Assalaamu alaykum
Please be kind as to LIKE-ing and SHARE-ing my Facebook page : Taqwa Art-Henna, Art & Design.
It's Windsor's very first Islamic art gallery and on-site henna service!
Be part of the initiative and join the gallery! New paintings every weeks inshaAllah :)
paintings. calligraphy. art. islam.
Wednesday 14 December 2011
Thursday 20 October 2011
New Abstract Paintings
Assalaamu alaykum,
I've been MIA for awhile now. I was feeling a bit depressed, confused and in a rut. But al-humdulillah I'm back! I find the truth in the ayah when ALLAH SWT says "Only in the Remembrance of Allah do hearts find rest".
Here are some paintings that I worked on in these couple of months. I have more, but I accidentally erased the images off my computer, or my husband did...hmmm. Qadar ALLAH wa ma sha a fa3alaa. In the meanwhile, I am working on a bundle of commissioned paintings. Unfortunately, some of my clients did not allow me to post the art work I made for them. Al-humdulillah.
Anyways, I've done different styles- abstract, silhouettes and whimsical to name a few.
Please take the time to 'Follow' me and comment on the paintings. I would LOVE your feed back!! Anyone else a Muslim artist? I would love to see your work!
I especially LOVE hearts. But what can be more joyful to me than hearts? Winged buttons! I copyright this idea! But if anyone makes billions off of it, they know who to spot *wink*.
Hurry to prayer! The Athan is short and simply, but each line that is read is extremely heavy in beauty and meaning. How many times do we actually take the moment to listen to each line of the athan, and respond back with the appropriate dhikr, as was taught by the Prophet, SAAW?
I've been MIA for awhile now. I was feeling a bit depressed, confused and in a rut. But al-humdulillah I'm back! I find the truth in the ayah when ALLAH SWT says "Only in the Remembrance of Allah do hearts find rest".
Here are some paintings that I worked on in these couple of months. I have more, but I accidentally erased the images off my computer, or my husband did...hmmm. Qadar ALLAH wa ma sha a fa3alaa. In the meanwhile, I am working on a bundle of commissioned paintings. Unfortunately, some of my clients did not allow me to post the art work I made for them. Al-humdulillah.
Anyways, I've done different styles- abstract, silhouettes and whimsical to name a few.
Please take the time to 'Follow' me and comment on the paintings. I would LOVE your feed back!! Anyone else a Muslim artist? I would love to see your work!
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| "Why Can't We Be Friends?" 16" x 20" Acrylic on wood, triple varnished |
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| "Why Can't We Be Friend's?" A closer look |
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| "Hayya 'Alas Salaah" Abstract, 16"x 12" acrylic on canvas, varnished |
Even when our days seem to be in a hurricane, and we are loosing it, the athan will be called. Hurry to Prayer! Hurry to SUCCESS!
I'm not sure if you can see it in the painting, but its center is a reddish sun or moon. It's very textured,-I used string to make that kind of flowery-Islamic-geometric design. At the bottom middle is a bridge. On one side of the bridge is a darker city (night) and on the other side of the bridge is a lighter city (day). The calligraphy reads Dhikr on both corners of the painting, however on the top corner, Dhikr is accompanied by "Bismillahir Rahmanir Raheem" calligprahy. The next two pictures are of a closer look:
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| "Not Alone" 8" x 10" flat canvas, framed, glitter and varnished. |
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| "Bee Yourself" 9" x 14" acrylic, oil, on canvas, double varnished |
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| "Remember Night and Day" 70cm x 90cm watercolor, spray paint acrylic on canvas, fabric paint, varnished |
So there it is! Again, let me know what you think. I'm not a big on writing, but if I know people are interested in this blog, that can change insha ALLAH.
What do you think of the more whimsical type of art (ie. the flying happy heart)? Do you think its not really fitting in with the Islamic category, or is it expanding the way we can express Islamic art?
Monday 25 July 2011
Child's Painting for Da'wud
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| High quality acrylic on 5, 8x10" canvases. Double varnished, with glitter and rhinestones |
Al-humdulillah, Dawud has a new piece of art in his room. The best part about it is that it says his name :). I used only acrylic paint, theN varnished it twice to give it an extra glossy shine.
The theme is retro inspired-yet modern, with random patterns on each canvas. Poka-dots, stripes, starts and argyle; not your typical toddler's bedroom decor, but it sure does work! I created stencils for each letter, so I can use it for another request insha ALLAH.
