My name is Amanda Pettit. I work in and around Abilene, Texas. I am certified by the ICNHA as a henna artist as of July 2009, but I have been working as such since early 2007.

My first experiences with henna were at Indian festivals and renaissance fairs in upstate New York, but I didn't get seriously interested until I visited India for the first time in 2006. I was there to visit Sanctuary Home For Children, and it occurred to me that henna tattooing could be a great fundraiser for the home. The teenaged girls in the family we were visiting all had henna on their hands, just for fun - it was almost New Year's - and a friend came over and applied henna to my hand. I think it was that moment when a lightbulb came on in my head and I was immediately hooked on the idea of becoming a henna artist. I noticed so many of the little girls at the children's home with henna that they had done for themselves and for each other.

I brought some henna cones back to Texas with me, started reading about the process, and learning technique. I was surprised at how much I enjoyed mixing, designing, and applying the henna - I already knew I LOVED the resulting tattoos. Since then I have been perfecting my own style, which is definitely focused on the traditional Indian motifs. I do donate half of all profits to Sanctuary Home. Everybody wins: Sanctuary Home is always in need of funding, I earn a little money and have a great time, and the client gets a beautiful piece of artwork to wear.