swimming could be dangerous.
"The god lives in that cave," Pilipo said, pointing to a dark hole in the side of the cliff. "Anyone care for a swim?"
Amazingly, two brave souls shed their shirts and jumped into the cold, dark water, tempting fate. But no giant red lizard appeared to chase them out.
Too soon we were heading back down the valley toward Pilipo's homestead and his newly planted taro fields, where we had begun our trek. As we retraced our steps through the jungle, I caught the sound of helicopters hovering overhead. These were tourists from nearby Maui, coming to see the famous valley and "red chicken falls."
It must have been a beautiful sight from above, I thought. But they were seeing it from a remove, and they were seeing only the surface--a lush blanket of foliage between towering cliffs, and a spectacular waterfall cascading down. They couldn't hear the roar of the water, feel the mist on their faces, or feel the presence of the red lizard as he guarded his treasure. Neither could they see the ancient ruins and feel the weight of centuries of tradition and wisdom.
They paid a lot more than we did, no doubt, but they got a whole lot less.
On the drive back to Kaunakakai, we detoured to Bill Kapuni's house to take him up on an earlier invitation. Since rough water and strong winds continued to make diving impossible, Bill had invited us over to look at his work. He came out his front door as soon as we pulled up.
Here's the thing about Bill Kapuni: He's a giant of a man, bigger than life, like a Hawaiian of legend, like King Kamehameha himself or the great Duke Kahanamoku. When Bill Kapuni walks into a scene, all eyes are on him. Yet, at the same time, he's gentle, quiet, and self-effacing. He speaks slowly and deliberately.
"Pehea oi," he boomed from the porch. How are you?
Pilipo nudged me and whispered, "Say 'Maikai no'."
"Maikai no," I repeated. I'm fine.
Bill flashed a giant smile. "You speak Hawaiian now, eh?"
He came down the stairs, grasped our hands in turn, and buried Pilipo in a bear hug. Then he invited us in, where we were greeted by his Irish-American wife, Kyno, a woman almost as tall as Bill and just as big-hearted. Even the one-year-old baby in Kyno's arms seemed enormous. My wife and I felt like Gullivers in Brobibdinagia.
Bill Kapuni is well enough known for his dive operation, but there is much more to him than scuba cylinders and regulators. When he was younger he rebuilt classic hot rods, all of which were highly sought after by collectors. Now, in addition to diving, he carves wood. So we were told. But when we walked into his living room it became clear that the truth is much more than that. To say Bill Kapuni carves wood is to wildly understate the truth. It's somewhat like saying Picasso dabbled with oil paints.
We stood amidst several exquisite works of art in native wood. Among them were traditional Hawaiian ceremonial drums and outrigger canoe miniatures and replicas. But dwarfing everything else in the room, including Kapuni, was a stunning piece he had recently completed. "This is a tribute," he told me with some measure of pride, "to the skill and bravery of the ancient Hawaiian voyagers."
It's a fitting one. The work consists of a life-sized navigating mast and two massive steering paddles, all hand-carved, all mounted vertically in the most imposing piece of woodcraft I've ever seen. Standing nearly ten feet tall, it shines in the quiet light of Bill's house, dominating the living room. Its smooth surfaces and exquisite lines exude raw power.
Bill told us the work was coveted by the governor of Hawai'i, who planned to place it either in the Governor's mansion or the Honolulu International Airport. He seemed entirely unconcerned with the renown this exposure could bring him. He even seemed slightly embarrassed by this compliment to his skill.
It was an attitude unusual for an accomplished artist, yet entirely consistent with what I had come to realize about the people of Moloka'i. I was continually astounded at how genuine they were. Bill, Kyno, Pilipo, even Ray Miller-all were unpretentious, unhurried, and warmly welcoming to friends and strangers alike.
Later, after we had left Bill's house, Pilipo took us into his own home to show us his collection of ancient artifacts and to talk about his efforts to preserve the land and the culture of his people. We sat drinking lemonade and talking about history and family and life on Moloka'i, as evening fell and the world grew quiet.
"Moloka'i is not like any other island," Ray had said that first day as we drove into town.
Sitting there completely comfortable in Pilipo's house, the truth of that statement became clear. Without our being aware of it, Moloka'i had worked its magic on us. Our big city angst had evaporated, allowing Moloka'i's charm and the friendliness of her people to bring us back to earth--the real earth of flowers and sea and sky, of grass beneath our feet and the tangy sweet smell of plumeria in our nostrils. The island pace had caught us, a pace slower and more "island" than Oahu or Maui could ever be. It had brought us back to our senses.
Unfortunately, our time was almost up. So, the next night, our last night on the island, we decided to do a deal.
At ten PM sharp we found ourselves in Kaunakakai, parked across from Imamura's general store. The street was dark and deserted. We got out of the car, looked around to be sure we weren't being watched, then made our way down a darkened alley to the back of Kanemitsu's Bakery. The walls of the shadowed alley were lined with graffiti, and an empty beer bottle lay on the littered pavement. In the high windows at the back of the bakery, I could see ceiling fans turning, and the faint sound of tinny radio music wafted through the bug screens. A single bare lightbulb shone over a blue, paint-chipped door.
