Traditional Tattoo

It might take a while, but the important thing is that you get a tattoo that you will love for the rest of your life. However, the search for tattoos is no longer as hard as it used to be. There are a multitude of tattoo sites that showcase unique designs, allowing you to download the patterns before taking them to your favorite tattoo studio. Big Bold Henna Tattoos Inspired by Neeta's book, "Sangeet". I am thinking differently. It's great fun. If all goes well, I should have finished color on line by Wednesday. From start to peaceful finish each design took about 45 minutes to complete. All told, we had two hours of fun.

One of the popular tattoo sites getting reviews is the Tattoo US Designs. A jaunt on the site will reveal a collection of more than 3,000 tattoo designs. The designs are segregated into 40 categories, some of which are: Shannon Gilded Peacock - Henna Tattoo I have started working with a more liquid paste mix. I use Jamila henna, the 2007 harvest now, which is very gummy and stringy and workable. I am very pleased with my quick color test results, and will have full hand color on line soon. In the mean time, please enjoy a photo of Shannon's gilded peacock design. I am still inspired by Neeta's book "Sangeet" as you will see from this photo. The gilding colors are purple glitter & jade green matte gels. The more liquid texture of the paste made it possible for me to work more quickly than I have in the past, as the paste just flows right out of the henna cone. I am still using my "plastic bag cone" with rubber band closure. It has a carrot ba

Background to Tattoos & Body Piercing in Oaxaca, Mexico, Through the Eyes of a Lawyer Lower Back Tattoo in Henna Here is another wonderful henna tattoo pattern from Sangeet (applied by Ann George of Spirit Vision Henna in Jacksonville, Flordia). My client said she got very good color with her last henna tattoo. Although the back is not usually a place to get the best color, she took great care of her henna tattoo. She left the paste on a good while, and got the design area warm for the first day and applied olive oil regularly after the paste was removed. I hope to post a photo of the finished color. If you have had a henna tattoo & would like to send your photo of the finished color, please mail it to me.

Lawyer Kaireddyn (Kai) Orta began fabricating his own, rudimentary tools for making tattoos in 1996, while still in high school here in Oaxaca, Mexico. One day a neighbor saw him carrying a shoe box, and asked him what was in it. Kai showed him the adapted motor, needles, ink and other paraphernalia. The neighbor was the recipient of Kai's first tattoo. Kai then began doing tattoos for his schoolmates. Wrist Jewel Henna Tattoo I remain thankful to Kimberlee, a henna artist in Jupiter Florida for recommending Sangeet's design book. Click the title of this post to visit Kimberlee's "space". This fine line henna tattoo was made possible in part by mixing the paste to be rather liquid, sticky and stringy. The addition of fenugreek seeds in the tea mix which I add when first mixing the paste helps create a stringy mix. Adding a bit of pomegranate juice just before putting the paste in the cone ensured the paste would be sticky and liquid. To get the fine line

Kai had been interested in tattoos (tatuajes) and body piercing (perforación) since boyhood. It was natural for him, since his father was a history teacher, constantly recounting stories of rituals of Mexico's indigenous populations. There was no shortage of books around the house with images of pre-Hispanic peoples who were accustomed to self-adornment. Kai ate it up. Henna Tattoo: Lower Back Henna Pattern Here is another great henna pattern from Sangeet. Of course I modified it a bit so that there would be enough paste to give good color on the lower back. I like the way elements in the henna pattern compliment the design elements in the woman's belt. If you come for a lower back tattoo, be sure to wear a low cut pant & a midriff top. It's best to come early for a lower back tattoo so you can browse all the great Five Points shops, sun your henna & get the best color possible. (Click the photo for the full sized image.)

But throughout Kai's youth, seeing tattoos in the flesh was a rarity. Aside from in books and occasionally coming across a tattooed person on TV, he would only have an opportunity to actually see real live people with tattoos and body piercings when he would catch a glimpse of mainly North American and European tourists walking the streets of downtown Oaxaca, a Mecca for international tourism. A Henna Jewel for the Forearm Here is a pattern from the wonderful pattern book by Sangeet. This book has designs that people really like, as well, the patterns are good for all parts of the body. You may purchase the book from Tap Dancing Lizard. Henna tattoo will be available today, 7/14/07 at Midnight Sun. I should be at the shop no later than 2:00 pm. See you there?

The modern tradition of tattoos and body piercings had been established in countries such as Canada, the US, Spain and Britain, long before it arrived in Mexico. Like so many representations of emerging subcultures, it takes upwards of a decade for them to catch on in Mexico, especially in the more isolated and conservative regions of the country, like Oaxaca. Sometimes you just have to practice! Well, I am sure it's just silly to post a photo of my first attempt at left handed henna , but here it is. What is interesting to me is that the henna paste I used to do my right hand was 24 hours older than the henna I used to do my left hand. I mention this because it seems as if the color on my right hand is a bit darker than the left. Further, the henna on my left hand had been on the skin for 72 hours, while the henna on the right had been on only 48. So.. the henna on the left hand should be darker? Of course I also realized that I can't take a good photo of both my

Leap forward to the 1990s. Change would begin to emerge in Oaxaca. Tattoos, body piercings and other non-traditional forms of self-expression had begun to be perceived as mainstream throughout the Western World. The silver screen and magazines promoting its pierced and tattooed stars had become commonplace. Oaxaca had to take notice. And that included its older generation, which was then forced to recognize if not accept that the ritualized behavior of their grandchildren (and to a much lesser extent their children) could no longer be equated with something devious, dirty and wrong, simply as a consequence of changing their physical appearance through piercing and painting their bodies, permanently. Many in the Oaxacan youth culture were becoming critical thinkers through higher education, therefore better able to make informed decisions, stand up for them, and celebrate them. Bridal Henna - Recipe for dark henna color As promised, here is a photo of the finished color, 24 hours

During the course of a 3 ½ hour interview at Kai's studio, his friends and fellow tatuadores from Mexico City, Daniel (Tuna) Larios and his girlfriend Angélica (Angy) de la Mora, were in the shop working and otherwise serving customers, while for part of the time Kai was out running errands. Bridal Henna - Fine Line Henna Tattoo Here is a photo of a traditonal henna pattern from a little design book I picked up at a local Indian market. Of course, the pattern was far more intricate than this design as my model had small hands! None the less, I still practice full bridal every chance I get. I will post a photo of the finished color in the next few days. (Click the photo for a close-up view.)

Tuna has been a tatuador for 12 years while Angy began doing tattoos only a year ago, when she began living with Tuna. Together they opened up a shop, called Toltecan, in the nation's capital. Before then Tuna had been doing tattoos for customers at other studios. He was introduced to the trade from having had his body tattooed. Angy learned the skill from Tuna. Bridal Peacock Tattoo Movie I am practicing my bridal henna and am lucky to have a willing model. Of course I am inspired by the great henna art of SJ Henna in Singapore... as you can see by this design. Click the HERE for a little music & "movie". Spirit Vision Henna is available for Bridal Showers, Wedding Parties, and other events. Visit my site for more information.