Glitter was added to each letter with a few rhinestones. I was careful not to over do it with the glitter, after all it is for a boy :)
Visit Here For More Paintings: www.salwanajm.artistwebsites.com
Friday 8 July 2011
Tuesday 21 June 2011
2 Piece Set: Flower & Tree Contemporary Islamic Art
Assalaamu Alaaykum!
I haven't primed them yet. I ran out of primer, al-humdulillah.
NOTE: These paintings are for Sale, so claim them while they are available! Visit Here To See My Collection: www.salwanajm.artistwebsites.com
Okay, so as promised; I uploaded the NEW paintings that I made. Please, please comment and let me know what you think!
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| 70 x 90cm arcylic/opal glitter/fabric paint canvas |
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| a closer look at the texture |
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| another angle- notice that a 8 x 10 canvas is attached to the 70 x90cm canvas |
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| 20 x 20cm framed painting to match |
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| scale |
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| I tried to make my basement as appealing as possible by adding pillows...lol. |
I haven't primed them yet. I ran out of primer, al-humdulillah.
NOTE: These paintings are for Sale, so claim them while they are available! Visit Here To See My Collection: www.salwanajm.artistwebsites.com
Wednesday 25 May 2011
Islamic Calligraphy Painting "La illaha illal ALLAH, Muhammedir Rasoolul ALLAH"
Al-humdulillah, I finished this a week ago. Please let me know what you think! |
| 16" x 20" acrylic with glitter on flat canvas, framed. It reads "There is no God buy ALLAH, and Muhammed (saas) is his Messenger" |
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| The same painting at a direct view. I must admit, I take horrible pictures, insha ALLAH I work on that! |
Thursday 19 May 2011
Dangers of "Black Henna"
There is no such thing as "Black Henna"
I have made the horrible mistake of purchasing and using so called "black henna" only to find out its consequences. I have never used it before and I am indeed heartbroken and regretful to an utmost extent that I could not sleep at night. In turn, I decided to post an article regarding "black henna", and may ALLAH forgive our shortcomings and ignorance, and heal anyone who has been harm by this paste-AMEEN.
Here is some information that you NEED to know, although I was aware of some of its implications, ALLAH knows that I would have appreciated this information before hand (most information taken from www.hennapage.com):
What colour is the stain henna?
100% pure henna stains skin in some colour between orange, red, burgundy, brown or coffee.
The FDA classifies 100% pure henna as so safe for hair that it is exempt from regulation.
Traditional pure henna rarely causes any difficulty on the unbroken skin of a healthy adult.
What makes "black henna" harmful?
Does it effect everyone?
It may or may not effect you, depending on your skin's reaction. It can not be determined prior to use, so it is best to avoid it entirely.
What can I do to make my henna stain darker?
Heat and the addition of essential oils such as Tea Tree oil are the safest and most effective darkeners of henna. These may make nearly black stains on hands, but on the rest of the body, the stains will be brown. Henna never leaves “black” stains on arms, legs, backs and bellies!
In addition, I should mention that you should never trust the source at which you purchase the henna. Not to say that they would sell you this product intentionally, but they are most likely ignorant of want it contains. Please request an ingredients list before considering a purchase. I, for example, was told that this henna was harmless and safe, but this was not the case at all. When I confronted the retailer, they said that the manufacturer told them it was safe! Subhan ALLAH! Al-humdulillah, the retailer immediately agreed to no longer sale the black henna cones, and has discarded them in the garbage (may ALLAH reward them!).
Ya Rub, forgive me for inflecting harm upon my sisters! Ya Rub heal their suffering and ease their pain quickly! For You are the Oft-Forgiving and Most Merciful.
I have made the horrible mistake of purchasing and using so called "black henna" only to find out its consequences. I have never used it before and I am indeed heartbroken and regretful to an utmost extent that I could not sleep at night. In turn, I decided to post an article regarding "black henna", and may ALLAH forgive our shortcomings and ignorance, and heal anyone who has been harm by this paste-AMEEN.
Here is some information that you NEED to know, although I was aware of some of its implications, ALLAH knows that I would have appreciated this information before hand (most information taken from www.hennapage.com):
What colour is the stain henna?
100% pure henna stains skin in some colour between orange, red, burgundy, brown or coffee.
The FDA classifies 100% pure henna as so safe for hair that it is exempt from regulation.
Traditional pure henna rarely causes any difficulty on the unbroken skin of a healthy adult.
What makes "black henna" harmful?
There are several things marketed as "Black Henna", and some things believed to be "Black Henna". Some are very dangerous. Some are harmless.
I was told that it was a harmless hair Chinese hair dye in the cone. PPD is not chinese hair dye!
When para-phenylenediamine is used to make black temporary tattoos, often called “black henna”, it can cause blistering, open sores, scarring, and for a few, lifelong health problems.
