Cephalohenna

Working up some tentacle henna designs

Mehndi

I love doing henna--or mehndi. There is something about drawing with the cone, creating the stylized patterns that are based in tradition. Creating variations.

Something about it that I can do for hours.

Its more that just the drawing portion.

There is something very soothing and sensory about the entire experience.

Maybe it is the essential oils mixed into the henna, the smell, maybe its the texture of the paste.

I can keep going even when my hand hurts. Actually I dont usually notice my hands or my back when Im doing henna--just after when I try to move again.

I can go for hours without doing anything but henna. And I do mean hours.

In an exercise to discover when am I in the "flow" of creativity, I wrote repeatedly that it occurs when Im playing with henna, more so than with clay, or drawing.

And its not about the drawing. I can draw, I practice henna style work with markers, not the same. The closest I have come is fabric paint. And this has resulted in a painted dresser, many purses, and now a pair of shorts. I am thinking about extending onto more clothing.

Im very excited, in a conversation with a dear friend she suggested that I do henna at a local small festival instead of vending my jewelry as I normally would. I decided to do that. And as soon as I did I got 2 more opportunities to "do" henna.

I haven't done henna at this level in a long time. I am looking forward to it very much.

Tomorrow is the first faire. If you are in Hendersonville TN, come by The New Earth Center I will set up at 11am and hang out henna-ing until.....

Sugar Skulls

Today was my last day for the annual cultural teachers training camp.
Last year I taught just cane dancing. This year I was way so happy to be asked to teach some visual art classes in addition to the belly dancing.
The teachers who take this training camp are all wide open and receptive to other cultures (ok one of the reasons they come). I wish more area teachers would come
I know the director would like for more teachers to come.
Its fun, its wonderful, its a load of in-service credits, something teachers really need!
This week I taught bark painting, and henna, and andikra cloth decorating.
Today’s class was decorating the sugar skulls. I used plaster in the molds, and they turned out so great.
One of the other dance instructors came in and she is Mexican. So she was telling us how her grandmother would make sugar skulls, and how they would go have a picnic at the grave sites. It was great. I felt a bit like a fraud (this was all me—she didn’t once do anything to make me feel that way). Here’s this woman who grew up in this culture taking my class, and I’m teaching it because I LOVE making decorated skulls, and I love the whole concept of honoring people from our past.
All the teachers had fun with today’s class. I think they had more fun with today’s class than any of the other ones because it taxed their artistic skills the least.