Hi! I'm SarahKate, welcome to my Blog!

My Speciality is honoring motherhood with Henna Tattoos, but I adorn women and their daughters for all kinds of reasons - birthday parties, rites of passage, even weddings. I love to adorn pregnant and breastfeeding women with henna then make beautiful photos for them. I live in Lafayette, CO and travel the front range from Colorado Springs, Denver and as far North as Fort Collins to find my living works or art. I am also the creative director of Artfull Mother magazine - a local magazine devoted to the interests of mothers and the art that empowers them!

Sweet Mother Daughter Henna Celebrations

09 Feb 18 SarahKate 0 Comments

This afternoon's henna session! I am so excited to have begun with this Mother-Daughter (and soon Mother-Son) Art Project! I first met Heatherlyn in 2008 when she modeled for my pregnancy art project. Now here she is with her daughter - who turns 10 this spring. The recently traveled to Maui so a watery turtle theme was decided on. I love witnessing the sweet, deep mother-daughter connection.

This pregnancy art project has been going on STRONG for 10 years now - resulting in 6 volumes of art & 12 magazine issues. And I'm not done yet, not at all.

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Whales from my artistic past

08 Feb 18 SarahKate 0 Comments

I remember meeting this mama in 2012 who asked for

"some kind of a whale mother and baby included in the design, and maybe prayer flags or flowers."

I arrived at her home in Boulder and as she reclined on her couch I adorned her. Her daughter was there and I gave her a little whale on her hand as well. It was really fun! I filled in the whale with henna for a minute or two then wiped it away - that's why it's a different color. They returned to my studio a few days later to get the photos of the peaking henna.

I have adorned many women with whales (mostly pregnant women), but I think my first request for a whale came during my first year of doing henna on the Big Island of Hawaii. It was 2004 and one of the mamas I helped out (as a part time nanny) requested a whale on her belly. I'll always remember those special times in Hawaii, watching the whales.... I swam most days with many different creatures, but I only ever saw whales from the shore. Drawing them is difficult! I had found a book from the artist Wyland with all these sea creatures as "simple" line art and I was working with those designs. It was a lot more complicated than I originally thought.

Hawaii was whereI bought my first henna kit, way back in 2003, and mixed up my first batch of all natural henna. The smell of the eucalyptus essential oil is one that I instantly fell in love with. I remember that rush of KNOWING that I'd finally found my medium, and it was only a matter of time before I mastered this craft, because I was dedicated to learning. That first year I must have had a henna tattoo on me somewhere, all the time. Often on my forehead because, oddly enough, it stained really well there. There was something so magical about that time... it was where I really got in touch with my feminine side - I finally had the courage to embrace it!

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Sacred Feminine Body Art ~ moons & flowers

06 Feb 18 SarahKate 0 Comments

Today's art! A moon and flowers were part of the henna design request that I created as part of the Sacred Feminine Art Project.

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Birthing with Henna

06 Feb 18 SarahKate 0 Comments

I saw this photo on Monet Nicole's feed and I stopped and stared - I recognized that henna! Those were the roots of the tree of life that I'd done for an amazing mama recently. I love how you can see the shapes of the roots through the water... how you can see the thick cord from the baby to inside the womb.... that special moment of just being born... he's finally arrived but still attached to the mama. In this Winter's issue of Artfull Mother you can read this mama's story of her birth and see more of Monet's outstanding birth photography. Stephanie came to me for pregnancy henna with a request for the tree of life. Her little daughter had played on the floor while I adorned her mom. We got several photos of them together before they left. Henna takes 3 days to darken fully and that is exactly when she gave birth.

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Artfull Mother Winter 2018 issue!

05 Feb 18 SarahKate 0 Comments

I am really excited to release the winter issue of Artfull Mother magazine! Grab a cup of coffee/tea and enjoy reading this season's mothering stories.

In winters past we have captured the beauty of a pregnant belly with the snowy background of Colorado - the first two spreads are of a beautiful Colorado mama from 2 years ago. (see above image)

We have many interesting articles in our magazine this season, including another wonderful photo series of a mama giving birth with henna on her belly! What is it like to add a 2nd child? Stephanie shares her birth story along with Monet's amazing photos of her experience.

One of the joys of the work I do is watching families grow through time, like Katy's. We met to celebrate her first pregnancy and later, her 2nd. Read her story about how they bought a house in Longmont and had a family in a neighborhood where neighbors come out and talk to each other, have parties together, form meal trains for new mamas, and babysit each others kids. These important connections show up differently in each mama's life and I love to hear about all the variations on how women find support in their journey.

