about the artist

I've been doing henna off and on for about 20 years. I started at the age of 9 when my father brought
home a book about Krishna. At first my 'henna' consisted of magic markers. But eventually with a little
help, I figured it out.

During my teenage years I abandoned the art form almost completely. Boys and fun seemed more
important and other artistic endeavors caught my attention. It didn't help that no one really understood
henna or what I was doing. The confused looks and constant questions were an unwelcome
annoyance.

Then about 4 years ago a friend had a 'toothpaste tube' of henna that was about to expire and no talent
for art. She asked me to henna her feet. When all was said and done, her feet looked wonderful, my
hands were cramped and painfully throbbing but my passion was again ignited!
The next day a sweet Indian lady had asked her how much I charge for weddings after seeing my friend's
feet. I was truly back in the saddle again!

I strive to be the best henna artist / mehndiwalli that I can be. My passion for mehndi is almost an
obsession! I've worked and studied hard to educate others and myself and to spread public awareness
of the dangers of 'Black henna'. To reach these goals I became certified by the ICNHA, which is an
organization dedicated to ensuring quality standards among henna artists. Examination consists of
hygiene, safety, botany, biology, culture and traditions, and the fundamental principles of henna
including submission of a small portfolio with your working henna paste recipe.

*My patterns have been seen in Mera Desh Magazine, which is Canada wide.

*The only certified henna artist in Manitoba at this time.

*Patterns in Asian Bride UK as interpreted by the talented professional Riffat Bahar.

*Interview on Global TV with Eva Kovacs for my pregnancy henna during
her "First Baby" series.

*My pattern books 'Ganesha's Henna Garden' and 'Mehndi Masala' have been
sold worldwide through TapDancingLizard Publications and Amazon.com. I'm
very proud to be able to put my 'henna dreams' on paper and share them with
others. They have been so well received and I have to thank all of those who
have supported me emotionally as well as those that have supported my work
by purchasing my patterns.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank Roy Jones from The Henna Page for creating a
'Artist at Work' video for those that were interested in seeing me create. You can view the video here.
This is very large, so if you have dial up, you may not want to take hours to download it. It will be
available in the future addition of the HP free CD.