Cup 46
Name: Sandy Rippetoe (pronounced rip-ah-toe) Age: 38 Hometown: Lakeville, MI Location of coffee chat: Bean & Leaf Cafe in Downtown Rochester, Michigan Drink: Small Latte with a triple shot. (All of their coffee comes from Zingerman's in Ann Arbor, MI).
Today, I had a Small Dirty Chai Latte.
Cup 46's favorite hobbies, aside from being a mother, are hiking, camping, and doing yoga. Her favorite color is "a nice, sagey green." Favorite books are Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Esquivel and In Defense of Food by Michael Pollan. Her favorite movie changes on a weekly basis; currently it is the operetta, The Pirates of Penzance. She loves Willie Nelson and her favorite song is, of course by Willie Nelson, Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain. Her favorite food? "Anything with avocado," she answers with a smile.
Why did you pick this location and that drink?
"I love independent small businesses, and I really really like espresso. Bean & Leaf makes a good latte."
Describe yourself in six words.
"Creative, interested, mother, nature lover, learning."
I know of you primarily as a henna artist. Do you work full-time?
"No. I call myself a freelance part-time henna artist. I'm a mom to three children so I devote a lot of my time to family, gardening, cooking ... you know, domestic goddessing."
Discovering henna in 1998 after being 'incredibly intrigued' by the henna on a friend, who had just returned from an Indian wedding, Sandy's business, Dreaming in Henna, didn't actually appear on the radar until 2009.
"[In 1998] I tried several times to get into it [henna] but I think the time just wasn't right. In 2004, I tried again, just playing ... drawing henna on myself and friends, not focusing on advancing artistically. It wasn't until 2008 that I got serious about teaching myself. Then I started the business in 2009. It was a very, very part-time business. It's only been within the last year and a half that I've put forth a lot of energy into my business and not just as an artistic hobby."
I heard about you from Susan Joul, who was actually the second person I interviewed for my blog. How did you two meet?
"We were friends first. We met at a parenting group, and when she learned that I did henna she was like, 'Why, we [her daughter and her, presumably] love henna!', so then she became one of my clients."
Did you ever go to art school? What were you doing before you started Dreaming in Henna?
"I have no formal art training. I would like to; it's still a possibility. If I went to school, I would love to learn more about the history of folk arts. Before, I was an apprentice horse trainer and adult caretaker for disabled adults."
Where do you get your inspiration from for henna designs?
"I'm drawn to traditional designs and motifs. I'm inspired by traditional artists from all over the world, henna masters such as, Kiran Sahib in England, Sumeyya Rehman in Chicago, and Hiral Shah in California. I've met both Sumeyya and Hiral a couple times, and they both inspire me as artists and businesswomen. Hiral is from Michigan but moved to California to become a full-time henna artist.
Is henna more popular in California or something?
"You just don't get as many weddings during Michigan winters, when everyone is bundled up from their nose to their toes. It's almost impossible to be a full-time henna artist in Michigan."
What happens when you get into a rut? What do you usually do?
"Sometimes I take a break from doing henna on myself and turn to my clients. I'm not sure if my client base is changing, but when I ask people what they would like, they often say 'Artist's Choice'. I like to do more intricate Indian and more open Arabic style [Indo-Arabic fusion], and willing to be not in control of the elements or the finished product, which I love.
I also like to look at different art, like block printing, for example. Creating artistic copies that are almost stamp-like. It's an art form onto itself."
Block Printing ... the way you described it just now sounds like something I might've done in art class in grade school.
"You probably did! With the foam block and hot-wire foam cutter."
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Some of her sketches.
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Yeah! Okay, next question. Can you describe to me a pivotal moment in your life that affected you personally or career-wise?
"I tend to view my life as a series of events, branching off into various directions. When my children were really young - I think my youngest was still a baby - I realized how important it was, to me, to be a good mother and to do something for me. Henna fed me. It made me happy, and I could actually do something with it. It was the realization, 'You know, I can still do this for me while being a good mother. Without this realization, I don't think I would've done henna seriously."