Para-phenylendiamine based black hair dye should never be put straight on your skin, plain, or mixed with other material. Synthetic Black Hair Dye is illegal to put on skin, because that is not an approved use. Even when this dye is applied to hair, people must wear gloves, and they try to not get it on the scalp! PPD, Para-phenylendiamine can seriously injure people. Para-phenylenediamine is a strong sensitizer, transdermal toxin and potential carcinogen. Many people get itching, blistering and hair loss from using black hair dye on their hair.
See http://www.hennapage.com/ppd2/ppdmed.html for a list of medical journal articles on just how dangerous PPD can be!
See http://www.hennapage.com/ppd/2ppdburngallery.html to see what these injuries look like. (warning: these picture are very unsightly)
See http://www.hennapage.com/ppd/2ppdburngallery.html to see what these injuries look like. (warning: these picture are very unsightly)
Does it effect everyone?
It may or may not effect you, depending on your skin's reaction. It can not be determined prior to use, so it is best to avoid it entirely.
What can I do to make my henna stain darker?
Heat and the addition of essential oils such as Tea Tree oil are the safest and most effective darkeners of henna. These may make nearly black stains on hands, but on the rest of the body, the stains will be brown. Henna never leaves “black” stains on arms, legs, backs and bellies!
In addition, I should mention that you should never trust the source at which you purchase the henna. Not to say that they would sell you this product intentionally, but they are most likely ignorant of want it contains. Please request an ingredients list before considering a purchase. I, for example, was told that this henna was harmless and safe, but this was not the case at all. When I confronted the retailer, they said that the manufacturer told them it was safe! Subhan ALLAH! Al-humdulillah, the retailer immediately agreed to no longer sale the black henna cones, and has discarded them in the garbage (may ALLAH reward them!).
Ya Rub, forgive me for inflecting harm upon my sisters! Ya Rub heal their suffering and ease their pain quickly! For You are the Oft-Forgiving and Most Merciful.
Tuesday 17 May 2011
New stuff coming soon insha ALLAH....
NEW PAINTINGS
NEW MURALS
NEW HENNA PATTERNS
NEW CALLIGRAPHY
ALL COMING SOON INSHA ALLAH!
NEW MURALS
NEW HENNA PATTERNS
NEW CALLIGRAPHY
ALL COMING SOON INSHA ALLAH!
Monday 16 May 2011
Henna what?
What is henna?
The henna plant (lawsonia inermis) is a small tree that grows in hot climates, commonly in northern Africa, the Middle East and southern Asia. The leaves of this plant are harvested, dried and ground into a fine powder.
Once it is to be used, the powder is made into a paste and used to dye skin, hair and even your fingernails.
The henna plant comes in many varieties found in different areas that produce different kinds of henna powder. The powder ranges from bright green to grayish-green to a dull brown in colour. The resulting stain can be mostly in reds, purples- I have yet to see a purple stain-oranges or browns.
Henna paste has been traditionally used for over 5,000 years as a cosmetic, natural dye and medicine. Most commonly used in ceremonies, henna is applied to hair, hands and feet.
How does henna stain the skin?
Henna paste is applied on top of your skin and over several hours the natural pigments are absorbed into the upper layers of your epidermis. What colour will henna stain skin?Your skin will stain in any shade (light to dark) of orange, red, brown, burgandy and near-black. Even if you have darker skin, Henna will be a contrasting :)
Is henna an Islamic tradition?
This is actually a common misconception from non-Muslims and Muslims alike. Henna is absolutely not part of the Islamic faith nor will it increase one's faith or give them good fortune, however it is consider a permissible and recommend act of which a woman can beautify herself. There are many evidences that the women at the time of Prophet Muhammad (SAAS) used it, and even references of its usage during mensing. Please view these links to fatwas regarding henna:
http://www.islamqa.com/en/cat/57/ref/islamqa/143205
http://islamqa.com/en/ref/105417
Wednesday 11 May 2011
Wa Huwa 'Ala Kulli Shay'in Qadeer
25 x 40 acrylic on stretched canvas w/ gorgeous gold and black antique frame.
This was one of my favourite to work on. The background is aged a bit with layers of paint to thicken the texture, then rubbed or wiped off with water and a cloth. This gives it a vintage look, which I am totally obsessed with! I added a damask-like corner border to compliment the Arabic calligraphy in the opposite corner, which is a segment from the Holy Qur'an that reads wa huwa 'ala kulli shay'in qadeer (and ALLAH has power over all things). The black and gold antique Victorian frame is exactly what this picture needed to complete this work of art. May ALLAH bless the person who has purchased this painting, AMEEN.
