No Shoes Please...

So... It's seems there is an abundance of certain "Welcome, please remove your shoes" signs for sale. And yes, there are some very nice Hawaiian versions of, "Aloha! Please remove your slippahs. Mahalo!" However, I haven't been able to find a single one in Samoan. So, I made my own. Here is my version that I made for our home, in dark brown. After having several friends admire the sign, I since have digitally edited the original so it is offered in different colors - because not everyone decorates their home with as much dark brown as we do. :) BTW, if you like it you can order your own and in a different color on my artist website at: http://kristy-mao.artistwebsites.com/. Fa'afetai!

Tattooed Dolphins...?

I love this idea. I've had people ask for some unique designs before, but I think this one is the most unique of them all. Dolphins with soga'imiti tattoos. Nice. My friend May came up with the idea and I was really excited, and nervous, about drawing it. Nervous, for several reasons - First, I've never designed a soga'imiti before, and I wanted to be sure it would be an authentic (or close to as possible) design. Second, each soga'imiti is one-of-a-kind design for the family line that wears it - And I didn't want to cause offense by making a design that would be too similar to anyone's personal design. Third, I had to try to figure out how to put it on dolphins, who obviously, don't have the same physical layout of which a soga'imiti is applied, i.e. a man's mid-to-lower extremities. And last of all, I don't have much practice drawing animals, dolphins especially... So it was interesting trying to draw them to look like they are "Samoan dolphins" holding hands, er I mean fins... And buff of course because they're Samoan, LOL. Anyhow, long story short I did my best and I hope everyone who sees it enjoys the design. May especially. :)

Taupou Aulelei

This design was originally done as one of my submissions for our annual Asian Pacific Islander Heritage month shirts. Since this is a design for a shirt, I kept the shading minimal and aimed for a really simple, clean look. Which is a big change for me since I'm obsessed with shading, LOL. This is my first time drawing a Taupou, which I've been wanting to do for a while now, and even though it's a very simplistic design, I'm very pleased with how it turned out, and I hope others will enjoy it as well.

Steph's Custom Tattoo Design

I was able to find some time to put together a tattoo design for my dear friend of MANY years, Stephanie.  She wanted something to symbolize her daughter and two sons, using turtles, plumeria, and Poly tattoo designs.  I incorporated both Chamorro and Samoan styles to represent their heritage, and had a lot of fun putting this design together. I will post an updated pic when she gets her tat done.

Original Kids' Posters!

Since I became a mommy, I've decided to start designing kids posters! The first I drew for my son Viliamu (William). I love sea turtles, especially Squirt from 'Finding Nemo'. And of course, it's no surprise that I chose an island theme for him. :) The next drawing I did for my best friends' daughter, Alana. My friend loves koalas and 'Precious Moments' characters, so I put an islander-spin on the theme. Next up, I have to start on Tehani's drawing before she's born!

Samoan Taulima Sketches

Here are twos pencil drawing of a Samoan man wearing a Samoan "taulima" tattoo design and blowing a conch shell. Blowing the conch shell is sometimes used before a ceremony to mark the official beginning, to herald chief's proclamations, and in ancient times was sometimes used to accompany chants. To blow the conch shell is a call to the divine. The blowing of the shell should always be accompanied by protocol. When it's blown, how many times and in which directions all have a complex set of meanings. In ancient times the blowing of the conch shell was also often used to communicate across the waters between people on canoes and those on land. Sometimes to request permission to come to shore. Permission or denial would then be returned from those on shore by them blowing the conch shell back with a certain number of blows. Permission to land avoided possible death, making the conch shell a vital instrument.

A Piece of My Heart

This drawing is from a picture taken at my Grampa's 80th birthday party, several years before he passed away. The original drawing is huge, about 4 feet wide by 3 feet tall. It is the largest pencil drawing I've ever done. I love and miss you Grampa - and look forward to seeing you again someday!