Alone by Edgar Allan Poe

From childhood's hour I have not been
As others were; I have not seen
As others saw; I could not bring
My passions from a common spring.
From the same source I have not taken
My sorrow; I could not awaken
My heart to joy at the same tone;
And all I loved, I loved alone.
Then- in my childhood, in the dawn
Of a most stormy life- was drawn
From every depth of good and ill
The mystery which binds me still:
From the torrent, or the fountain,
From the red cliff of the mountain,
From the sun that round me rolled
In its autumn tint of gold,
From the lightning in the sky
As it passed me flying by,
From the thunder and the storm,
And the cloud that took the form
(When the rest of Heaven was blue)
Of a demon in my view. 

Edgar Allan Poe

"Nature" is what we see by Emily Dickinson

"Nature" is what we see—
The Hill—the Afternoon—
Squirrel—Eclipse— the Bumble bee—
Nay—Nature is Heaven—
Nature is what we hear—
The Bobolink—the Sea—
Thunder—the Cricket—
Nay—Nature is Harmony—
Nature is what we know—
Yet have no art to say—
So impotent Our Wisdom is
To her Simplicity. 

Art by Fatima Rizvi

What is hope?

"Hope" is the thing with feathers—
That perches in the soul—
And sings the tune without the words—
And never stops—at all—

And sweetest—in the Gale—is heard—
And sore must be the storm—
That could abash the little Bird
That kept so many warm—

I've heard it in the chillest land—
And on the strangest Sea—
Yet, never, in Extremity,
It asked a crumb—of Me. 

Emily Dickinson

HAPPY EID EVERYONE :)))

Personal Growth and Public Perception

"I'm sure a lot of you had this experience when you're changing. You're growing as a person and people tend to treat you like you were 18 months ago, and it's really frustrating sometimes when you're growing up and you're more capable. It's the same thing with a company and the press. The press is going to have a lag time. The best thing we can do about the press is embrace them and do the best thing we can to educate them about our strategy. But to keep our eye on the prize, that is turning out some great products. the press and the stock prize will take care of themselves."
-Steve Jobs

Frederic Edwin Church

Frederic Edwin Church- American painter (May 4, 1826 – April 7, 1900)

Steve Jobs

"Almost everything--all external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure--these things just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important. Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart."

 

 

 "Here's to the crazy ones, the misfits, the rebels, the troublemakers, the round pegs in the square holes... the ones who see things differently -- they're not fond of rules... You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them, but the only thing you can't do is ignore them because they change things... they push the human race forward, and while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius, because the ones who are crazy enough to think that they can change the world, are the ones who do."

 

 " In most people's vocabularies, design means veneer. It's interior decorating. It's the fabric of the curtains of the sofa. But to me, nothing could be further from the meaning of design. Design is the fundamental soul of a human-made creation that ends up expressing itself in successive outer layers of the product or service."

 

 "Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be trapped by dogma - which is living with the results of other people's thinking. Don't let the noise of other's opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary."

 

  "I'm the only person I know that's lost a quarter of a billion dollars in one year.... It's very character-building."

Confucius

It is easy to hate and it is difficult to love. This is how the whole scheme of things works. All good things are difficult to achieve; and bad things are very easy to get.

 

The superior man is distressed by the limitations of his ability; he is not distressed by the fact that men do not recognize the ability that he has.

 When it is obvious that the goals cannot be reached, don't adjust the goals, adjust the action steps.

Artist supporting women

The mechanism of violence is what destroys women, controls women, diminishes women, and keeps women in their-so called place -EveEnsler

 United nations Population estimate 5,000 honor killings per year,almost all in Muslim countries. This estimate excludes suicides or "accidents".

                                                 Source: Half the sky

Organizations Supporting Women
globalgrassroots.org  , http://thp.org  , http://iwhc.org  , http://mariestopes.org  , http://newlightindia.org  
 brac.net , http://apneaap.org , http://dil.org  , http://ecpat.net , http://globalfundforwomen.org 
 care.org, creatinghope.org, Ashoka.org, equalitynow.org, charitynavigator.org, globalgiving.org,

New Painting- Hues of Love

                                                   Hues of love

                                                    Acrylics, 36"x40"

                                                        Fatima Rizvi

Recent landscape painting

Traditions on Contentment and significance of Knowledge- Imam Baqir and Imam Sadiq

Imam Sadiq said, " whoever wishes spiritual richness, but does not quench his anger will die in sorrow." and he said," Whoever is content with what God destined for him will be one of the richest people, "

Imam Baqir said, " Do not desire the conditions of those better off than you, since God the Almighty said to the prophet, ' Let not their wealth not their number in sons dazzle you,' (Quran  Taaba 9:55) and (God said), ' Nor strain your eyes in longing for the things We have given for enjoyment to parties of them, the splendor of the life of this world.' ( Quran , Taha 20:131)  If you ever doubt this  issue remember the prophet's life. His food barely was bread, his sweets were dates, and his fire came from burning date branches- if he could get any."

