Methuselah Tree

I had been pursuing another idea based around my life as a musician, but this image of the Methuselah tree kept coming back to me. The Methuselah tree, at about 5,000 years old, is the oldest continuous living non-clonal organism in the world. (For info on clonal organisms, check here...http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clonal_colony). It is a Great Basin bristlecone pine (Pinus longaeva) that grows in the eastern slopes of the Sierra Nevada mountains. I love the toughness of the shape, its gnarled quality, and its textures. It makes me feel young! The four birds are about our family, my wife and twin daughters who have graduated from college and are (sort of) leaving the nest. Ian Healy of Vanguard Tattoo in Nyack, NY did this tattoo. 

Thanks to the Museum People's Tattoo page for the encouragement!

Eric Siegel
New York Hall of Science


Want to share your own story and tattoo?
Email Beth: bredmondjones (at) sdnhm (dot) org  or Paul: info (at) orselli (dot) net.

Athenian Owl

Jennifer Caleshu was kind enough to share this story of her tattoo:

Based on the Athenian Owl from coins of ancient Greece - symbol of Athena, goddess of wisdom.

Owls also remind me of listening, and symbolize my new career (teacher, coach). The oak leaves are for my home, and the acorns are my kids. On the top of the owl's wing are what the artist called "Thai dragon scales" - which is amazing since I first committed to getting an owl when I was in Thailand this summer for the Berkeley Executive Coaching Institute - right when I left for Thailand we had hired my replacement at the Bay Area Discovery Museum - so it was a real time of transition...

Tattoo artist Buffy Lauer at Sacred Rose Tattoo in Berkeley:
http://sacredrosetattoo.com/section/146209_Buffy_Lauer.html


Want to share your own story and tattoo?
Email Beth: beth (at) redmond-jones (dot) com or Paul: info (at) orselli (dot) net.

Occult Musings

One thing I love about being an exhibit designer is that you learn about so many fascinating things and meet such interesting people. I have very wide interests: this tattoo represents a few of my more spiritual or occult musings. It is also meant to look weird and cool. The hand with the eye is sometimes seen in a more abstract form as the Hand of Fatima: it offers the wearer protection form the evil eye (this I find useful). Ouroboros, the snake swallowing its own tail, is an infinity sign and reminder, to me of, Karmic cycles. The other symbols are: Sacred Earth, Anhk, Moon, Yin-yang, Triskele, Venus, Mercury, and Virgo. I find these symbols, along with the Hinduism reference implied by the blue hand, to each have a personal significance and reflect my pan-agnostic and ever-intrigued world view. The tattoo artist is Juli Moon, www.julimoonstudio.com, in Lynn, MA.

Paula Millet
Exhibit Designer/Consultant
millet3@verizon.net


Want to share your own story and tattoo?
Email Beth: bethredmondjones (at) gmail (dot) com or Paul: info (at) orselli (dot) net.

Ginkgo Leaves

Christina Ferwerda shares this about her tattoos:

Early on in my career as an exhibit developer (in fact, during my first paid internship) I was asked to work on a professional development project for the National Parks Department. As they manage a number of sites that have both natural and scientific significance, the firm I was interning for directed me to go out to the local city park and root around.

Coming from an art and history background, I initially gravitated to the monuments, bronzed statues of dead white men high up on pedestals. But then, because of (or perhaps in spite of, I’m never quite sure which) that same art and history background, I ended up gravitating towards a simple leaf fluttering in the breeze overhead. The bi-lobed shape was visually pleasing, like a Japanese fan or a Belle Époque lady in a bustled dress. The leaves have dichotomous venation, meaning that the veins bifurcate from the stem but never criss-cross.

This simple discovery lead to a fascinating series of discoveries – Ginkgo trees were thought to be extinct until the 1690s, when they were found in a Buddhist temple garden in China. The Ginkgo trees in Hiroshima were amongst the first things to bloom after the atomic bomb destroyed the city. Ginkgoes are also incredibly hardy (often referred to as “living fossils”), which is why they are planted so widely in urban environments. This continuous unfolding was one of the most satisfying learning experiences in my Museum career, and when I work I often think of how to create or inspire that kind of unfolding in others.

