Tonight I did henna in Detroit at Flat 151 for the Young Presidents’ Organization . The party was a really lovely event planned by Mood Events. I stayed quite busy throughout the night and all of my clients were very friendly and thankful. Here are some of the photos that I took doing henna in Detroit.
Henna design for the arm
Henna design for the hand
Floral henna design
Bridal Henna in Michigan
I met with a great bride-to-be today at my henna salon. She’s marrying her fiance in Mackinaw Island and came to Ypsilanti first to have her bridal henna for her wedding. She really liked the paisley / floral design for the top of her arms. Here are the pics. I can’t wait to see the photos from her wedding.
bridal mehndi
bridal henna on arm
bridal henna on left arm
bridal henna on right arm
My friend Jamie Bourgeois is a huge inspiration to me. She is a very thoughtful textile artist with a message on how humans interact with their environment. ivermectin rat dosage
(psst! I want this dress so badly!.. she needs to make many more of these..)
Having graduated from Savannah College of Art and Design, she recently completed a series named Homogeneous :
“A series of screen printed silk scarves which explore the classification of non-human organisms in order to see more clearly into how we can perceive ourselves as humans, as entities with the same basic needs and fundamental desires as all living beings.”
EXTINCT
“99% of all living species that have ever lived on this planet are now extinct.”
PARASITE
“Parasites live on or in a host organism at the expense of the host, benefiting only itself.”
INVASIVE
“Invasive species invade foreign ecosystems, deplete resources, and crowd out other species.”
All I can say is : incredibly inspiring, thought provoking with detail to make your head spin! I can’t wait to see what Jamie has in store for us in the future.
+ All artwork is by Jamie Bourgeois +
Jamie Bourgeois – Fibers Collection from Gabby Garcia-Pardo on Vimeo.
A new feature today: a very talented & creative artist (and busy mom- like me) Misha Blaise from Austin, TX. I am very inspired by her mixed media artwork that is a take on nature and cultural embroidery designs. I really love the floral prints as well as the intricate embroidery representations. Super excited to see what she comes up with next!
**Also, note that each purchase from her Etsy page goes to help support a woman survivor of war that Misha sponsors through WomenForWomen.org **
Meet Misha :
Where do you get your inspiration?
I am obsessed with beautiful and elegant textile design from around the world.
For example, my father is from Croatia, and I have been collecting old Yugoslavian embroidery patterns to transfer into some of my digital pieces. These people make some of the coolest designs: the colors are super bold and the images are elegant and complex. I like reinventing patterns like this within my pieces by merging them with more modern elements.
What is your creative process ?
My creative process took a major blow when I had my first child because I just didn’t have very much time to work anymore. But this limitation eventually became an asset to me. I started planning my art mentally ahead of time as detailed as possible. Then, when I would finally have the time to work all I would have to do is execute my ideas. So my usual process now is that I think through a piece of art while I am doing something with my son, like taking him on a walk or whatever, and then when he goes to sleep I run to my studio space like a bat out of hell and work as fast as I can!!!
What’s your favorite item you make?
I love making mixed media prints! I enjoy just throwing down paint and drawing and then scanning it all into the computer where I can merge it all together into a cohesive piece. This format is also cool because it allows the final product to be printed at any size and on various mediums.
What’s your artistic philosophy?
I think the spirit of uninhibited experimentation is crucial to being an artist. It can be so hard to work when you are worrying if the piece will look good or if will be well received. I think there is something very mysterious about the creative process in the sciences and the arts that we can’t ever really understand—somehow humans have the capacity to bring forth something new that never existed before. I guess my philosophy is just to treat that process as something important and crucial to the human experience, even if all I am doing is making a pretty little art print. (Is that philosophical enough☺ )
When did you start creating ? 
Like most people I made art as a child. I was influenced by other design around me that was cool at the time, so Idefinitely went through a phase of drawing psychedelic dolphins leaping over rainbows and hearts as inspired by the Lisa Frank art on my Trapper Keeper. Then I made some really bad art in college which I have most thrown away or kept hidden. I would say I only really started finding my “voice” as an artist when I was in my mid-twenties. I was living in Chicago and I was starting to meet a whole community of artists who lived and breathed their craft. This really pushed me to take my art more seriously and to develop my style in a more focused way.
