Rising Stars: Meet Barbie Godoy of North Hollywood

Today we’d like to introduce you to Barbie Godoy.

Hi Barbie, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I always knew from a young age I would be an artist. I was mostly homeschooled but attended art classes through high school at Art Center in Pasadena. I also received my GED at 16 and began attending community college studying mostly exclusively art. I was accepted into LCAD down in OC, but when I was presented the opportunity to rent my first art studio I left art as an academic pursuit and started living the artist lifestyle with so many ups and downs.

In 2010 I started looking into dream interpretation and communication. I went to sleep one night and asked the Universe “how do I creatively support my art?” that night I woke up from a dream where I was shown a henna booth my friend had worked for the year before (also the friend who I was practicing dreamwork with, living in an adjacent art studio) I was also shown a considerable sum of money. I had just quit my job to pursue art full-time without a real plan, so knowing the OC fair was about to start I called up the owner and asked to work for him. That year I was taught henna, the following year I was initiated into a career that brought me the amount I was shown in my dream the year before. Since then I’ve worked in locations from the Hollywood Hills, Venice beach, Malibu, as far as Del Mar and Joshua Tree. I now own the henna booth I first worked for and learned the craft.

Over the past 20 years I’ve had 7 different studio spaces, mostly located in or near historic DTSA. I moved to the Valley in 2018 when my daughter was born. I moved around and began my new life as a mother but always held the dream of continuing my career as an independent artist. I’ve created book illustrations, record covers, event posters, watercolor portraits, and screen printed original art for poster series and a 44 card deck over that time.

I currently rent a home in North Hollywood with my two cats, and my two children (my son was born in 2022) where I have a dedicated home studio for creating art and seeing henna clients, with a functional screen print studio in my garage. After 15 years of my full dedication to the henna business, the time has come for me to share the ultimate expression of my studio art with the world in the form of an oracle deck that can be used alone or in unison with a ritual henna kit I’m currently developing. I feel like it’s my true contribution to society in need.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
It definitely hasn’t been smooth but it’s always felt safe. The biggest struggles come with the time it takes to create the series of art I make. They are very symbolically and historically informed so a lot of research goes into my work. It’s many hours of solitude, which is hard to find when you have two children under 10. I am very lucky to have a co-parent who does their best to take care of our kids while I’m spending my time creating.

The other side of that coin is in the summer when I am working at my henna booth spending 12-14 hours a day at the fairs, doing 2k+ henna tattoos myself (I have another artist who can do even more!) every summer. That’s literally holding the hand of that many people and adorning them with an intricate design applied thru a tiny tube with care using a magical plant material in the rip roaring carnival, exposed to the summer elements. Thankfully we’re blessed to be in Southern California.

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I have multiple styles I work in. I would say I’m possibly best known for my watercolor portrait painting since I used to travel to places such as Joshua Tree, Austin TX, and even many DTLA music events to paint them live. I also work from photos by commission in my studio, but there is nothing like painting live portraits. It’s something I love doing.

Besides that I like creating art that carries a lot of symbolic and archetypal imagery. I’ve worked with Zodiac signs to create a series of screen printed posters and wearable apparel. I also paint on handmade wood panels using reclaimed house paint, my latest being my rendition of a blue flame fire horse materializing mid leap from the infinite void.

My most recent series is an oracle deck with 44 original hand painted designs. The deck includes 22 major arcana of the tarot, a 9 chakra system, 5 elements, 3 numerology cards with corresponding number groups, and 5 other cards with recognizable (and possibly misunderstood) symbols like Yin/Yang and a flaming pentagram. This deck was designed for beginners, collectors, and anyone with interest in appreciating art and tapping into their own field of information to confirm with their conscious mind what their subconscious would like to communicate.

I use the cards to give people readings and create original designs for them using the henna that I make. I believe embodying the message by adorning a corresponding design is an effective way to program your own personal experience and integrate the message received.

We love surprises, fun facts and unexpected stories. Is there something you can share that might surprise us?
According to my astrologer I have 3 stelliums in my chart, which is unusual. I also have 6 celestial bodies in Scorpio, which is why I created the t-shirt design ‘Scorpionic Supersonic’. The other thing I think people get surprised by is that I am not Indian although henna is my calling. On my dad’s side I am mostly Mexican&Spanish and on my mom’s side I am mostly Mediterranean&French Canadian.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.barbiegodoy.com
• Instagram: @barbie.godoy
• Youtube: @BarbieGodoyStudio

Image Credits
Artist portrait by the Photo Shack LA