an experiment in henna / part 1

The first time I ever had someone decorate my hand with henna must have been about 10 years ago. I went to a craft fair at the show grounds, and there was a lovely, old, Indian woman huddled in the corner offering the semi-permanent service. The ease and skill by which she conducted her design – and without guide, I might add – had me spellbound. At the tender age of 16 I was really into doodles and temporary tattoos. I had no idea that these two things could be combined... and in a way that was an old, cultural practise from years gone by. At every opportunity I would get my hand decorated by a henna artist, which was usually around the time of the Diwali festival. It usually faded after two weeks though, and I never knew when I would chance on seeing another henna vendor again.

It would be quite a while before I got my hands on the stuff for myself. My mum brought some back for me from a holiday, and while it was fun at first, I didn't realise how quickly the substance lost its ability to stain. A couple of weeks ago I investigate henna further, and decided to go on a mission to find the powder. That way I could mix it and use it as I wanted without worrying so much about time.

Making the henna paste was a satisfying experience in itself, though my kitchen did smell kind of funny for a while... a strange mix of dried organic matter and essential oils. Much like when making bread, there is a period of time where you leave the paste to react with the air. Leaving it for too long or too short results in a substance that doesn't stain, and temperature plays a huge part, too. Being winter, I left it for nearly 48 hours, stirring and testing every now and then. My first batch turned out well. It its a bit on the runny side (I'll cut back on the lemon juice next time), making it tricky to apply.

I've tried a couple of designs on my own hand, and even my husband let me experiment on him (what a trooper). The more practise I can get, the better. So, hands up who's down for a semi-permanent doodle?

IMAGE: LUCY OLIVE