In March, I’ll be teaching 2 classes at the 6th annual Henna Gathering, in Providence RI. The event runs from March 30th to April 1st, you can find more details about the event and registration here: hennagathering.org – For now, my workshop titles and descriptions are:

Advanced Techniques in Moroccan Henna - This course will build upon your existing knowledge of Moroccan design, with a focus on technique. We’ll cover a lot of topics including working with speed and precision, how to build effortless design vocabulary, Moroccan designs on-the-fly, and tips and tricks for making even simple designs look intricate and impressive. This class will rely heavily on demonstrations and will be taught in a conversational format, so that together we can get right to the points that you’re most interested in learning about. Though this is an advanced level course, artists of all levels are very welcome, and there will be something useful here for all.

Quick and Dirty Mauritanian Henna – Mauritanian and Sahraoui henna designs are starting to become popular among Western artists, and are
known for their knockout geometry and precision. This course will include a quick overview of traditional techniques like tape resist, but we’ll concentrate on reproducing these amazing designs with the tools we’re all comfortable with. We’ll take a close look at how the designs are constructed and broken down, with a focus on incorporating them into your own design vocabulary. Course attendees will receive a sample of Nic’s yet unpublished Mauritanian and Sahraoui pattern book.

In May, you know where to find me… Tribal Fest 12! With the fantastical Henna Crone and Blume Bauer. Five days of THE best bellydance, costuming, shopping, and henna you have ever seen! May 16-20 at the Sebastopol Community Center in lovely Sebastopol CA, not far north of San Francisco. We will be vending all 5 days as usual, and I can’t believe it’s already my 4th year running! Can’t wait to see all you lovely dancers and friends.

In June the Henna Crone and I will be tearing it up at MECDA’s Cairo Caravan aboard the sumptuously glamorous Queen Mary in Long Beach, CA. Come experience some high style and spooks as we unceremoniously dump glitter and bellydancers all over one of the most haunted sites in the USA! This is how SoCal throws a party, and you will spend the weekend feeling like an Egyptian goddess! We’re vending from June 1st to 3rd in the Luxor level.

And there will surely be more! I’ll post with updates as the season gets underway.

The first one is a re-release of a book that has been available on and off since I drew it, a compilation of patterns adapted from Tuareg art. It has also been released under the titles Sahel and Tamaschek, but this time it’s just simply called TUAREG. Patterns range from beginner to advanced. Here are a couple of sample designs from the book:

This is an e-book, as a PDF file that you can download after you buy it. To buy the book, click the link below which will direct you to Oronjo to complete your purchase. The book is $10 for 26 pages of patterns.

Click here to buy TUAREG for $10 through Oronjo!

The next book is brand spanking new! I have released little teasers to a few friends and artists but this is the whole thing, 40 pages of designs adapted from Hmong indigo batiks! Designs range from beginner to advanced and there are a lot of cool animals and fresh patterns in here. A couple of samples:

This is an e-book, as a PDF file that you can download after you buy it. To buy the book, click the link below which will direct you to Oronjo to complete your purchase. The book is $12 for 40 pages of patterns.

Click here to buy HMONG for $12 through Oronjo!

Oronjo is a free service that allows artists and other creators to sell digital content as downloadable files hosted on their server. They accept paypal and credit cards, and you can make an optional donation on top of your purchase to support their enterprise. Hooray Internet!

I am so excited for my first batch of summer brides, it’s always such a thrill to be able to help add something special to such an important occasion and milestone.

Curious about adding the wonderful tradition of mehndi to your own wedding festivities? Check out the bridal mehndi information page for more information! Click here.

Registration now open!! Go to:
http://www.kenzi.com/HENNA/HTML/moor_workshops.htm

This 4 hour intensive class will teach you everything you need to know
about Moroccan henna, including history, techniques, designs,
folklore, and more. Kenzi and Nic have spent more than a decade
studying the henna traditions unique to Morocco and now they are
sharing their wealth of knowledge with you!

The course is divided into three sections: History, design, and practice.

