Slightly nervous about it I agreed and within minutes a girl asking for a design around her belly button was stood before me. Very nervous I agreed and undertook my first ever henna design - It went well and despite a little shaky I copied the design perfectly. Little to my knowledge a crowd of what seemed like a thousand people had gathered to watch. Oblivious to this I carried on with the work until finished and looked up to see a smiling Ali and a great deal of people looking at me.

Very shocked and now extremely nervous Ali quickly mustered up a round of applause shouting that this was my first ever henna pattern. Flattered and thoroughly ego-boosted I continued to henna for the whole time at the festival.

At the end of the festival Ali donated to me a blanket, henna and a selection of oils and recipies to use. Wishing each other well we parted company - This was my introduction to henna and the start of my life.

I returned to Nottingham armed to the teeth - little did my friends know what was arriving! Everyone was soon covered in henna and almost immediately I met and painted a woman who was soon to become a good friend.

Based in Brighton, she was a street trader specialising in Hair Braiding. She instantly asked me to return with her, convinced that I could do very well out of henna along the seafront in Brighton.

We spent the evening armed with a pad of paper drawing out designs that she thought the public would be interested in - this was quickly moving far from the traditional style of work that I had done with Ali and moving more towards traditional permanent tattoo styles. Dolphins, seahorses, skulls, snakes, hearts, devils, daisy chains and barbed wire patterns.