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Thursday, October 31, 2013

Rihanna's Henna Style Hand Tattoo

Rihann's Henna Inspired Hand Tattoo
Rihanna's New Henna-Inspired Hand Tattoo Photo by BangBangNYC

Rihanna updates her traditional Maori Style tattoo with a henna inspired tattoo.

Recently Rihanna put traditional New Zeland Maori tattoos in the spotlight by getting a Maori tattoo using the traditional mallet and chisel method.

It's always great when conversations are started about traditional art that is not in the mainstream vernacular. Rihanna's You Tube video of her getting that Maori tattoo exposed people to this art that would have never known about it otherwise.

Apparently Rihanna didn't quite love her new body art and decided to modify it by adding a henna style tattoo design over the Maori tattoo. It's a lovely design that uses some of the basic henna elements to create a feminine look. The tattoo uses traditional black tattoo ink instead of a red brown color that is the color of actual henna.

Her new henna-inspired piece of body art uses traditional Indian style fillers and outline techniques. The wrist cuff is a common practice in henna designs for both Indian, Arabic and Moroccan henna styles.

The original Maori tattoo was done in New Zealand. The henna inspired addition was done in the Dominican Republic.

Rihanna is getting some flak over covering part of the original design, saying it's disrespectful to cover the Maori piece. What do you think?

Is it disrespectful of the original tattoo?  Is it disrespectful of henna? Is this cultural appropriation or cultural appreciation? Is it a good thing that she's brought  these concerns into the minds of people that wouldn't have thought about it before? These are good conversations to have!

Rihanna has a new henna inspired hand tattoo.
Rihanna gets a henna inspired tattoo to add to her Maori hand tattoo.
A special note, again, this is not actual henna. This is a real permanent tattoo. Real henna is a red/brown color, never black. When using henna be sure you are only using SAFE natural henna products.

You can learn more about real henna at The Henna Learning Center.

Henna On!
Jody

Wednesday, October 30, 2013

Dark Color Henna Tattoo Stain by Sarah

Dark Color Henna Tattoo Stain from ORa Henna Powder

Extra dark color henna tattoo stain using ORa Henna Powder
Sarah's work using ORa Henna Powder for color
Check out Sarah's gorgeous henna work! She was inspired after the Henna Guild in Orlando meeting last week and created this lovely henna fusion piece.

Sarah, of ColorBurnt, is a true artist by nature so it's not surprising that henna is coming quickly to her.

To get a dark henna stain like this, Sarah used Beachcombers ORa henna powder along with tea tree and lavender oil (the ORa Henna and Oil Combo Pack). She left the henna paste on overnight which helps deepen the henna color, as more layers of skin cells are stained with henna.

The henna stain started off a nice orange color and darkened over a couple of days to this deep red/brown color.

Sarah has been perfecting her henna recipe for a couple of years now.  I'd say she has it!

Henna starts off orange, then darkens to a red brown color over a couple of days
Henna Stain Day 1...


Getting the perfect texture can take some time, trial, and error, but once you get that perfect henna texture and consistent dark color henna stains, there is nothing quite like it!

Well done Sarah!  I can't wait to watch you grow as a henna artist!

Learn more about henna and getting dark color henna stains as The Henna Learning Center.

If you want to try henna yourself, try the ORa Essential Henna Kit. It contains the same henna powder and essential oils that Sarah used along with other henna accessories to make doing henna easy for a beginner.

Henna On!
Jody

Friday, October 25, 2013

Halloween Henna Designs at the Orlando Henna Guild

Henna Artists Guild of Orlando

Gorgeous colorful sugar cookies decorated in henna designs
Henna Decorated Sugar Cookies by Ena of The Henna Studio

Great Halloween henna design by Sarah on Courtney
Sarah and Courtney having henna fun!
 How fun was last night's meeting?! Ena brought henna cookies...what more could we possibly need? We've worked out some details for a December cookie decorating meeting at Ena's place. We will decorate sugar cookies henna-style! Go to the Florida Henna Artist Group on Facebook to let us know what date works best for you.

We missed those of you that couldn't make it, but we have pictures!

Sarah got a personal henna cone rolling lesson...times 3! We did some fun Halloween henna on each other, stuffed ourselves with pizza and cookies, admired a gorgeous sunset, read spirit cards, talked Ena into going on a cruise, and talked business. All in all it was a great meeting!

Let the fun begin of the Henna Guild meeting!
Let the Halloween Henna fun begin!
 This meeting was at Beachcombers Offices and Henna Studio.

Halloween henna skull design
Jody's Halloween Henna on Ena

Halloween spider web henna design
Sarah's Halloween Henna on Courtney

Lovely mandala henna design at the Henna Guild
Zulay's mandala henna on Victoria

Ena's lovely fusion henna design on Zulay
Ena with a gorgeous henna design on Zulay
We offer all the henna products used at the Guild meeting both locally and worldwide.

See you next meeting!
Jody

Tuesday, October 22, 2013

Henna U 2014: Bridal Bootcamp

Announcing Henna U 2014: Bridal Bootcamp with Neeta Sharma!

Learn the art of Indian bridal henna at this hands-on 2 day henna workshop.
Learn the Art of Bridal Henna
That is correct...we are featuring world-renowned Neeta Sharma, Maharani Wedding's Mehndi Artist of the Year! Neeta will be teaching FIVE hands-on henna workshops over two days.

Learn bridal henna even if you are a beginner. Join us February 22-23 for 2 days of henna immersion in super small classes of only 14 people to give you plenty of one-on-one time. A total of 8 workshops will be taught by Neeta, End Rodriquez of The Henna Studio, Jody of Beachcombers (me!), and  Asad of Beachcombers.

Our focus for Henna U 2014 is bridal work (of course...we do have Neeta Sharma as a featured instructor). Start with the basics and work your way up to traditional Indian bridal work. In addition, you will learn Indo-Arabic bridal henna, henna bridal figures, peacocks, and sangeet mehndi designs.

Ena will be showing us the ins-and-outs of adding bling to our henna designs, and I will be focusing on the Anatomy of a Henna Design to give you a foundation for the entire conference. Asad will teach you the important parts of doing henna as a business in a easy-to-understand way.
Neeta will teach the art of Indian bridal henna at Henna U 2014: Bridal Bootcamp
Indian Henna Bridal Design by Neeta Sharma
Henna University is appropriate for both new henna artists and professional henna artists. If you are brand new to henna, we have a separate Henna U Primer class available February 21 for only $20. It will cover henna mixology and the henna basic elements which you will need to know for Henna U: Bridal Bootcamp.

ONLY 14 SPOTS AVAILABLE! Sign up for Henna U 2014 today!