What has been your greatest struggle so far?
"Not to be overcritical of myself and my own work. Sometimes I look at something I've made and start to pick it apart in my brain. 'Oh, I could've done this or that' but then I look at designs made by other artists, and I think to myself, 'Well, it looks good when they do it ... why am I nitpicking at myself when I think what they did is beautiful?' So, I just try to, 'Get out of my own way,' as my henna artist friends tell me."
What's your most positive trait?
"I like people. I enjoy meeting new people and hearing their stories. Henna is a great tool for that."
If you could sit down with anyone over coffee, who would it be and why would you choose them?
"Willie Nelson. He's a country singer. I've read several of his memoirs, and his particular Zen outlook on life while still being proactive in his beliefs, I find inspiring."
What are some of his beliefs?
"One of the things he talks about a lot is how we need to support small farms, and people over businesses."
What do you think the world could use more or less of?
"I wish people would respect each other more. But 'respect' isn't the word I want to use ... I want people to appreciate each other more."
What's your greatest dream?
"To be able to devote lots of time and energy to doing a lot more travel ... delving deeper into culture and art of all the places I could visit."
Where's one place you'd really like to go to? What's #1 on your list of destinations?
"Peru."
What are you most looking forward to in 2014?
"In 2014, I'm looking forward to really starting to do bridal henna. The henna itself, the stain, the ceremony of application. There's a lot of tradition behind it."
Is there a big difference between bridal henna and uh ... regular(?)/normal(?) henna?
"Yes. A regular appointment is usually about 2 hours. A bridal henna appointment can take up to 4-6 hours. Intricate Indian, many fine details. They can go all the way up from the finger to the elbows and from the feet halfway up to the shin.
Then you have to wait 8-10 hours for the henna to dry. It's very important to have a good 'stain.'
Do you have any Indian or Middle Eastern clients?
"I'm starting to get Indian clients. I just made the decision to go into bridal henna. I already do henna for festivals, parties, markets, and private appointments. I figured it was time to add in some bridal henna to the mix."
Can you tell me more about the ceremony?
"It varies greatly by region, but they call it Sangeet, or 'Night of Henna.' It's a night of dancing, singing ... almost like a rehearsal dinner but with henna."
Have you ever been to an Indian wedding?
"I have not participated yet in an Indian wedding. I hope to someday."
So Sangeet, you said, is like the rehearsal dinner. Does it happen the night before the wedding or earlier?
"No, it's usually 2 or 3 days before the wedding. The henna needs 2 days to darken so that the henna is at its peak color for the ceremony."
Where do you get your henna from?
"I order from suppliers who specifically deal with henna artists. Henna Muse in Ohio, I frequently order from, or Artistic Adornment on the East Coast. They deal with all the little stuff to transport plants across borders, custom fees, negotiations."
Plants. So it doesn't already come as a paste?
"No, it comes in a powder. Most good henna artists will make their own paste. Everyone has their own recipe. There's an ongoing joke that if you ask 10 henna artists about what their recipes are, you'll get 2 dozen answers. With Michigan's weather, I add varying amounts of sugar. For example, in dry humidity, putting extra sugar keeps the paste extra flexible."
Henna art sounds almost like a science, in addition to being an art.
"Science and chemistry really come into play. A henna artist can tweak all that to get the best possible results."
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Life Lesson: You're gonna have to read a little farther, fellow reader.
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At the end of the interview, Sandy Rippetoe offered to do henna on me, and of course I said yes because I really do love henna. A continuation of what Sandy had discussed before, I couldn't help but notice that she had a very slight accent. To my ears, it sounded like Irish. Plus, she said 'wee' a few times during the hour, which is unmistakably Irish. So I asked her about it, and she laughed and answered that she identified more with German heritage but her husband and her have friends who are very much Irish, so it's just one of those things that you pick up when you hang around someone or in a certain area a lot.
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It was almost like storytelling. I was captivated by everything Sandy was telling me about this ancient art and its history. She told me about how in parts of North Africa, it was traditional to put henna on the umbilical stem, in an effort to combat evil spirits. These negative spirits can also be called germs. What the ancient people didn't realize back then was that henna has antimicrobial properties so it kept things clean, protecting the otherwise vulnerable health of a baby.
