Bismillah

For requests, please contact mariam(dot)lodin(at)gmail(dot)com

Bismillah

For requests please contact mariam(dot)lodin(at)gmail(dot)com

Bismillah

Practice

st.Augustinian

commissioned garage in St. Augustine, FL

close up

final product

prismaticFlora

anatomy

For requests, please contact mariam(dot)lodin(at)gmail(dot)com

newPiece

bismillah

For requests, please contact mariam(dot)lodin(at)gmail(dot)com

hipHop

is not a spectator sport

For requests, please contact mariam(dot)lodin(at)gmail(dot)com

apparentRepetition

‘Alama bil qalam’

For requests, please contact mariam(dot)lodin(at)gmail(dot)com

alRahim

selection from a larger canvas done in 2005

For requests, please contact mariam(dot)lodin(at)gmail(dot)com

prismalColors:2003

2003 is up. colored pencils gave way to prismacolor markers. if given a chance, they’ve got excellent blending qualities.  just like people. scrolling through you’ll see some of the elementary steps in merging arabic and graffiti. not too successful, but its always important to see the tracks that take you on eventual lifelong paths.

back to colored pencils for this one

bismiLlah

a canvas from 08

For requests, please contact mariam(dot)lodin(at)gmail(dot)com

matrimonialFestivities

Everybody loves a wedding. This was designed for Samia Hussaini and Rehan Khan earlier this year. The original ink version was spruced up with a photoshop finish.

For requests, please contact mariam(dot)lodin(at)gmail(dot)com

birthdayWishes

yet another project from 08. this piece was a yaqoubiEastgate/marsOne collabo from the get go.

stage 1: photo by marsOne

stage 2: portrait and background by yaqoubiEastgate

stage 3: sketch by marsOne

stage 4: final piece- additional tags by marsOne

For requests, please contact mariam(dot)lodin(at)gmail(dot)com

redEid

2008 blessed me with opportunities to practice a more classic style of arabic. as promised here’s a bit of calligraphy. this project was for one of Bilal Aslam’s Sunday School classes, a present for Eid ulFitr. In addition to being a generous and supportive Sunday School teacher, he’s a pretty solid hand with the camera. check out his photoblog here.

shadi

.                       abdulrahman

abu bakr

.           ahmad

aneesa

.                                    deena

fatima

.           gibril

iman

.                              jannatul firdous

junaid

.          kadie

madiha

.                                nadia

shadaf

.                                 ziena

For requests, please contact mariam(dot)lodin(at)gmail(dot)com

twothousandone2twothousandtwo

while mile long lines of nerds dressed like students from hogwarts formed outside of movie theaters, 2001 was the year i wearily approached prismacolor’s colored pencils. i couldnt, and still can’t, get enough of them.  the end of 2002 brought about my first real interest in arabic calligraphy.  i’ve spared you all the horror that were my initial attempts but ill post some later pieces in the next few days.  until then, i present sketchbook workings of 01-02.

as defined by crivella: geometric planialism

lil bit of art nouveau

mariam

pureTexture: 2008

2008’s sun has set. check out some sketchbook workings from this past year

gas mask

bismillah

campaign pin idea: click here to see full post

print out of a ceiling photo, redone in green and black ink with some alterations

found the face sticker at dc’s annual ARTOMATIC, threw in a touch of marsOne

Pics from Artomatic 2008

Info on Artomatic 2009

Artomatic on FB

peace

part of a first draft collabo with Yaqoubi Eastgate

twoBirds with oneBarack

Please forgive the silence, scanning hundreds of pages and finding the best few pieces takes much more work than I initially anticipated. To stave off the angry mob for a few more days, I thought I’d give you a taste of some 2008 inspiration. A couple weeks ago I was asked to help out with a project that never came to fruition. That said, why let good art go to waste? With the election just days away the massive influx of contemporary artistic support for a single candidate has reached heights never before seen in US political history. Check out my small addition to this ocean of visual expression backing Obama. This was a first round of quick sketches which were supposed to develop into campaign buttons.  (Number #3’s a bit tongue in cheek with a throwback reference to Russian iconography)

brokenBindings: 2000

The state of nearly any book determines how much the owner loves it.  No different, the most visibly traveled sketchbooks are the ones closest to the artist’s heart. That said, before they utterly disintegrate, I’ve decided to go through some older ones, tearing them apart, and creating portfolios for each. I’ve found some average, decent, and a couple really great pieces that show progression.  For the next few weeks I’ll try and post them by year.

openedDoors

One of the numerous pains an artist (writer/entertainer/etc) has to deal with is lack of inspiration. While many see their talent as a gift, it can never be believed or understood as such until that which is given is taken away. This may happen for a variety of reasons: a change in environment, the pressures and stress of everyday life, the sneaking suspicion the system is out to get you, or most commonly, neglecting to acknowledge the gift as such and the Benefactor who has bestowed it.

5piontz has pushed me back into the groove of putting pencil to the pad and opened up a world of new ideas and opportunities. Curated by the legendary Meres One, 5pointz stands next to PS1 in the midst of Queens. a living work of art. Writers from all over the world dream to travel to and grace the walls of this monument to graffiti, profiling their their can control. Last weekend, z40 and I were blessed to be of those artists. Set up by Meres on the roof, we were paired with Max, a writer from Germany who gave us the benefit of his humor, sincerity, and years of experience. Eight hours of incredible skyline, the stylings of dj’s from the roof next door, and the company of photographers and hip hop lovers alike became the ingredients for artistic inspiraton and creativity.

The next day we dipped into Soho’s Opera Gallery on Spring Street where Pierre Matter’s work had a solid impact on us. Maneuvering between the calcified clustors of tourists conversing in the middle of the sidewalk, we stumbled upon artists set up (read hustling pieces on cardboard because it’s ‘lightweight and easily portable’) on the street. It’s always amazing to meet people with inspired vision but even more incredible when they’re laid back, humble, and open to giving you tips, ideas, and a network to collaborate with in the future.

To the chagrin of the current administration, our mission was accomplished. While another trip to 5pointz isn’t set in stone, it’s definitely on the horizon. Until then, we’ll see you in Miami at Art Basel!

Click here for more pictures of our work at 5pointz. Be sure to check back for updates and events.