Originally from Ohio, Tamara now lives outside of Los Angeles by way of central North Carolina.
She began doing henna in the late 90's while (studying photography) in
college, after seeing the art form at the International Street Fair. It
was love at first sight and *way* better than the sharpies she was
already using to draw on herself and her friends!
Henna was a just fun
hobby until 2003 when a friend in NC
said she needed a new henna girl at her shop one Saturday a month. Opal
Moon Henna was born and she continued at that shop for 6 years, adding
festivals and more and eventually doing henna full time. She worked with
fellow henna artist WendyMehndi at larger events and co-founded the Glitteratzi!, a little group dedicated to sparkly goodness. She
landed in the west in late 2009 and has been exploring and hennaing in
So Cal ever since.
Tamara's 'specialty' is doing intentional and healing henna
- using symbols
and usually one word from the client to create a transformative design
that makes them feel beautiful and empowered. She is fueled by a deep-seated belief in the power of art, and specifically
body art, to be used with healing. Symbols and intention can be powerful tools
when dealing with personal issues, as well as both chronic and acute medical
conditions.
Tamara served the HIV/AIDS community in North
Carolina by providing body art on
a volunteer basis at a day center, as well as at yearly retreats. Her long range goal is to
create a protocol for henna to be used as healing in healthcare -
specifically with HIV/AIDS and cancer patients. Please
contact her if you feel you would like to be a part of this journey.
~Namaste~