While painting my left hand, Cup 46 informed me about the chemical reactions that were taking place.
"Lawsonia [name of the genus or plant family] is very specific to henna.The henna molecules oxidize after bonding with the keratin in the epidural layer, which is what actually creates the stain, and they migrate into the skin cells. It's similar to how a tea bag works."
It takes about 30 minutes to dry completely but you must leave it on for 8-10 hours. If you can't wait 8 hours, at least 4. Also, do not wash it off immediately after the drying period; let it flake off naturally. After the long wait, be sure to put on a natural balm or lotion on the design. The healthier and happier your skin is, the less it will exfoliate. Also, avoid excess scrubbing, like dishwashing, if at all possible.
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Sandy uses her father's old camera bag, which she restored, as her supply bag.
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The earliest evidence of henna as a body art was 2,000 years ago in Africa. But it didn't pertain to scholarly inquiries until about 500 years ago because it was a folk art passed down through oral traditions and so much a part of daily life that it was overlooked by scholars. Not to mention that due to its rustic origins and being scattered throughout history, the art has evolved differently in different regions, mainly in North Africa, the Middle East, and India. You can find clues in indigenous textile art that suggest henna having been a common cultural practice. Scientists have actually even discovered traces of the dye on Pharaoh Ramesses II's body. Although some studies state he was a natural redhead, many more studies point toward his hair color as a result of hair dye made from henna. ~~~~~
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So how does one make the perfect henna paste? Most henna artists, I learned, would be able to tell you without batting an eye that their paste contains henna powder, water, tea (It's usually green or black, but any kind will do.), lemon juice, sugar, and essential oils (i.e. lavender, tea tree oil, cajeput, niaouli, eucalyptus). The essential oils, nicknamed 'terps' by henna artists, are monoterpene acids. All of the ones I listed above are cousins of each other in the Melaleuca family. They help to facilitate the Lawsonia bonding with skin cells, for a better and longer-lasting stain.
Commenting on one particular ingredient, "I've noticed that some people can be sensitive to the lemon juice in the paste. Even if they can ingest it, some people realize for the first time that having citrus on their skin makes them itchy. But it's a really quick fix. If a child told me that their skin feels itchy, I just tell them to go wash it off. No harm done. But that's like 1 in 100 children. So I've cut down on my lemon juice usage, and since then, I haven't had any complaints."
Rippetoe also told me about the dangers of 'black henna.'
"Henna should smell good. Black henna is rarely used in the USA because it's banned by the FDA. It contains a chemical called PPD, which can cause a severe allergic reaction. PPD enters through the bloodstream and can cause liver and/or kidney damage, blistering, and permanent scarring. Sometimes when people go to tourist spots, like Cancún, the Virgin Islands, or on the California coast, they get henna done but then have a horrible reaction to it. A good henna artist will be able to tell you the ingredients that are in their paste. If a henna artist can't tell you what it's in their paste, it either means they're not educated or they're using black henna. Natural henna always stains brownish red [At the very beginning, it will stain orange but then it'll change into a brownish red.], never black. There are still some people around the world who continue to use black henna and don't have any problems. You might be fine and not have a reaction, you might not. It's a gamble. Luckily, there's been more media coverage about this, in the States and abroad."
By the way, how did you come up with your business name, Dreaming in Henna?
"The name came from dreaming about henna designs! It's fairly literal."
Life Lesson: "Find that one thing that feeds you, that makes you want to get up in the morning. Embrace it, whether you're good at it or not."
She put medical paper tape on me so that I wouldn't get henna all over my steering wheel while driving back home. Despite its purpose to protect the design, I ended up driving one-handed on the freeway because I was worried about squishing the paste. :-p
5 hours later.
Later that evening, so probably another 6 hours later.
Here are a few other samples of Sandy Rippetoe's artwork. You can find more in her gallery on her website.
The pictures below are from her Facebook page.
-HK