62     |    VIPPensacola.com

story by

 

Courtney Murray

P

olli Youngbeck was 

destined to be an artist, 

beginning to draw at the 

young age of four. “I recall my mother 

showing our neighbor my drawings, 

and our neighbor insisting that no 

4 year old could draw that well… 

she said it must have been traced! 

That’s when my mother pulled out 

stacks of my drawings,” remembers 

Polli. Graduating with a degree in 

design from Auburn University, Polli 

continued her art training in Europe 

at the Universität Salzburg and also 

Heidelberg University. After working 

in advertising in Milwaukee  for a 

brief period she knew in her heart 

that her true passion was painting; 

which soon led to henna. She moved 

on to spread her love of art with 

others by teaching painting and 

general art classes in the Atlanta 

area, as well as here on the Emerald 

Coast. Polli discovered Henna by 

accident and was instantly intrigued. 

No one was hand drawing henna 

tattoos nine years ago anywhere 

on the beaches between Pensacola 

and Destin or Tampa. “I had no 

idea what I was doing and tried to 

find someone to give me guidance, 

but I couldn’t find anyone on the 

panhandle,” remembers Polli, “I think 

I was the first and only hand drawn 

henna artist within a hundred or more 

miles. I had to learn the hard way--

jump in and just DO IT!” Henna was 

associated with tattoos by many and 

wasn’t widely accepted at the time, 

so this beautiful new art form had to 

be explained to tourists and those 

interested in getting henna. It is now 

so popular and has such a following 

that Polli teaches classes in the 

summer. 

Henna is an art form rich in 

tradition and for the past six years 

Polli has been doing henna tattoos 

for weddings. Henna is a plant, so 

it’s all organic. Polli mixes her own 

henna, using two different types from 

Pakistan and India that leave a rich 

reddish orange stain on your skin. 

Using a small bottle with tiny metal 

tip, Polli can draw effectively and 

shade, just like a painting. Henna 

lasts up to a month if you leave it 

on your skin for about 24 hours; the 

longer the henna remains against the 

skin the darker the stain. After the 

drawing is complete, Polli taps the 

drawing with a traditional mixture of 

sugar and lemon juice that helps the 

dye release and also helps the henna 

adhere to the skin. It’s a process that 

requires time, a lot of patience, and 

planning.

Hennas are becoming a unique 

form of expression for one of the 

most important days of your life - 

your wedding day. Polli describes, 

“As I am a professional artist, I’m 

not limited in what I can draw or 

paint and can turn a bride’s henna 

into a beautiful painting and an 

original expression of her special 

day. Polli explained, “As an artist, I 

love learning, and henna has been a 

wonderful learning experience. Not 

only is it an amazing medium, it is 

also a historical form of art.” 

For more information email Polli at 

Pollipy@gmail.com.

Wedding

Henna

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12/26/17   4:43 PM