The prophet said, " Being content is a treasure is a form of wealth that will never get destroyed."

Imam Sadiq said of the following verses, '" Those truly fear God among His servants who have knowledge.'
( Quran, Fatir 35:28) " What is meant by 'those who have knowledge' are those whose words and deeds are the same. If your deeds are not the same as your words, then you do not have knowledge."

Imam Ali said, " O believer! knowledge and manners are the price of your life. Try to earn knowledge and acquire proper manners, so that your worth increases and your rank raises. This is the because knowledge will guide you towards your Lord, and you can serve your Lord better with proper manners, thereby  acquire the rank of nearness to God. Accept advice to the be saved from the torture of hell."

The prophet said, " Travel to earn knowledge even if it is in China, since acquiring knowledge is an obligation upon all muslims."

Imam Sadiq said, " Act according to any traditions that are brought to you, if they are in agreement with the Quran, irrespective of whether an honest or a wicked man brings it. On the other hand do not act according to any traditions brought to you that disagree with the Quran."


 Imam Sadiq said, " God will gather the people in one place on the Resurrection day and will weigh the blood of the martyrs against the ink of the scientists, and the ink of the scientists will be superior to the blood of the martyrs."'

Imam Baqir (a.s) said, " The birds in the sky, all the fishes, and other sea creatures will ask God's forgiveness for the students until the Resurrection Day."

Source: Mishkat ul anwar.



 

Quotes from famous historians/intellectuals

"Globalization suggests that human affairs are evolving toward a universal pattern. If gas stations, iPods, and computer geeks are the same worldwide, why not political institutions? This view underrates the world's complexity. The relapse into bloodshed and anarchy that has occurred so visibly in much of the world has also made the idea of spreading a new order more attractive...But one should always be suspicious when military powers claim to be doing favors for their victims and the world by defeating and occupying weaker states." -ERIC J. HOBSBAWM on spreading democracy.


While longstanding US policies remain stable, with tactical adjustments, under Obama there have been some significant changes. Military analyst Yochi Dreazen observes in the Atlantic that Bush's policy was to capture (and torture) suspects, while Obama simply assassinates them, with a rapid increase in terror weapons (drones) and the use of Special Forces, many of them assassination teams. Special Forces are scheduled to operate in 120 countries. Now as large as Canada's entire military, these forces are, in effect, a private army of the president, a matter discussed in detail by American investigative journalist Nick Turse on the website Tomdispatch. The team that Obama dispatched to assassinate Osama bin Laden had already carried out perhaps a dozen similar missions in Pakistan."- Noam Chomsky


"Corporate power, by now largely financial capital, has reached the point that both political organizations, which now barely resemble traditional parties, are far to the right of the population on the major issues under debate."- Noam Chomsky

My recent cast drawing

Thankfulness to God- traditions by Imam Sadiq and Imam Baqir

Imam Sadiq (a.s) said, " Whenever God grants someone some blessings and he realizes them with his heart and expresses his gratitude, God will order an increase in his blessings before he finishes his words. God the Almighty has said,' If you are grateful, I will add more (blessings) unto you.' ( Quran: Ibrahin  14:7)

Imam baqir (a.s) said,  " The steady increase of God's blessings will not stop unless the gratefulness of the people stops."

Imam Jaffer Sadiq (a.s) said, "Whenever the Prophet received a blessing which he liked he would say,' Praise is for the Benevolent, the Beautiful God.' and whenever he recieved something which he disliked he would say, 'Praise be to God in all cases, and praise be to God in this case'.

It is narrated from Imam Sadiq (a.s) that one the Prophet was passing by a group of people who were trying to life a rock. He asked them why they were trying to do so? They replied that they were trying to see who was the strongest...The prophet  said, ' The one who is the strongest is the one who does not engage in sin or do wrong  when he is content; one who does not say but what is right when he is angry; and one who doesn't do injustice  when he is powerful.'