What’s the future for your business?
I am working really hard this year to improve my on-line presence. I would love to be able to show art locally, and at the same time have an international audience who can browse and buy my work online!
Many of my henna designs are inspired by nature – hibiscus flowers, vines, daisies, water, succulents, dahlias, peacocks, feathers etc. I like to make what nature gives us as inspiration and make it more fantastical in my henna designs. Today’s feature is nature-inspired art to reference many design elements in nature that inspire us all.
henna tree design on ribcage at the henna salon
This adorable Micro Marimo moss in a glass gourd by MyZen is a cool display and has an interesting story: “About Marimo Balls:
These delightful little balls of algae also called Cladophora originate in Lake Akan Japan. They are revered and adopted as “pets” in Japanese homes and offices and are believed to bring good luck. Marimo name is derived from Mari meaning “bouncy play ball” and “mo” meaning underwater plant in Japanese.” Neat!
Shadow boxes make a great frame for art. But what’s more beautiful than something nature has designed? -nada! Gaze at the loveliness of nature with this air plant terrarium and hand-built shadow box by MIDNIGHTinSEATTLE .
Happiknits brings us a lovely knit chartreuse cowl that has a cozy, mossy feel as well as being quite stylish.
A natural, beautiful stone is mystic topaz. Passionate Jewelry sets mystic topaz in a great silver bezel to create this unique ring.
This nature-inspired origami lotus flower by Fish & Lotus is crafted so perfectly that you almost don’t realize its made of paper! These would be great as wedding favors or given as a gift.
I will admit, if I owned this incredible miniature terrarium necklace by Woodii I would wear it EVERYDAY.. Between the small pebbles at the bottom, the variety of moss and the adorable cork stopper, this pendant has en entire little slice of nature in an adorable glass vile.
If you want the more traditional yet elaborate nature display in your house, these succulent terrariums by Another World Plants and Terrariums is the way to go. I have a soft spot for terrariums with succulents because there’s just something so cool about moss and succulents mixed together. <3
Another great mini collection of nature is this moss, lichen & citrine filled rectangle glass pendant made by fawn . Ideal to “keep nature close to your heart”
Mojo Spa Style brings us this ahhhhdorable stylish accessory that has almost limitless potential for where it can be placed. Its a made-to-order, crocheted flower pin that is a must-have accessory in your collection.
If all this nature has inspired you to get into the terrarium lifestyle, then pick up this air plant zen garden terrarium kit by Xerces Art . Easy to care for, the air plant inside “requires little attention and happily sits amongst the other items in the terrarium.” Perfect for first-time terrarium owners.
The feature today is UntamedMenagerie – Penny & Nikki – a mother & daughter creative team that specializes in making whimsical, wearable modern art accessories.
Here’s the Q&A with UntamedMenagerie :
►Where do you get your inspiration? — We are inspired by so many things, but our primary inspiration comes from nature and architecture. sportfogadás online An unexpected influence is music. sportfogadás tippek naponta The music we listen to while designing can sway us from edgy to sweet or from subtle to bold. játékok nyerőgépes
►What is your creative process? — A design usually starts as a sketched doodle that Nikki both adds to and takes from until the paper is completely smudged and worn thin. When we are satisfied with the design, it is scanned to her computer where she cleans up the image so she can resize and perfect the lines and curves before cutting the test piece. From sketch to finish, this usually takes around 2-3 weeks. We’ve had some breakthroughs where we have worn the finished piece just days after the idea came, and at least half a dozen that we have been working on for more than a year. In-progress designs hang all around while we wait for ideas to spark until a piece feels complete — and wearable. Sometimes a design may not be practical for wear and we choose to start over. 
►What’s your favorite item you make? — Nikki’s favorite is Triple Threat (a very industrial feeling three finger ring). Penny loves the Eccentric bangles best.
►What’s your artistic philosophy? — We create what we love. We’re whimsical, bold, and quirky. We want to make you smile.
►When did you start creating? — We began making jewelry together in 2005. Nikki previously worked as a seamstress; Penny dabbled in interior design.
►What’s the future for your business? — We hope to expand our business to include household items and large wall art, and we want to explore different mediums and learn new techniques. It has long been our dream to open a brick and mortar shop to display our work as well as that of other artisans.