Sunday 1 May 2011
Yesterday at the Ladies Gala
Assalaamu alaykum wa rahmatullahi wa barakaatu!
Yesterday, yesterday, yesterday! It was my first time attending a gala, or participating in a silent auction. I arrived to set up the henna booth around 3:30pm only to find a few sisters there. The event would start at 5:30pm, so I thought I would have plenty of time, right? Nope! There was an essential prop missing for my display, a partition that I needed to hang a black background. Al-humdulillah, I didn't have what I wanted, but with fishing string and garbage bag ties, I managed to get something by 5:45pm! Here's the results:
I didn't take pictures of the henna I did on people because the Gala requested no picture taking within the hall. Insha ALLAH next time.
The henna booth raised a total of 150$, which is pretty good considering I was doing 2-5$ henna designs only (wow. how many hands was that?) I definitely regretted not having any business cards, but now I know what my next step is insha ALLAH. Al-Hmdulillah 'alaa kull hal.
The Blue Mosque Istanbul picture you see on the right side ------> was auctioned off at a minimum bid of 100$,al-humdulillah. I'm not sure the amount of the highest bid.
This painting here was auctioned off as well, who's highest bidder happened to be an old friend of mine:
All-in-all it was a good first experience and a perfect opportunity to advertise. I'm really grateful, ya Rub lakal humb wa shukr.
'ilal li qat insha ALLAH my faith-sisters, wa salaamu alaaykum wa rahmtullahi wa barakaatu
Yesterday, yesterday, yesterday! It was my first time attending a gala, or participating in a silent auction. I arrived to set up the henna booth around 3:30pm only to find a few sisters there. The event would start at 5:30pm, so I thought I would have plenty of time, right? Nope! There was an essential prop missing for my display, a partition that I needed to hang a black background. Al-humdulillah, I didn't have what I wanted, but with fishing string and garbage bag ties, I managed to get something by 5:45pm! Here's the results:
I didn't take pictures of the henna I did on people because the Gala requested no picture taking within the hall. Insha ALLAH next time.
The henna booth raised a total of 150$, which is pretty good considering I was doing 2-5$ henna designs only (wow. how many hands was that?) I definitely regretted not having any business cards, but now I know what my next step is insha ALLAH. Al-Hmdulillah 'alaa kull hal.
The Blue Mosque Istanbul picture you see on the right side ------> was auctioned off at a minimum bid of 100$,al-humdulillah. I'm not sure the amount of the highest bid.
This painting here was auctioned off as well, who's highest bidder happened to be an old friend of mine:
All-in-all it was a good first experience and a perfect opportunity to advertise. I'm really grateful, ya Rub lakal humb wa shukr.
'ilal li qat insha ALLAH my faith-sisters, wa salaamu alaaykum wa rahmtullahi wa barakaatu
Thursday 28 April 2011
Check out these one-of-a-kind Islamic paintings!
8 x 10 acrylic with glitter on stretched canvas by Salwa Najm
Wednesday 27 April 2011
In the Name of Allah, We Begin; Welcome to Modern Islamic Art
8 x 10 canvas by Salwa NajmAssalaamu Alaaykum Wa Rahmatullahi Wa Barakaatu,
OK! So, I had a blog before. I ended up forgetting the password, so they re-sent it to my Hotmail account, which I also forgot the password for and the security question & answer.
Made a new account. Problem solved!
Al-humdulillah, after much ado, ALLAH has given me the pleasure to introduce to you an unique blog filled with Islamic Art, original paintings, calligraphy, henna patterns, links, ideas, videos, tips and much more!
Not only that, I haven't forgot the main purpose- to do any action or use any ability ONLY for the sake of ALLAH (swt) insha ALLAH ta'laa, and may ALLAH pardon our faults and reward us for our deeds-A M E E N.
I honestly believe Islamic Art is not given its proper applause. It's rich history and culture is rarely mentioned *bo0O0o* in books, universities or TV documentaries (other then Encyclopedias or Islamic books), without being distorted in some fashion. How many of type in "Islamic art" in the Google search bar and find pictures of Niqabi women holding a gun, or having half here body exposed in a pose. Or a particular bearded man screaming, or cartoons mocking Muslims...etc?
I also believe that several Muslims and Muslimahs are INCREDIBLY gifted in the modern arts, only to find that it is culturally look down upon (compared to Desi and Arab standards of "You will be a doctor, you hear! A doctor!!").
With that, please stay tuned. Insha ALLAH I will have this blog up as soon as I can!
Jazak'um ALLAHu khairn
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