Source :Mishkat ul- Anwar

Art blogs and sites

http://manhattanarts.com/
http://noartistshouldstarve.blogspot.com/
http://noartistshouldstarve.blogspot.com/

Imam Baqir and Imam Jaffar Sadiq 's tradition on Love in Islam

Imam Baqir (a.s) said, "...Is religion anything but love? Haven't you seen the words of God, 'If you love God, follow me. God will love you and forgive you your sins for God is oft-forgiving, Most Merciful' ( Quran Ali-i- Imran 3:31) 
Haven't you heard what God told Muhammad, 'But God has endeared to you the faith, and has made it beautiful to your hearts, and He has made hateful to you unbelief, wickedness, and rebellion: such indeed are those who walk in righteousness.' ( Quran:Hujurat 49:7)
And God, the Almighty, said, '....  show their affection to such as came to them for refuge, and entertain no desire in their hearts for things given to the (latter), but give them preference over themselves, even though poverty was their (own lot). And those saved from the covetousness of their own souls,- they are the ones that achieve prosperity.'( Quran 59:9)

Therefore religion is as love, and love is as religion."

Source: Mishkat Ul Anwar.

Yahya Rhodus on 99 names of God.

http://www.livestream.com/seekersguidance

Scroll to the botton where the vids are posted.

Leonardo Da Vinci Anatomy studies

Tafseer of Quran by Suhaib Webb.

http://isbcc.org/friday-halaqas/

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yhDydfFh6bo

Graydon Parrish- Contemporary Realism

Graydon Parrish, "The cycle of Terror and Tragedy: September 11, 2001"

Golden Ratio of Nature and Art

"Nature has a  dominant proportional ratio that creates design and order, the approximate ratio is 1.618 to 1 . The Greek mathematician Pythagoras discovered this ratio,  The Egyptians have known it for more than a thousand years and it has been proven by psychological tests that humans prefer shapes based Golden ratio over other shapes, since it mirrors the order and sequence found in nature. The Greeks and Renaissance artists understood this principle well and the golden ratio rectangle, golden ratio proportions became widely used for  composition in art and architecture."

God's calligraphy

Mindfullness Therapy-lecture at Oxford

It's sad that there is such a strict division between secular and religious knowledge. Religious traditions are based on human experience, which is the study of science as well. Mindfulness, originally a Buddhist tradition is secularized science for treatment of depression and mental illnesses.

Great lecture series at  Oxford University

http://podcasts.ox.ac.uk/mindfulness-based-cognitive-therapy-new-approach-treating-depression-audio

Help Wanted: Searching for a guide.

I would like a spiritual hipster teacher like this dude. He would be my guide and we'd go on a spiritual journeys together.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-VB2dHVNyds

"Why some soldiers thrive under extreme stress"

"Why some soldiers thrive under extreme stress"
Lecture series at Yale university. Recommend this lecture to anyone struggling with trauma and stress.

How race alters perception of people, things and places

http://www.cornell.edu/video/?videoID=1114

Residue of  racial stereotypes on objects, places, and faces

Anatomy of loneliness

http://www.cornell.edu/video/?videoID=996

Great lecture on significance of social networking and relationships

Art blog...

http://caseybaugh.blogspot.com/search?updated-max=2011-11-01T21%3A29%3A00-07%3A00&max-results=7&start=7&by-date=false

Han Wu Shen- Contemporary realism

Cesar Santos-Contemporary Realist painter

Scott burdick- contemporary realism

Collapse of societies

"One supposition of this view( complex society's collapse because of depletion of environmental resources) must be that these societies sit by and watch the encroaching weaknesses without taking corrective measures. Here is the major difficulty. Complex societies are designed by centralized decision-making high information flow, great coordination of parts, formal channels of command, and pooling of resources. Much of this structure seems to have the capability, if not the designed purpose, of countering fluctuations and deficiencies in productivity. With their administrative structure, and capacity to allocate both labor and resources, dealing with adverse environmental  conditions may be one of the things that complex societies do best. It is curious that they would collapse when faced with precisely the same conditions that they are equipped to circumvent...As it becomes apparent to members of the administrators of complex society that a resource base is deteriorating, it seems most reasonable to assume that rational steps are taken toward a resolution."- Joseph Tainter.

Yet it seems apparent that a failure to act is precisely the root of collapse of societies, failures of group decision making on part of entire society due to conflicting interests and group dynamics.The society either fails to perceive weaknesses or fails to even try to solve them

Rights to material wealth- Islamic traditions of brotherhood by Ghazali

The prophet ( peace and blessings be upon him) said, " Two brothers are like a pair of hands, one of which washes the other." The two work in unison towards a common  aim. This also means that brothers take part in  times of fortune and misfortune, in the present and future moments, and an abandonment of selfishness and possessiveness.
There are three degrees of love in brotherhood.
The lowest degree is that you place your believing brother in the same footing as you would your servant, attending to his needs from your surplus. To oblige him to ask in times of need is the lowest form of brotherly love.
The second degree of brotherly love is that you treat your brother as you would treat yourself, as an equal partner in your property and wealth.
The third degree of brotherly love is that you prefer him above yourself, and meet his needs before your own, united in spiritual love. Self sacrifice is the fruit of the final stage of love. The quran refers to the love between believers, " They agree their affairs by mutual consultation, and spend freely of what We have bestowed upon them." (42:38)

The places where light and shadows meet...

