Transfixing, desert poetry, a buttefly lands upon a thorny Night Blooming Cereus cactus, one of the most delicate yet fierce of all the Southwest succulants. In this Henna Tattoo, a moment of free-handed beauty is captured for a moment in time, for all to feel throughout the day...
Cactus Nectar, My Henna Art
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About this Henna Artwork
Cactus Nectar is a custom Organic Henna Tattoo done for a patron while I was setting up to just do some sketching at a cafe in New Mexico. It was a completely unique request - The recipient wanted something capturing the beauty grace and fierceness of the New Mexico Desert.
I chose to freehand a butterfly landing on a Night Blooming Cereus, (Peniocereus greggii) one of the many beautiful and dangerous cacti which comprise the native Southwest landscape. "I chose this particular cactus becuase it is not normally that luscious green you see in pictures, it's often mistaken for dried branch. Yet it is alive, and creates livid, surprising blossoms."
What is a Henna Tattoo?
A Henna Tattoo of this size and complexity is something that takes about 5-15 minutes, depending on the individual tastes of the customer.
I always allow myself to incorporate any idea that inspires the collector of Henna art. It's something that's going on your body - And just like I'm inspired to do it, any artistic ideas you have while it's being made can always turn the work into something even more spectacular!
About Henna Dye
Henna is a dye which we get from a plant root of Lawsonia inermis, colloquially referred to as the Henna Plant, or, just plain, "henna." This plant has been used for thousands of years for the pigment that comes from its roots. In modern times, the dye is sometimes mixed with essential oils before being applied to the skin. Whenever I do this sort of artwork I adhere to a strict recipe which only uses 100% organic ingredients and never uses 'Black Henna' or other untraditional substances for Henna Tattoos.
It's kinda' challenging to find a good video on the science and history of Henna, but one cool one I found was this one by Kanan M., who does a great job narrating really cool things about the Henna plant.