I screwed up my courage and knocked on the door, timidly at first, then, when there was no answer, more forcefully. Footsteps approached from inside the building. I stood back and held my breath. The door opened abruptly and I found myself facing a slim, dark-skinned man wearing flip-flop sandals, dark pants, a dark blue T-shirt, and a scowl. He was covered head to toe in flour.
Body Painting by Daniele Conti. c/o Daniel
Face painting has been in trend since olden days. It is considered as an entertainment during carnivals, family gatherings, wedding functions, parties and corporate events. Face Painting requires a perceptive mind, a bit of patience, a box of face paints, some brushes and a willing theme.
Face painting ideas take place in enthusiastic forms like tattoo ideas to general country flag ones. The amazing ones are seen during carnival times or certain theme parties. Nowadays, "do-it-yourself" guides to face painting are available in the local markets. They are easy, low-priced and suitable for face painting.
Glitter can add an entire new look to your face and is an excellent face-painting idea. It can transform your face-paintings for amateur to expert. It can be inexpensive, if you know where to buy them, and it is very easy to apply. They work much better with princess and fantasy themes and kids simply love them. As with face paints, you need to remember using glitter and stick-on jewels that are harmless to put on human skin.
Costumes and face-painting is also a good idea. Searching plain costumes is the key to this favourite-of-all free face-painting ideas. It is not required to go and spend a huge amount of money. You may use a pair of bunny ears to go with a bunny design or a tiara to go with a princess. You can also use a black cape to go with a vampire design or a stocking filled with newspaper, pinned on the end of your t-shirt to look like a tale to match a tiger design or an old socks or stocking stuffed with tissues, magazine pages, or newspaper to look like a tail for a monkey, tiger or lion.
Body painting is another exhilarating and exciting idea. It is a great idea for the kids because it makes them feel like they are having fun with the role that has been painted on their body. Whether it is a king or a witch, this idea is a "no fail", when it comes to rewarding youngsters and kids.
You may use professional face paints. There are cheaper face paints in the market but the professional makes are much easier to paint with. They apply with ease, give higher quality coverage and have lively colours. They make your designs much more striking and become much more comfortable for the wearer.
Some of the favourite designs with girls include princess, fantasy, fairy, rainbow and bunny/rabbit, whilst robot, pirate, tiger, spider or spider web are amongst the most popular designs liked by boys. Get into the Halloween pumpkin dress and use some orange effects for the face. To maintain the simple effect, go for elaborate eye and eyebrow colours and keep the other features safe and sound.
Be a Dracula or get a fake scratch mark. Be a kitten or a violent tiger. Go peculiar or be in the ethnic style. Match your arm tattoo or yet again go for the shoulder and face painting. Torso or paintings on one arm can also be attractive.
Hot Design Tattoo for Girls
I thought it would be next to impossible to find a collection of one-of-a-kind tattoos as I would have to trudge through God knows how many websites but to my amazement, I couldn’t have been more wrong. Some words of wisdom from my good buddy Jerry Chuan finally set me on the right path and helped me accomplish my mission with relative ease. Here are some tips that you should do well to remember when looking for unique : Tattoo Pictures Hot,
Sexy Tattoo for Girls
Joe thought it would be next to impossible to find a collection of one-of-a-kind tattoos as Joe would have to trudge through God knows how many websites but to his amazement, Joe couldn’t have been more wrong. Some words of wisdom from his good buddy Joe Chan finally set him on the right path and helped him accomplish his mission with relative ease. Here are some tips that you should do well to remember when looking for unique : Tattoo Pictures Hot.
Koi Tattoo Design Girls
Jack thought it would be next to impossible to find a collection of one-of-a-kind tattoos as Jack would have to trudge through God knows how many websites but to his amazement, Jack couldn’t have been more wrong. Some words of wisdom from his good buddy Jack Chuan finally set him on the right path and helped him accomplish his mission with relative ease
words and lettering tattoos for girls | TATTOO CONVENTION
words and lettering tattoos for girls | TATTOO CONVENTION
New Best Tattoo German
Octopus TattooThe Octupos Tattoo picture is very popular tattoo today, octopos tattoo special designed for back body / back tattoos
Flower Tattoo for Girls
I thought it would be next to impossible to find a collection of one-of-a-kind tattoos as I would have to trudge through God knows how many websites but to my amazement, I couldn’t have been more wrong. Some words of wisdom from my good buddy Jerry Chuan finally set me on the right path and helped me accomplish my mission with relative ease. Here are some tips that you should do well to remember when looking for unique : Tattoo Pictures Hot, Tattoo Style,
Tribal Tattoo for Girls
I thought it would be next to impossible to find a collection of one-of-a-kind tattoos as I would have to trudge through God knows how many websites but to my amazement, I couldn’t have been more wrong. Some words of wisdom from my good buddy Tom Chuan finally set me on the right path and helped me accomplish my mission with relative ease
Butterfly Tattoo for Girls
We thought it would be next to impossible to find a collection of one-of-a-kind tattoos as we would have to trudge through God knows how many websites but to our amazement, we couldn’t have been more wrong. Some words of wisdom from our good buddy Jerry Chuan finally set us on the right path and helped us accomplish our mission with relative ease
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