The history section covers many fascinating aspects of Moroccan culture and explores the unique relationship Moroccans have with henna as an art, a medicine, a cosmetic, and a blessed and magical substance. Kenzi goes to the roots of henna’s important place in Moroccan culture and draws on her own experiences living in Morocco to present a fascinating portrait of the role henna plays in the daily lives and experiences of the Moroccan people.

The design section covers everything you need to know to de-mystify the beautiful geometric designs that are unique to Moroccan henna art. Nic covers all aspects of Moroccan design including regional styles, important motifs, and the nitty-gritty of design creation including where to start, how to create specific shapes, and how to give your Moroccan designs the most authentic look possible. Nic’s teaching method will have you creating your own authentic Moroccan style designs in no time.

The practice section includes several demonstrations by Nic and Kenzi
of design creation and Moroccan henna techniques. Then it’s time for
you to test your knowledge under the guidance of Nic and Kenzi as we
coach you through the creation of your own Moroccan style henna work.

The Providence Moroccan Henna Master Class will take place on Friday,
March 25th, from 1:00-5:00 PM, at the Hotel Providence in Providence
RI. The cost of registration is $75. There are 25 spaces in the class
and we do anticipate that the class will fill, so register now to
guarantee your spot.

This class is directly before the annual Henna Gathering, and this is a great opportunity to attend our class as a way to kick off your weekend in Providence! For those of you who have attended Moor mini-classes before, this is the first time we’re doing the full course in New England, and it promises to be an experience that will deepen and build upon your previous introductions to Moroccan henna. We have new tricks up our sleeves!

Come and learn from your Moroccan masters!

So far it seems like 2011 is shaping up to be a very exciting year! Brilliant new creative energies are sweeping in to clean out the clutter and bring fresh new waves of inspired and artistic living to all.

I’m working on plenty of new projects for this year, including some exciting travel plans. In the near future I’ll be releasing a couple of brand new design books– a book of quick Moroccan spot designs, and a book of designs from Hmong batik. I’ll also be releasing a new edition of my old Tuareg book. Here are a couple of preview designs to get you excited! Enjoy!

October began yesterday, and it’s looking like it could be a slower month- or not! Lots of potentials, waiting to hear one thing or another before they make it to the calendar. I will be in New York the weekend of the 16th, teaching a Moroccan Master Class with Kenzi- which you should register for if you haven’t already! Info here: http://www.kenzi.com/HENNA/HTML/moor_workshops.htm

I’m gearing up for a few other Autumn and early Winter events which should be pretty fun. In November, I’ll be taking a quick trip to Los Angeles to do some informal teaching. Watch this blog for more details on that, we haven’t firmed anything up yet but I will let you know as soon as we have dates and courses confirmed. Then in December is the Mass Market, which I’m in the process of applying to, so we’ll see if I get in or not. Fingers crossed!

I also just found out that I am going to be doing some work for Cairo Caravan, in June 2011. I’m going to be decorating the Luxor level, and probably also vending there. Details at www.mecda.org.

Can’t wait to finally make my way up to the Northwest and meet all you great local artists!

Unfortunately, we weren’t as busy as we hoped to be. Kelly Flaherty of Henna Elements also joined us, and we expected to be slammed all weekend… which wasn’t the case. But we still had fun, and got to do some really nice work and check out a few great bands. The Flaming Lips, Parliament Funkadelic, and Ghostland Observatory were highlights!

A few photos from the weekend, all taken by Nev:

Ginkgo leaves with glitter

My work on Nev's foot, with her tattoo.

A Japanese beetle on Kelly's shoulder

Me chilling out in the booth.

Moor: A Henna Atlas of Morocco

Kenzi and I recently finished our labor-of-love book on Moroccan henna, titled Moor: A Henna Atlas of Morocco.  It’s just under 200 pages, and is filled with tons of information on all aspects of henna in Morocco. Culture, history, traditions, a design manual, and over 100 patterns. There is no other book like this, anywhere.

It’s available right here on blurb.com, in hardcover and softcover.

You can also buy it as a digital .pdf file from hennatribe.com.