We also have a moving story from Julie, who also gave birth to her 2nd child recently and had to practice allowing herself to slow down - rejecting the cultural idea that women should be Super Moms and do it all. She found support in other ways, like listening to Janet Landsbury's podcast, online exercise communities and her deck of mothering affirmation cards by Renegade Mothering.

2018 marks 10 years since I began my art project honoring pregnancy with henna, and it's wonderful to connect with women that I painted so many years ago. I recently began calling models back and inviting them to include their children. It was wonderful to talk to Kathrina again and see her two daughters - the youngest one was in her belly when I adorned her with a turtle for her pregnancy. Seeing the Mother-Daughter bond is such a joy.

Local mama, doula and Ayurvedic Educator Radha wrote about self care, and how we can tune into whether a food/activity is beneficial to us.

Often creating art around your story of mothering can be an incredible healing experience. How do you process your birth when your dream is not your reality? How can you hold beauty and hardship at the same time? Guiding women through the art of uncovering the Gift of the mothering journee is what Jenna's work is all about.

Samantha Jessup gave birth to her 2nd child last year and in this season's breastfeeding column she asks us, what memories are you making that mean something to you?

This time in a woman's life is so important, and I love creating the art that honors the rite of passage into Motherhood. I truly enjoy hearing their artistic visions and allowing the design to unfold spontaneously. As I adorn each woman she shares her stories with me and I gain a greater understanding of this part of life, and at the same time I give back, encouraging & honoring each mama who crosses my path.

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Sacred Feminine, unfolding flowers

01 Feb 18 SarahKate 0 Comments

So many ages and phases we go through in life, and it's fascinating to bear witness to women in all places: maiden, mother, grandmother. I especially love adorning grandmothers, there is a wisdom that comes with the years and a unique experience. I love to see the beauty in all women, covering them with roaming flowers and vines, doing my best to hear the vision they have and filling their skin with this artistic idea. Spontaneously, one flower after another, without really a plan in mind, just letting it unfold and unwind... pouring out of my henna applicator... and the natural henna paste has a wonderful smell, so earthy and relaxing. Line after line, swirl after swirl, incorporating this idea, that idea, winding up the arm, across the chest.

This is my modern recreation of the sacred Red Tent, in my own way creating a commitment to do it often and lovingly. The process of applying natural henna paste over the course of 1 to 2 to sometimes 3 hours... unfolding, unwinding, relaxing into the flow, feeling it out, is it done, what needs more attention? I can find it and bring it out, I can balance it and bring that out, the art, the vision, feeling it in my fingers, in my bones in my heart, in my womb ~ that call ~

To answer it is so satisfying.

And then the photos when the henna is peaking are lovely, to take some time, to just enjoy being a woman, to be, to lay out head propped up by our hand, lounging, and have rose petals tossed over you... this is a really fun part of the process... and one that many women have never had before. I don't know what it is about roses, but there is some kind of internal state I can feel that shifts in the presence of rose and that is fascinating to me, to be in touch with the feminine, the goddess, she exists within each woman.

This art project is bringing me into circles of connection that I have never really ever been, that I wish I could go more often... I will be having another model call for the Sacred Feminine At Project, probably later in the spring, we'll see (follow me on Facebook to find out about it), and I'm excited to see what comes through.

#sacredfeminine #bodyart #redtent #henna #sarahkatebuterworth #boulderhenna #coloradohenna #roses #tree #hennalove #hennapro #sacred #feminine #art

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Cosmic Whale & Sea Ray pregnancy blessing

31 Jan 18 SarahKate 0 Comments

A pregnancy henna from last year with the cosmic whale! Mom & daughter came together to celebrate her 3rd pregnancy, and this lovely young lady chose a sea ray. A few days later they returned for photos when the henna was peaking. I love the image of all the hands on the belly - the soon to be "big" brother joined us for this shot.

I love creating ocean designs, as I am part mermaid myself. Growing up going to the Florida beach every day was a gift that my family gave me as a child. To play in the waves, in the sun, the sand, to study the paths the water took from the showers to the beach, the ice cream on my tongue, those sweet, warm childhood memories. I traveled to Hawaii in my 20s and experienced the ocean in a new way. No sandy beaches here, instead the shore was lined with lava rock. But the animals I saw in the water were like no other. Though I didn't swim with whales, I sat on he shore and watched them on many occasions. The sea ray (or sting ray) on her daughters arm is a creature that I have a lot of love for! I remember the handful of times I have swum with rays, large and small, and each time felt like a gift.

Creating this kind of art is very meaningful to me ~ bringing together elements of the ocean and some of my favorite ocean animals. I absolutely love the design that came through ~ a henna pregnancy blessing.

Posted by SarahKate