About Robin Harris Rickard
My story
When Robin deplaned in Tel Aviv, Israel for the first time in 1978 the collision of ancient and
contemporary ignited her young aesthetic heart. Over the next 5 years numerous educational trips
throughout the Mediterranean and Middle East yielded creative inspiration: from Bedouin henna design
to millennia old architectural elements to foods and fabrics. Eventually, Robin pursued a degree in fine
arts and received her BA in Art history and Archaeology from SUNY Buffalo in 1984. To this day she
remains a student of global history and continues to appreciate all things beautiful: pure fabrics, body
adornment, lush interior design that echo ancient lands as well as the inspiration of elegant
philosophical ideas.
On the heels of graduating from The Swedish Institute in NYC and becoming a licensed professional New
York State massage therapist in 1990, Robin moved to Tokyo where she spent the next 6 years studying
bodywork in both Japan and China. After returning to the USA in 1996, she met, moved to NYC and
married her husband. They both landed in rural Northwest New Jersey in 2003 to raise their family.
EnshrineDesign, LLC began in 2010 when Robin started offering henna at outdoor and private events in
the Tristate area. Her appreciation for the temporality of life, where the mundane meets the magical,
eventually brought the beauty of henna inspired design to the hearth from 2014. EnshrineDesign, LLC
now offers a line of exclusive, one of a kind, free hand designed wood burned kitchen items. Her
repurposed boards, bowls, platters and utensils reflect a process where practical and beautiful are
magical!
In 2016 Robin became a juried member of Gallery 23 in Blairstown, New Jersey. Currently, she operates
Enshrine Health in both Manhattan and Northwest New Jersey. She can be found in her New Jersey art
studio when not in Manhattan! You can find more information for Enshrine Health at www.enshrine.net
and EnshrineDesign, LLC.at www.enshrinedesign.com
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My background
My fondest memories are of summer camp in Western New York outside of Buffalo. Fossil hunting, wandering in dappled sunlit forests, berry picking and jam making enlivened my love of nature and my connection to its beauty and sustenance. I enjoy bringing this natural beauty into peoples’ homes through my art. Gorgeous wood pieces embellished with wood burned botanicals are inspired by these most cherished memories
My experience
Throughout my life I could always be found drawing or crafting either in the school art room or at home. After decades as a professional massage therapist, I fell in love with making and offering henna to friends and customers at local festivals in Northwest New Jersey. In 2010, my small business expanded when I began putting henna on candles and using bleach techniques and painted henna inspired designs on tee shirts. I was introduced to wood burning at a henna conference in 2014 and EnshrineDesign as it is known today was born! I now exclusively offer top quality wood burned food grade kitchen and other useful interior wood pieces.
I use Tunisian Olive, domestic Maple and at times local Ash, Indian Acacia and domestic Beech woods. All of the wood is repurposed from trees that have ceased fruiting or have fallen.
My vision
What makes my work unique is my deep appreciation for the human drive to create comfortable and aesthetically pleasing living spaces. This need is the genesis of EnshrineDesign from 2010.
Each of my one of a kind handmade wood burned pieces serves as a reminder of the perennial beauty around us. From a large Charcuterie board to the smallest bowl or spoon, they add this aesthetic to any kitchen or room. My inspirations are: the varied designs of Mehndi (henna) design from across the globe, Victorian and Edwardian wallpaper as well as 19th century English miniature landscapes. I enjoy incorporating these elements into usable daily household items that would ordinarily blend into our busy interior spaces.