Understanding how light travels across a form requires careful analyses of how the form turns away from the light source. The artist traces the tiny transitions of shade from shadow to the light, turning the form on the paper as it turns three dimensionally. Gradually adding the adjacent tones step by step, as an ant would travel the hills and valleys of a human form. Fight the urge to skip around the page, and stay as long as needed in a given area. 

Dan Thompson- Structural drawing

This drawing explores the various angles and planes of the skull, not in an abstract, theoretical way, but through careful observation.

 

http://www.artrenewal.org/artwork/608/6608/38762/Thompson_Dan_Structural_Drawing-large.jpg

David kassan and contemporary representational art community

http://sketchbooklive.com/

Honoring trust and confidence-Islamic traditions and perspectives by Ghazali

A believer does not divulge the secrets that he is confided in to a third party, not even to his closest friends and he does not mention a brother's faults in his absence or in his presence.
The prophet (peace and blessings of God be upon him) said,
  " If a man shares information, then looks about him, (everything said) it is a confidence."
and he said, " Beware of suspicion (of one another) , for suspicion is the most untruthful report, suspicion leads to prying and spying."
A man in the prophet's time was asked, "how do you keep a secret?"
He replied, "I hide it and I hide the fact that I'm hiding a secret, when I'm confided in."
There is a saying, " The breasts of free men are the tombs of secrets." Another saying goes, " The fools heart  is in his mouth, but the intelligent man's tongue is in his heart." A fool cannot conceal what is inside him, but will consciously or unconsciously blurt it out. Hence, it is necessary not to confide in such people.
A man's belief is incomplete so long as he does not wish for his brother what he wishes for himself. The lowest degree in brotherhood is where you treat your brother as you would wish to be treated, and the highest, most noble form is that you prefer him over yourself. A believer's right is that their shame, faults, and sins are covered by others, and not exposed for humiliation.

Islamic tradition of patience

 Islamic tradition of our dearest Imam Jafer Sadiq:

" I instruct you to be patient. God the Almighty appointed Muhammad (a.s) , and ordered him to be patient. God said, 'And have patience with what they say, and leave them. And leave me (to deal) with those in possession of the good things in life.'(Quran: Muzzammil 73:10:11)God, the Almighty, also said, 'Repel evil with what is better: then will he between whom and you was hatred become as it were your friend and intimate! and no one will be granted such goodness except those who exercise patience and self-restraint, none but people of good fortune (quran: Fussilat 41:34-35)
God's Prophet was patient, even though they made great accusations against him of being a magician, being insane and a liar.God, the Almighty, revealed the verse, 'We do indeed know how your heart is distressed at what they say. But celebrate the praise of your Lord, and be of those who prostrate themselves in adoration. (Quran:hijr 15:97-98)
They rejected the Prophet and he grieved. Thus God revealed the verse, "We know that you, [O Muhammad], are saddened by what they say. And indeed, they do not call you untruthful, but it is the verses of God that the wrongdoers reject.Rejected were the prophets before you: With patience and constancy they bore their rejection and their wrongs, until Our aid did reach them." (Quran :Anam 6:33-34)
Again the Prophet (peace and blessings upon him) was patient, but they did not stop there. And when he mentioned God's name, they rejected God as well. The Prophet said,'I was patient with them when they rejected me and my family, but I cannot be withstand their rejection of my Lord.'  God revealed the verse,' We created the heavens and the earth and all between them in six periods, nor did any sense of weariness touch us. Bear, then with patience, all that they say.' ( quran 50:38-39)  The prophet was then patient in all situations. And was informed about the prophets being patient. God, the Almighty, said, " And We appointed from among them Leaders, giving guidance under Our command, so long as they persevered with patience and continued to have faith in our signs." (Quran Sajadah 32:34) The prophet then said, " the relationship between patience and faith is similar to that of the head and the body." God admired(loved him) and sent the verse, " The fair promise of your Lord was fulfilled for the children of Israel, because they had patience and constancy, and we leveled to the ground the great works and fine buildings which Pharoh and his people had erected (with such pride)...."

Leonardo da vinci Fetus drawings

Great cast drawings

 Examples of great cast drawings. Tools for learning about how light travels across form, shadows, and anatomy
Artists link:.http://www.creativestem.com/artwork/1314
http://www.mimsstudios.com/torso.htm

Seeing Nature as geometric forms.

intending on buying  Michael Mentler's books on human anatomy. His studies break down the figure into a composite of geometric shapes. It really helps in understanding volume and orientation in space.