Inner Discovery Painting 2023

Using hair as a medium for art

I joined the Los Angeles Arboretum this November for an intimate painting experience. This was extra special because it was my first public hair painting performance. Years ago, I took a Shodo painting class in London. Shodo is one of the oldest and traditional art forms in Japan. I fell in love with the aesthetic, the simplicity, and the meditative aspect of Shodo during these classes. The movement of the brush, the imprint of the brush hair on the paper, and the vibrancy of ink after each brush stroke moved me to continue practicing my style of painting with calligraphy brushes. I’ve used several variations of brushes, but recently I’ve observed hair within the black community. In high school and college, I was a hair stylist. Conjuring up crazy twists, pin curls, corn rolls, and braids in my friend’s hair filled my weekends. I was always complimented on how relaxing people felt while getting their hair done by me. Little did I know that it was also a form of meditation for me and my client. I thought that I would go to cosmetology school at one point, but I choose to pursue fashion instead.

My appreciation for hair art continued throughout the years. I even did a fashion collection on the history of hair in fashion design school. So it’s kismet that hair is now my tool for painting. The black community is known for unique, expressive hairstyles and I want to pay homage to us through brushes that reflect that creativity. Guests sat as I completed a watercolor floral painting with my hair as I shared my story. I then led them through a workshop on using watercolors as a method of self discovery. We sipped floral tea and learned more about flowers that heal.

The workshop portion of the experience was even more magical. Painting with watercolors has an underlying lesson of surrender. It’s the only medium that you absolutely can’t control. During the process of painting with watercolors, it becomes the teacher and you become the student. You will inevitably learn more about yourself if you paint even for a few minutes everyday. The type of materials you use affects the vibrancy and texture of a watercolor painting.

I want to thank the sponsors Hippie Crafter for the watercolor paper and Viviva Colors for the watercolor colorsheets.