Catherine Cartwright-Jones Painting, 2002, photo by Fred Hatt
I’ve just returned from Sirius Rising, a festival of pagan arts and spirituality at the Brushwood Folklore Center in Sherman, New York, where I was teaching workshops and painting on bodies. My colleague and mentor, Catherine Cartwright-Jones, shown above in a picture from 2002, was teaching a daily workshop on the art of Celtic Woading.
Catherine is widely considered the foremost authority on the history and worldwide traditions of henna body art. As a scholar, she seeks out every available original source and delves into the history, chemistry, culture and techniques of traditional body arts, always testing theory through practice.
Numerous writers of the ancient Roman Empire described the use of woad, or blue body art, by the ancient Celts for both warfare and womens’ rituals. Through extensive research and testing, Catherine has attempted to recreate this ancient traditional form of body art. You can learn all about the history and Catherine’s work on it in the free e-book Finding Blue.
At the festival I had the opportunity to do some woading myself. Like henna, woad or indigo (both plants produce a chemically identical coloring agent) create patterns that stain the skin for a week or more. But while henna takes best on keratinized skin areas such as hands and feet, woad stains best on areas that have been sheltered from the sun. The dye is applied with a brush. It’s dark when it goes on, stains immediately, and when washed off leaves a blue stain similar in color to a faded carbon tattoo. Over time that gradually fades like an old pair of blue jeans (also traditionally dyed with indigo). Here’s a fresh application, and the stain remaining after washing:
Woad Grapevines, before and after rinse, 2009, woading and photo by Fred Hatt
Woad works well with a direct approach and a confident brush hand, whether the pattern is elaborate or simple.
Shoulder Emblem, 2009, woading and photo by Fred Hatt
Thriving, 2009. woading and photo by Fred Hatt
If you’re interested in experimenting with Celtic woading or indigo body art, the materials, instructions and pattern books are all available through Catherine Cartwright-Jones’ website. See Catherine at work on video below. Her brushwork is a joy to behold.
