Customer Reviews

Mehndi : The Timeless Art of Henna Painting

5 star:		(26)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I read several books about henna when I got started practicing the art, and the absolute best I've found is Loretta Roome's.

No other books describes all aspects of the art of mehndi better; the book details the spiritual side of the art, as well as its meaning, its practice throughout the ages, today's sublime twists on the art, and how to get started with your own creative skin art practices. Roome incorporates all her own artwork and henna prints into the book which are absolutely beautiful and are enough cause to buy the book simply on the talent and artistic endeavor displayed alone.

This book also lists several companies to contact for a henna supply. Color Trends (now Earthhues) is one I have contacted for my supply of henna. They give the best quality of henna powder I've found.

If you've discovered a growing interest for henna since hearing about it fashion magazines or from seeing Madonna's video for her song "Frozen," this is the book to begin your research into this mystic and creative art force.

I enjoyed this book immensely. I most liked the depth with which she explains symbolism in mehndi and the history of its application in Egypt, Morroco, UAE, and Pakistan, as well as India and several other countries. If you are looking for a design book, this is not for you. Of course one of the points she stresses is that using a design book is not nearly as rewarding as building on traditional designs and your own unique personality to create a design as original as your fingerprint. She does include several beautiful photographs, but the collection is by no means nearly as extensive as many in other books on this site. I agree with one of the previous reviewers that it is a bit new agy, but at least it recognizes the importance of the spiritual aspect of mehndi, which is forgotten by many American fans of this artform who ignorantly refer to it as simply a cool, trendy way to do temporary tattoos. The recipes and application instructions are excellent. The section tying mehndi to eroticism contains some very interesting information that i have seen overlooked in other books. The resource guide in the back is EXCELLENT and invaluable for anyone for whom the supplies to do mehndi are not readily available. Most of all I enjoyed how this book informs you of the religious signifigance of mehndi without compelling you to adhere to the traditional designs; rather it encourages you to make the art your own and explore your own culture and creativity.

What a pleasure this book is. I knew nothing about the art of mehndi except vague associations with National Geographic and some celebrities. How much more there is to this timeless art form, practised by women all over the world, including Roome, the author. Whether you enjoy looking at the gorgeous pictures and drawings, or learning about the history and rituals behind the henna tattoes, this book has something for everyone. It was so inspiring, I wanted to run out and find the nearest mehndi artist so I could try it!

"Mehndi" is a great beginners book. It's not quite what we were looking for though. It does have some really nice designs, but I think it has more text than we were hoping for. It's informative for those looking to learn about the art and tradition. This book gives advice about mixing your own henna paste. I give it 5 stars because all in all it's a wonderful book, informative, and the pictures are clear.

I love this book, it has become my 'henna bible'! It has all the info needed to become a professional at this lovely art, and it also covers spiritual and modern aspects. I have read it cover to cover 4 times! I just keep coming back for more! Ms. Roome is clearly an excellent artist and teacher, as shown by her eloquent writing and beautiful photographs. This book was my first and most helpful book on the lovely art of mehndi. It is the only book I recomend to others wanting to learn more! :-)

"Mehndi: The Timeless Art of Henna Painting" is a balance between sumptous picture book and inspirational, well-informed text. I find Roome's book to be one that I frequently pick up for inspiration, ideas or quiet reflection. "Mehndi: The Timeless Art of Henna Painting" is a worth while book to purchase whether or not you want a mehndi tattoo because of the beauty, magic and mystery contained within its pages.

Mehndi is the art of making intricate semi-permanent designs with henna paste on hands and feet. This art is practised mostly on Hindu and Moslem brides, and sometimes traditionally-minded married women of these faiths: while many of the designs are taken from religious or magickal sources, mehndi decorations are now chiefly considered symbols of married happiness, wealth and leisure. You see, henna is a remarkably ineffective coloring agent, and takes a long time to set, taking anything from four to twelve hours of complete immobility of the extremities involved...even when set, the designs are fragile, and fade easily with soap and/or hot water and/or being touched -- as with bound feet or long nails, a woman displaying extensive mehndi on hands and feet is broadcasting loud and clear that she's not doing housework, or much work of any other kind, either.

