Rick Ness, famous for his part on the TV show Gold Rush, works as a gold miner and loves tattoos. He likes to display his body art and often wears clothes without sleeves.
But Ness admits that he got many of his tattoos on a whim. He calls most of them “tales of a misspent youth.” Still, a few of his tatts mean a lot to him.
One is a well-known line from the film Shawshank Redemption:
Get busy livin’, or get busy dyin’.
This quote first appeared in Stephen King’s book Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption, which inspired the movie.
Rick has tattooed the well-known quote on his chest. During an interview, he also talked about his reasons for getting this tatt. He said,
I’ve got “get busy livin’ or get busy dyin” tattooed across my chest because I’ve always felt that way.
Rick Ness
Fans know Rick has faced numerous challenges in both his personal and professional life. So, the text on his chest reflects the situation in his life, where he had to decide between actively working to enhance his circumstances (“get busy livin'”) or succumbing to despair and stagnation (“get busy dyin'”).
Besides the Shawshank Redemption Quote, Rick Ness Has an Anchor Tattoo Dedicated To His Grandfather
Rick Ness has other tattoos with meaning than just a quote from Shawshank Redemption on his skin. One of his most personal tattoos pays tribute to his grandfather, who passed away.
The renowned gold miner talked about detailed design: an anchor with a rope that turns into a banner with the word “perseverance” on it. In Rick’s words,
I’ve got a few that mean a lot to me. I’ve got something from my grandpa in my hand. It’s an anchor with a rope on it that turns into a banner that says “perseverance.” That was the name of my grandpa’s boat.
Rick Ness
So, this ink means a lot to him because “Perseverance” was the name of his grandpa’s favorite boat. Also, the anchor stands for stability and strength, while the rope and banner show a connection to his grandfather’s memory.
Rick Tatted The Virgin Mary On His Neck, Which He Called “The Holy Mother of Horsepower.”
Rick Ness has another tattoo close to his heart that shows his creativity, and it’s on his neck. He put a picture of the tatt on Twitter on March 25, 2014: it shows the Virgin Mary with a piston instead of her head. Rick’s tweet says,
Just an improvement. Virgin Mary with a piston for a head. I call it “The Holy Mother of Horsepower.
This tattoo catches the eye not just for its striking image but also for mixing religious symbols with his passion for machines. Fans reacted to his tweet, applauding the imaginative and unique artwork.
For instance, one commented,
Pretty tight, Rick, any particular inspiration?
Another Twitterati wrote,
@GoldrushRick Nice color and line work. I hate getting my neck tatted. Be safe and kickass this summer with @goldrush_parker.
In an interview, Rick even mentioned,
The one on my neck is the one that people always ask about, and nobody knows what the hell it is. It’s actually the Virgin Mary with a piston for a head, and I call it the holy mother of horsepower.
Rick Ness
Fans Words On Rick Ness Not Inking His Left Arm
Rick Ness leaves his left arm free of tattoos. This choice has sparked interest among fans, with many guessing about the reason behind it.
Some think it’s a nod to his grandma. A fan posted online,
Rick explained on one of the shows that his left arm remains clean out of respect for his grandmother’s wishes.
Other people link this decision to his mom, who passed away. To that, a Reddit user wrote,
Rick didn’t tattoo his left arm in lue of his mom to remember her that way cause she didn’t like them
I remember it being for his mum as well. I think it was an ep just before or after she passed. It might have been on ‘the dirt’ too.
Rick’s mom died from cancer, so he keeps his left arm free of tattoos as his way to honor her memory.
