Mélange Travel & Lifestyle Magazine APRIL 2019 | Page 194

Shilpa’s Unique Arts S Cayman’sVersatile Artist Shilpa Tagalpallewar Henna . Acrylic painting . Oil painting . Coffee painting Motivating and inspiring handpaintings on wooden signs Decorating Indian events . Face painting . Body art Painting paper parasols . Handicraft Decorative candle making “I just wanted to prove to my daughter that nothing is impossible in the world if you are willing, dedicated and most importantly you are passionate about what you want to do. You don’t need any language to express who you are and I think I proved that.” ~ Shilpa hilpa is the only professional henna artist holding an International Certificate for Natural Henna Arts (ICNHA) on the Cayman Islands. A post graduate in art and commerce, she has loved art since 12 years old while in her home country, India. She would watch as her aunt, a professional artist, painted and taught art and she vowed to do the same. And she did just that for 15 years in India before moving to the Cayman Islands, which has been her home for the past 10 years. She loves Cayman’s sandy beaches, sea creatures, houses, tropical flowers, stunning sunsets, sunrises and Cayman heritage which are all common themes in her paintings. Shilpa said, “Being an Indian and artist, I have always tried my best to represent my culture in my art and social activities in Cayman. I strongly believe that the sky is the limit in terms of art, and I feel inspired to recreate on canvas and you can see the beautiful paradise in my art by my artistic view.” Active in her community as a volunteer and artist, Shilpa has collaborates with Camana Bay Dart Group and their weekly Artisan Market; Cayfest’s Red Sky at Night artisan festival and Batabano where she uses her skills to apply makeup and henna tattoos on to the masqueraders. You’ll find her at parties, baby showers, Christmas events, the list goes on. . . Henna Tattoo is the most unique of all her artwork and she is pleased to be the one who started this art form on the island. Using natural color, white, black organic and glow in the dark colours, the tattoo’s temporary nature, plus its natural and painless method of application, has resulted in it being a huge attraction and very popular on Grand Cayman. Her designs are magical. Clients would give her the idea of what they would like and she is left to work her artistic magic. They are pleased, everytime! Although henna is her favourite, she is versed in other types of art. Face painting, body art, candle decorating and painting on canvas are other ways her skill is expressed. Shilpa’s inspiration for her paintings come from her colorful, vibrant Indian culture and the beautiful Cayman islands. She mixes them together and the resulting paint on canvas is truly a reflection of her heart and soul.