Allah in Everything

In this piece a stylized owl swoops down upon a moth… presumably dinner.  I hid the Arabic word for Allah in the owl’s face, and the same word Allah in the shape of the moth (including the letter alif if you look closely in each case).  This is a reflection of Allah’s presence in everything, even the elements of the life cycle and food chain that may be difficult to fully understand from a human perspective.  The border I painted blue… this was a fun piece to design.

Allah Al-Karim

This carving shows Allah’s name Al-Karim, the Generous, surrounded by spirals radiating out.  The intersections of the spirals form triangles that I carved and painted gold.  The piece is mesmerizing, especially when you hold it and tip it around in the light.

This carving is based on a spiral geometry that can be found in sunflower seeds and in pine cones, and many other naturally occurring organic formations.  (Bonus points for anyone who can figure out where I got this specific spiral design… it was found in nature, but some might argue its origins were not natural.)

Allah Tree

This carving shows a golden tree, the roots of which have been twisted into a heart shape containing the Arabic word for Allah.  The symbolic tree floats among silver stars and within a carved ribbon border.  The tree and the border have been painted gold and the stars I painted silver.  A striking piece.  Given its size and the heavy use of the gold paint, it reminds me a little of old-fashioned carved shop signs that used to hang above streets in colonial New England.

Sky Blessings

These two carvings spell “Bismillah ar-Rahman ar-Rahim,” which translates to “In the name of Allah, the Merciful, the Compassionate”.  I have carved several of these now, and in the past either left them entirely unpainted, or painted the script silver or gold.

These two carvings represent a new exploration for me, with the significant addition of background color.  One of these I painted with a blue sky and white cloud background, the other I painted with colors inspired from a sunset.

Allah (x3)

 

This carving was inspired by the colorful artwork found in Mexico and Latin America.  I painted each of the three words for Allah from the primary colors, and then outlined the letters with a thin gold line.  The words are seperated by eight-point rosettes.  A fun and simple carving.

Shahada Plaque

This carving was a commission for a new friend, a plaque that has the Arabic for the Islamic testament of faith, or Shahada.  It translates to “I testify that there is not god but Allah, I testify that Muhammad is His Messenger”.  The piece has been stained to add depth and color, and I am proud of the arrangement of the piece, which is one of my more elegant.

I must give credit where credit is due for this piece:  Many of the smaller Arabic words I draw myself, but I am not yet comfortable enough with the language to do something as involved as the Shahada.  This design I found (in several places) on the internet.  And while the arrangement of the geometric fans and leaves is my own, those motifs I modified from master chip carver Wayne Barton, with whose books I taught myself to chip carve.  So thank you to all those artists that inspire and teach and share!

Peaceful Night

My last carving (Wadude) was inspiring for me, and I so thoroughly enjoyed carving a tree that I immediately wanted to carve another.  This tree is also shown at night, but whereas the last one was chip carved (the subject of the tree has been removed in ‘chips’), this tree is relief carved, with the background lowered.  I also painted much of this scene to give it a dark, stylized feel.  In fact, the only place I have the natural basswood showing is the trunk of the tree, a fitting place to leave, I think.  The Arabic for Allah’s quality As-Salaam, “The Source of Peace and Safety”, has been carved into the hill under the tree and painted silver.

Wadude

This carving was commissioned by a friend, to be given to someone special in their life.  Wadude, the Love, is one of Allah’s divine names.  I showered the word with cherry blossoms from a small twisted tree, which was inspired by bonsai trees and Japanese wood-block prints.  To the left is a crescent moon, which in addition to adding a nice balance to the piece, is the symbol of Islam.  I wanted the pink petals to feel like love rain, like they could drift off the piece into the room.  To that end, I even carved a couple petals on the bottom of the piece (see below picture).

Wedding Mirror

About a month ago, I was asked by a friend to create something beautiful for his daughter, who gets married today.  We settled on a mirror.  I planed, sanded and beveled the baswood boards, then routed a bead on the inside of the frames before carving.  The wood was finished with linseed oil and then polyurethaned for protection.  The picture of the entire frame is a little blurry, please see the following close ups of the individual sides.

On the bottom I carved the words “Allah is beautiful and He loves beauty.”  This is a hadith, something Muhammad (pbuh) was recorded to have said.  Of course, in the context of a mirror, I intended more than a surface interpretation of the hadith.  The intent was that a person look in the mirror and reflect on the divine beauty they carry inside.

On the top of the Mirror I carved Allah in the center, and I surrounded it with two wings made of hanging flowers.  The wings stem from two rosettes that are based on a twelve point geometry.

On the right side of the mirror I carved a rose, and on the associated scroll I carved the divine name al-Wadude, the Love.

On the left side of the mirror I carved a dove carrying a banner which reads, as-Salaam, the Source of Peace and Safety.

When you build a mirror it is hard not to see yourself in your work!

I am grateful for the opportunity to work on such an extensive project, and hope it is enjoyed by the new bride and groom for many years to come.

Al-Hayy

The base pattern of this carving is a sixfold symmetry, a modification of the ancient sacred geometry known as the flower of life, which dates back thousands of years and has been found in sacred traditions across many cultures.

In this case the geometry came first, after which I was inspired to add the divine quality of  al-Hayy, the Alive, the Ever-Living.  The way in which the simple yet seemingly complex pattern keeps the eye moving seems to demonstrate this quality of Allah’s infinite presence.

I started it for fun, but upon seeing it, a friend purchased it before it was finished!  Alhamdulillah!