I give this debunking in order to counteract what I consider to be the book's biggest weakness: Ms. Roome's tendency towards scented-candle prose. There are some really good designs here, and some downright practical tips; there are dozens of pictures of attractive people (or their hands and feet), modeling various designs and a cursory explanation of the meanings of some traditional motifs. However, the reader has to wade through pages and pages of New-Agey fluff to get to the real gist of the matter: how to make the paste (vague), how to apply the paste (excellent), and how to make traditional designs without prior experience in art or Islamic culture (very good). Somehow, I can't really take seriously an American how-to book, written for Americans, that decrees "meditation or prayer" as an essential step in mixing lump-free henna paste, or an author who goes into ecstatic flights of portentousness over everything from how Indian groceries in New York City excite her to her personal discovery that coins (one of her favorites, she breathlessly relates, is even marked by a cross!) make good guides for drawing small circles. Every small detail of the process is laden with exoticism, complexity, and mystification that's neither authentic nor necessary: while it's a proven fact that henna is more effective at coloring in the presence of gentle heat (like a hair drier) and a mild acid (lemon juice is most commonly used), she specifies tamarind as a mordant, and recommends the use of the smoke rising from incense (of a properly symbolic nature) as a heat source -- apparently, having exhausted the Hindu/Moslem angle, she felt like throwing in a little American Wicca in for good measure.

And why not? Most of the rest of the book is taken up with trying to recast what is clearly a symbol of female oppression as an expression of Goddess- worshipping feminism: she loves to stress that this is a religious art associated with women, who do this to each other, away from men, in communal gatherings, hinting that something more must be going on than a little pampering and gossip. That neither Hindus nor Moslems are noted for coed partying and the most traditional use of mehndi is as an adornment for 14-year-olds about to marry someone they've never met seems to be irrelevant: it's enough for her these are "authentic" women, observing a female-only rite of a religion that isn't Christianity, which quite naturally makes them more truly free and spiritual than we are. Considering that a mehndi job in progress means that you have about as much freedom as a full-body cast, this is like arguing that Billy Graham supports atheism. Why can't she just admit that it's cool to have red filigree rosettes on your palms, and even cooler that you don't have to deal with the cultural baggage to have them?

In sum, this book seems tailor-made for deluxe beauty salons (who might feature mehndi as a service) to put out in their waiting rooms: modishly serious-looking, pretty enough to invite casual browsing, flattering to the (presumably female) reader with its insistance that pampering is spiritually good for you, soothing and clear enough on the process to assuage fears, but vague and mystifying enough to frighten you...not to do it yourself.

This book is perfect for anyone who is just starting out in their journey with the mehndi...It gives very straight-forward instructions with some of the basic designs, leaving room for you, the artist, to play. From the basic designs to the shopping list, to the spiritual & social intricacies of a traditional henna gathering, first timers will enjoy this wonderful, informative book...

When I first became enchanted with Mehndi, a friend lent me this beautiful book. I devoured it in one sitting. Beautifully written, it is a journey through time that explained many questions I had. I have read many books now about this topic, and this one is the most in-depth as far as the significance of Mehndi. Loretta Roome's studies have taken her far and wide, and she stresses the importance as an artist of being able to explain the historic, symbolic, and esoteric ideals behind the art, as well as learning to create our own traditions...
As a henna/mehndi artist, there are two books that are essential. For design ideas, a must-have is Traditional Mehndi Designs--A Treasury of Henna Body Art by Dorine Van Den Beukel.
For intelligent content and a deeper understanding of Mehndi I highly recommend Mehndi : The Timeless Art of Henna Painting by Loretta Roome.

graceful and intelectually pleasing-i highly recomend this book. if you are interested in this art what-so-ever you will fall madly in love with it after reading this book! it is beautiful! it shows different designs and tells about the art and its history. full of photographs and illustrations. i own several books on mehndi and this is by far my favourite. if your looking for a clear-cut how-to step by step instructional book this may not be exactly what u r looking for, but i recomend you buy this book anyway, because the information it offers will be of great use in the long run.