I've had mehendi done on me a total of 4 times - all in India. I remember the first time I ever drew with henna, it was on my feet and it was a complete disaster. So henna was not something I was crazy about, especially because I didn't (and still don't) like how it looks when it starts to wear off. Few days before leaving India, I had mehendi done on both my hands, then when I got to Iran, a lot of my friends were admiring it. It happened that I had bought two little henna cones before leaving, so I took them out and doodled little flowers and smiley faces on some of the little girls who visited me. Then there was this one time that a little boy said he wanted a skull, and I said I don't know how to draw a skull! So I googled for a picture and copied it. Another girl told me something specific that she wanted, and I found myself going on google again.
I enjoyed the pictures I saw on google - simple drawings across the hand, not all over like the typical way they do it during festivals in India. I practised on kids, and they adored it, and later on I traced my hand on paper, cut them out and started practising on the cut-outs. For a long time I depended on copying, then little by little I allowed myself to imagine. I found a Pakistani shop in Iran and bought dozens of henna cones, and when I went to Abuja - I made it a business :)
 |
| at our Rooftop Bazaars |
 |
| My mom's hand and my dad's arm! |
I'd still call myself a beginner. I've been seeing the works of a few henna artists on the internet, and I'm inspired to improve! I need to go beyond flowers! :)