I’d wanted to get the leaf as a tattoo, and went many times to different studios in Brooklyn to ask about getting it done. In the meantime, life went on. I’ve continued to grow my museum career, as well as starting a serious yoga practice, starting to study Buddhism, moving, and of course starting and ending a few relationships. The symbolic ginkgo in my mind was similar to its real-life counterpart – it was a survivor. And so just a few years ago, on a particularly rainy vacation in Seattle, I made an appointment at an unknown studio, and got the leaves inked onto my shoulder. It’s a constant reminder of both hidden wonders and the possible unfolding discoveries in nature, and of course the survival skills necessary in this business and in New York.


You can find out more about Christina's museum work and yoga practice by visiting her website.


Want to share your own story and tattoo?
Email Beth: beth (at) redmond-jones (dot) com or Paul: info (at) orselli (dot) net.

Jolly Roger and Family Crest

Both tattoos were done by Josh Garcia of Anchor's End. The first one (with the dragon and masks) is an original design from me, drawn by a friend and modified by Josh. It's supposed to be my own Jolly Roger. Beginning in high school, I became obsessed with pirates (about the same time I became obsessed with studying history) and like any good pirate, I wanted a Jolly Roger that represented me. The masks replace the traditional skull and show my love of acting. The crossed katana and long sword replace the traditional crossed sabers and show my interest in swords, as well as an interest in history of many cultures. The rose represents the importance of love to me. The dragon represents my love of dragons and mythology in general and crest as a whole represents my interest in pirates and symbolism.

The second tattoo comes from "The House of Names" and is what I believe to be my family crest. It shows the pride I have in my family name, as well as my interest in history as well. My paternal side did not keep any records so I took it upon myself to research that side. At first this research was to only find the crest (again, because of pride for my name). In doing so, I've been able to compile a broad family history and understand and share my heritage. Getting this tattoo done wasn't only an accomplishment because I'd wanted it the longest but because I had to work to find my family's background.

Ben Peters

Interpreter

Split Rock Lighthouse

Want to share your own story and tattoo?
Email Beth: beth (at) redmond-jones (dot) com or Paul: info (at) orselli (dot) net.

Family

This tattoo was designed/created by an artist in Albuquerque NM based on what I had sketched on an airplane while traveling to visit my youngest son who is in the Air Force and was being deployed to Iraq.  The design incorporates my 4 children (the 4 hearts) held together by the vine (family love).  The yellow care symbol stands for the "bring my son home safely" and also as a childhood cancer ribbon for my grandson who is in remission from Rhabdomyosarcoma (diagnosed at age 9 and into remission at age 11 - he is now 2 years cancer free!). The flag care symbol stands for how proud I am of my Air Force son and the love of our freedom that we enjoy because of the men and women who serve.

As a side note my son was with me to get the tattoo and his deployment only lasted 27 days due to pulling back of the troops.  

Gloria Stern

Museum Store Manager
Split Rock Lighthouse 

Want to share your own story and tattoo?
Email Beth: beth (at) redmond-jones (dot) com or Paul: info (at) orselli (dot) net.

Dancing Skeleton

My life is not of my own, but of the people I encounter, even if briefly. The actions I take today impact the lives of those who come after me. I like giving back to the world, even if it means that I won’t see the intended result in my lifetime. I’ve spent a lot of my time volunteering through the efforts of numerous organizations like; American Red Cross: Disaster Services, Human Rights Campaign, Environment Florida, Oceana, Florida Public Interest Research Group, Sierra Club, my community Church and MakerSpace activities at Local Libraries. I’m a humanitarian and love to  provide whatever I can to those who need it.

Hans Lau

Exhibition Technician

Patricia and Phillip Frost Museum of Science

Want to share your own story and tattoo?
Email Beth: beth (at) redmond-jones (dot) com or Paul: info (at) orselli (dot) net.