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Artfull Mother Art*full Mother: Devoted to the Interests of Mothers and the Art that Empowers Them!

Artf*full Mother ~ Devoted to the Interests of Mothers and the Art that Empowers Them ~
This magazine is a resource for mothers, with stories where mamas tell the truth about their experience ~ pregnancy rituals, birth stories, breastfeeding sagas and so on. It is also a medium to share the art that we create to honor the rite of passage into motherhood as well as art created to celebrate the many phases of motherhood ~ specifically ~ body art.

Hands always stain darker than bellies. It’s because the skin is thicker on our hands and the layers of skin are thicker...
12/10/2025

Hands always stain darker than bellies. It’s because the skin is thicker on our hands and the layers of skin are thicker and can absorb more henna. This lovely pregnant mama’s belly henna probably got even darker, our schedules only allowed us to take these after photos on Day 2 of her henna stain, and henna can take 2 to 4 days to fully darken.

This gorgeous mama-to-be came with her mother for her henna session, and they both got henna. I love capturing moments l...
11/10/2025

This gorgeous mama-to-be came with her mother for her henna session, and they both got henna. I love capturing moments like this, because it’s also a rite of passage for her mother, who is a grandma-to-be. These beautiful women are from India and I loved hearing her mom say the last time she had henna, it was for her daughter’s wedding. Adorning each other with henna is how women have celebrated wonderful occasions for thousands of years.


I always ask pregnant mamas what design ideas they are drawn to. Recently a pregnant mama, Pallavi, told me there was a ...
10/10/2025

I always ask pregnant mamas what design ideas they are drawn to. Recently a pregnant mama, Pallavi, told me there was a lotus on my Pregnancy Design page she really liked, and I was excited to create a unique version of this just for her. She also requested her daughter’s name in Hindi language be hidden in the design. This was a really fun artistic challenge!


Natural henna reaches its peak “tattoo” color after 2 to 3 days. Hands are always darker because our skin is thicker on ...
09/10/2025

Natural henna reaches its peak “tattoo” color after 2 to 3 days. Hands are always darker because our skin is thicker on our hands so there’s more ways for henna to be absorbed.

What a cheerful gathering to honor a mama's rite of passage into motherhood with her two sisters and her niece. I love b...
08/10/2025

What a cheerful gathering to honor a mama's rite of passage into motherhood with her two sisters and her niece. I love bearing witness to such a joyful occasion surrounded by so much love and laughter.

As an artist, it was a pleasure spending two and a half hours with them, adorning the mama-to-be and then her family members with a lovely design that beautifully reflected the henna belly art.


This first time mama looked through my page of Pregnancy Design ideas on my website and told me she loved mandalas, the ...
07/10/2025

This first time mama looked through my page of Pregnancy Design ideas on my website and told me she loved mandalas, the moon, paisleys. Feathers were also a significant personal symbol to her. On further reflection, she added, “The lotus flower is also a beautiful way to imagine opening and blooming into this future and the role of motherhood.” I thought that was such a profound and beautiful sentiment.

I loved exploring all the possible ways to blend these elements into a cohesive design, and I was able to sketch out a design for her before she even arrived. It's moments like these that remind me why I love creating meaningful art to honor motherhood.

Testimonial from Rosi:“I just had the most amazing henna session with SarahKate Butterworth, a deeply intuitive artist a...
06/10/2025

Testimonial from Rosi:
“I just had the most amazing henna session with SarahKate Butterworth, a deeply intuitive artist and all around gorgeous human.

“I was so inspired and grateful that I want to share! I found out about her from a post in this group [Boulder Collective] from years ago and am hoping to make her work more visible, so others can have this magical experience.

“SarahKate did one of a kind henna art on my belly, my hand, and my friends hand and foot, all based on imagery that was meaningful to us, and then took incredible professional photos of us, all in her beautiful studio and garden. It was like a spa day, a ritual, an art event, a blessing circle and photo shoot all rolled into one.

“I highly highly highly recommend her and her work. What a fantastic way to celebrate this birth and transitional moment.

“If you are looking for a special treat for yourself in a birth or fertility journey, check out SarahKate!”

At the end of Maria’s henna session, her partner and two sons arrived, and we were able to include them in some of the p...
06/10/2025

At the end of Maria’s henna session, her partner and two sons arrived, and we were able to include them in some of the photos. It was wonderful to capture those moments of family connection, especially seeing the father's hands on Maria's belly and the older siblings marking these special moments with their mother. Maria clearly has so much love in her heart for her family, and it was a genuine joy to witness and photograph.


Maria emailed me for a henna session, expressing how much she wanted to enjoy her last pregnancy. When I asked her about...
05/10/2025

Maria emailed me for a henna session, expressing how much she wanted to enjoy her last pregnancy. When I asked her about any important symbols she'd like incorporated, she sent me an image featuring a lotus flower, a moon, and a tree. She requested something similar to that, with the addition of swirls and music notes.

I started by sketching several possibilities, and as I worked, I found myself instinctively adding in the element of water. The swirls really began to feel like flowing waves, which added a beautiful dimension to the design. When Maria arrived for her session, I further modified my initial ideas to better fit her belly, and the tree ended up being much larger than I originally envisioned. I absolutely love how it all came out—it was truly a unique and special piece.

Rosi returned for a follow-up session just three days after her initial henna application, and we had a fantastic photos...
04/10/2025

Rosi returned for a follow-up session just three days after her initial henna application, and we had a fantastic photoshoot in my garden.

It's always such a joy for me to see my henna art again when it's at its peak color, and reconnecting with the expectant mothers I adorn is truly special. Each session, and especially these follow-ups, feels like another beautiful opportunity to celebrate new life and witness the beauty of the art as it fully develops.

Since henna is a natural and temporary art form, capturing it in photographs allows me to create a lasting memento of the beautiful belly art.

Beyond that, these photos are also incredibly valuable to me as an artist. They serve as a personal archive of the unique works of art I've had the privilege to create, and a way to remember the incredible women I've met just before they crossed the threshold into motherhood.

I had the privilege of capturing a beautiful moment between a pregnant mama and her dear friend, as they held onto the p...
03/10/2025

I had the privilege of capturing a beautiful moment between a pregnant mama and her dear friend, as they held onto the precious belly. It was so wonderful to witness the bond these two women share. This dear friend had flown out specifically to be with her and celebrate this new chapter. Hearing about their long-standing friendship and how much it meant to the new mama was incredibly heartwarming. It was such a sweet reminder of how important it is for women to support each other, especially during significant life changes like becoming a mother. Moments like these highlight the power of strong female friendships and the comfort they provide.

I love it when pregnant mamas share design ideas with me, it makes creating a custom design so much more fun. Rosi expre...
02/10/2025

I love it when pregnant mamas share design ideas with me, it makes creating a custom design so much more fun. Rosi expressed her preference for nature scenes, where the focus is a tree and leaves, and she especially loved the asymmetrical trees where the trunk curls over itself, more stylized as opposed to realistic. She loved the upturned crescent moon shape and stars, as well as the sun.

She also provided a list of animals to potentially include. As soon as I saw "hummingbird" on her list, it sparked a real surge of inspiration. I immediately envisioned it as the central element of the entire design.

I was so inspired that I started sketching some initial ideas right away. When she arrived, I was ready to dive in. It was encouraging when she expressed her excitement for my intuition and artistry, saying that she trusted my hand, heart, and mind to work their magic on the project.

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