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| Hooked on henna |
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| Written by Jonathan Partridge / Patterson Irrigator | |
| Wednesday, 02 April 2008 | |
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International artists converge to share love of ‘mehndi’ Karen Finkenhofer reminisced Friday about the personal connections she has made because of her passion for henna, even as she had the body art applied at the Patterson home of Neeta Sharma. The Seattle resident recalled sitting on a bus in her hometown when a woman from Africa spotted the intricate dark brown markings on Finkehofer’s skin. The woman, who spoke no English, excitedly proclaimed, “Henna!” and clasped Finkenhofer’s hand while sitting next to her on the bus. “Henna was the same in both languages,” Finkenhofer said with a smile. “It opens the door.” Twenty-six people communed over their love of the special form of skin art this weekend during their third annual Spring Fling at Sharma’s home in the Heartland Ranch development. Skin decor created from a powdered form of the henna plant, aka mehndi, has been used in South Asian, African and Middle Eastern cultures for thousands of years. It has become increasingly popular in the West during the past few decades. The weekend’s gathering — part practice session and part slumber party — gave mehndi artists from across the U.S. and Canada a chance to refine techniques and catch up with old friends. By the end, attendees were covered in henna decorations, looking like a slew of brides from an Indian wedding. “It’s just like doing as much henna as possible,” Sharma said of the weekend. Henna is indigenous to North Africa, Arabia, the Middle East and South Asia. The orange stain darkens to red and then to brown over two days after application, creating markings that last two to three weeks. Henna markings traditionally have been a sign of good fortune, artists say, and they continue to be used at various cultural events, such as weddings.  However, the use of henna has expanded as it has made its way west. Several participants over the weekend said they have painted on henna “tattoos” for clients at birthday parties, bat mitzvahs and baby showers, among other events. Jessica McQueen, who owns a Camarillo-based business she calls Henna Caravan, said several pregnant women have asked to have their bellies hennaed — not a traditional practice in India and the Middle East. “It’s an American kind of thing,” she said. McQueen has done other less traditional henna designs, too, such as sports logos for boys at birthday parties. She said her Southern California clientele includes several celebrities, though she said she did not have permission to reveal their names. During the weekend’s gathering, in addition to studying mehndi techniques, such as Persian and Moroccan designs, participants also learned how to make henna-related crafts and delved a bit into acupressure and belly dancing. The group of mostly women carefully used brushes and cones to apply ground-up henna powder mixed with lemon juice and essential oils. A session on the Moroccan method, led by Humboldt County resident Ildiko Cziglenyi, included the use of lots of geometric shapes and symbols. Attendees practiced on pieces of paper before practicing on each other. Many of the markings were incredibly elaborate, incorporating floral patterns and other designs. Though Patterson might seem like a strange place to host an international henna conference, attendees said Sharma and her home are a main attraction. “The whole (appeal) is her house,” explained henna artist Kanchan Kapadne of Mountain House. Both the house — with a bright red, indoor swing-like chair from India and other décor from Sharma’s native country — and the intimacy of the occasion make the Spring Fling an eagerly anticipated event, participants agreed. Sharma, a native of India, where henna art is extremely popular, has been practicing mehndi for close to 20 years. She has clients throughout the Central Valley and the Bay Area, and she has a couple of books on the subject, which were published in Australia. She has set up a booth at the Patterson Apricot Fiesta and is a past participant in the Gilroy Garlic Festival, among other venues. Sharma said the idea for the annual Spring Fling developed a few years ago while she was visiting with friend and fellow mehndi artist Justine Willowhawk Goodwin in the Pacific Northwest. “I love doing those kinds of regular things,” Sharma said. Participants agreed that they enjoy getting together and improving their craft, noting that some less qualified artists can give the art a bad name. Several participants warned that one must be careful about who applies henna designs, saying people should particularly avoid a product called “black henna” that uses an ingredient in hair dye and can be harmful to the skin. “Everyone’s goal is to excel and to refer out,” McQueen said, “and to keep out those who don’t know what they’re doing.” Primarily, attendees said they enjoyed the camaraderie and the chance to practice an art that has become their passion. “There’s no way to describe how we feel about each other, because we’re all mad about the same thing,” Finkenhofer said. To reach Jonathan Partridge at the Irrigator, call 892-6187 or e-mail him at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
Comments
(2)
My Aunt Kymberlee (www.SunshineHenna.com) http://www.SunshineHenna.com sent me the link to this article. I wish I could have been there. (That is Aunt Kymmy's hand with the flowers and red dots!)
Votes: +0
I also agree with Flavia's comment. The article is very well-written and presents Henna/Mehndi in a positive light. Recently, there have been reports of injury due to what is known as "Black Henna" http://www.hennapage.com/henna/ppd/index.html here in Okaloosa County, Florida. The local newspaper did an article about it, but only mentioned "black" henna once or twice during the article. They made it sound like ALL henna is bad henna... Nice to see a professional publication presenting a positive view on a natural and beautiful artform. Well done! report abuse
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thank you for a wonderful article