Henna Tattoos

Been super busy the last couple of weeks getting my head wrapped around the concept of returning to school! And while I have managed to accomplish many of my goals for the summer, I didn't do everything....... I did DO a lot of reading, relaxing and sleeping. I also succeeded in completing over 300 levels of Cookie Jam. Redecorated a few areas around the house and went on a mini retreat with the FAEA to Ocala.

Part of the retreat was at the Appleton Museum of Art in Ocala, Florida. Which was pretty exciting for me, as I've never been there. It's a beautiful place. We got to explore the museum for a bit and had 2 workshops. One of which was Henna Hands given by Griselle Gonzalez.

 

 The photo on the left shows the stages of Henna. The Henna ink comes in cones, the point of the cone has the opening in which the ink comes out. It is very paste like and is raised up on the skin. It needs a good 30 minutes to dry and 4 hours later you can crumble off the dry ink. The design will darken over the next 12 hours and stay on for little while. You can still see some of my design even though it is 2 weeks later!

 

 

 I really didn't know much about the history of using Henna for tattoos. I was surprised to see how many cultures use a variation of this art. I have found different lessons online to do with students and I'm looking forward to sharing this with them. Will do a blog on that in the future!

   

Above is our instructor Griselle Gonzalez, the power point she gave was excellent. The other photo is the box the the Henna Cones came in. Henna ink can be found online. Try Etsy or Amazon.

 

This is me with my buddy, Glenda Lubiner (she writes the Tried & True Tips for Art Teachers in Arts & Activities Magazine). After trying out the ink on Glenda I got the nerve up to try it on my arm.

 

 

Check out all the wonderful designs on some of the other art teachers in the workshop!

 

  

The retreat was a nice way to spend the weekend. I met new people, which is always fun & caught up with my buddy Glenda.  All in all a great time!

In addition to preparing to return to work, I will be presenting at the FAEA conference in October. Registration starts tomorrow August 7. I will be doing the workshop Start with a Story, sharing how I use literature to inspire students and a presentation titled Grant-tastic about how I applied and received grant money for my program.

Turns out I'm also on the ballot and might be the next Elementary Division Directer. Voting on that starts tomorrow and will be open until 3 pm on October 20th. Check it out!

Thanks for Reading! And let's all enjoy the new school year!