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Express Your Color Identity with Gradient Hair and Floral Braids

As one of the ultimate forms of self expression, an individual’s hair and hairstyles is representative of their own unique identity. Now more than ever, color trends are taking center stage in hair play with vibrant tones, gradient hues, and all-over-color.  Roxie Hunt, the owner of How to Hair Girl, practices and teaches ColorPrint, the act of creating a canvas within the hair, and applying techniques from the fine art world to create custom designs for clients.

“I feel like we are in the midst of a true creative renaissance right now in the hair world,” Hunt tells The Creators Project. “Bright colors have dipped into the mainstream, they are not just for freaks and punks and riot grrrls and high school anymore.” As Hunt puts it, “Anything goes.”

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Bitchin Eye, painted and shot by Roxy Hunt, model Aubrey Kralis

For Hunt and her followers of How to Hair Girl, turning hair into art is about a deeper connective and collaborative experience with others, which they believe ultimately leads to healing. “It is the bridge and the gateway to ourselves,” Hunt tells The Creators Project. “Why not have some fun with it? I can’t think of a better canvas for wearable art. A wise woman once told me this, ‘Stuck in hair, stuck in life.’ This quote is constantly reflected back to me from the people who I work on,” Hunt explains.

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Radiant Moon, ColorPrint painted and shot by Roxy Hunt on model Julia Reams-Giersch

After getting burnt out from salon work, Hunt felt compelled to explore the connection between hair and art and expression. “It was completely impractical and terrifying to jump off that cliff into the abyss, and go freelance and follow the creative inspiration instead of the dollar.” Hunt says, “I started exploring hair painting after I quit my job last year and just took some time in the studio to develop a skill that I always knew to be within the realm of possibility.” She continues, “I am applying fine art techniques to hair using color and brushes, stenciling and color formulation. All the things I had previously dabbled in but never directly applied to the hair.”

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Technicolor shapes on Green plasma hair. ColorPrinted, styled and shot by Roxy Hunt, base color done by Dylan McCord, on model Chelsea Hayes

Hunt uses a wide range of color when creating her vibrant styles. “The thing with color is that one always leads to another so it can be very hard to stick within a color trend. I sometimes try to care more about what the trends are, but at the end of the day I don’t like perpetuating fad because I feel like it binds us creatively as consumers and as artists. When I teach, I encourage artists to challenge trends and to push it farther. Get out of their color comfort zone.”

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Braids and Floral design work by Roxy Hunt. Shot by Roxy Hunt on model Cameron Shauer

As an artist, Hunt’s creative practice doesn’t stop at color use alone.  She says, “I design with plants and flowers, as a meditative and creativity inspiring practice. It really helps me to connect to the pure love source. I make floral mandalas and it is deeply grounding to me and, it helps me with color theory.” 

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Braids and Floral design work by Roxy Hunt. Shot by Roxy Hunt on model Birch MacLeod

To learn more about ColorPrint click here

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