"A Little About Yourself"

I usually leave that part in my on-line profiles blank. I would tell myself, I'm a bad writer. Or besides, it's better if you ask others about me cause I can lie and tell you : I'm such a brilliant, genius, elegant person who has a cute smile and always brightens up the room I walk in. Loved by everyone and can never be hated! A hard working A student! An obedient daughter, the coolest Aunt, a... (What's better than good?) Muslim and the best friend anyone could ever EVER have! (Psh, I could go on... but don't take every word I type literally)
So this weird occasion, I decided to stop and think about it.

Like Gibran Khalil Gibran once said: "Only once was I made mute. It was when a man asked me, "Who are you?"
So I finally said:

I'm a University student, studying to be an Architect. I give it my all, sometimes too much, to what I do. What I need to give myself is time to relax. At times like these I like to just sit back and lazily re-arrange my thoughts; first off I'll check my inbox -Hotmail or University account, next up you'll find me visiting my space, maybe update it... if not then just make sure it's tidy. When I feel like sketching, you'll find me searching the web for something inspiring. My philosophy to artworks is that "everything is always inspired by something". So you can't give credit to originality... it's like energy, it's never created, nor destroyed. (Interesting. I just thought it up) Energy can take up new shapes, but in the end it always flows… and so is creativity. So this is my entry to thank everyone, who knows it or don’t, that they have inspired me… let me just tell you that your piece of contribution is never lost. It’s found in my artworks.

But I can assure you, that everytime I'll be asked that question. I'll answer it differently.

A portrait of Gibran I did for my Arabic Project; a replica of Youssef Howayek's work.
Trust me, it looks better in person.

Fly or Fall

I picked up this quote from my sister's room and months later, this piece was born.

"When God leads you to a cliff,

Trust Him fully;

Only one of the two things will happen:

Either He will catch you when you fall

Or teach you how to fly"

Isam Bachiri

It started with a HB 2 Pencil and a plain A4 paper- in a late hour yesterday evening. If my Tita didn't shoo me to bed, I would've stayed up passed midnight to finish this piece...This afternoon, I practiced my Arabic Calligraphy and added a touch of Photoshop.

End product: Isam Bachiri <3

Water (A Deepa Mehta Film)

I watched this movie almost a year ago, all I can remember is that I really liked it. I'd like to watch it again.
I wanted my sister to watch it, so I sketched this piece. I colored it in Photoshop ofcourse. It didn't take that long... Well, my sister didn't watch the movie yet. She's too lazy to look for it -I guess I'll have to bring it to her, prepare her snacks and make her sit and watch this movie! (You should do too.)

Water is a poignant story of India's 'widow houses' where women of all ages are taken to live (even today) isolated from society following the deaths of their husbands. It stars Lisa Ray and John Abraham in lead roles.

P.s.: It was worth an Oscar nomination.

Y a k u z a

Why a Yakuza?

When I was first introduced to the word "Yakuza", and when I got to know what they are, I said: "I have to sketch a Yakuza!"Yakuza is, in my humble opinion, a really cool version of the Mafia! They got them suits, firearms like their brother Italians. But add tattoos and sword techniques to that. Poof! Magical!
Well this is my Yakuza character. Yakuza tattoos are usually colored, but this G would rather have 'em as black as the night. I was thinking to use Pinokyoh as my model. But he doesn't look Japanese, he looks more like a handsome toy!

This Yakuza is in an awkward position because he's chilling in a Hot spring.

What inspired me?
Tomoya Nagase, in the JP Drama "My Boss My Hero"Specifically the part when he finally revealed his identity, fighting his rivals in the school grounds. When his opponent's grip tore his shirt open a bit, he looked at his rival's eyes and despite the fact that his schoolmates are watching, tore the shirt off to reveal his tattooed body.

The sketch looks cool!

Not before when it was naked, Thanks to Photoshop!

He's naked?

He's in a Hot spring, uh, most likely. But that's not what I meant... I meant the plain version of the sketch... only pencil work.

What about the Tattoos?

Oh they're fake... a mix of brushes here and there. I doodled a Dragon, but now it's covered with Photoshop brushes. And still speaking of burshes, I borrowed that "Yakuza" logo from a Yahoo search. I think it's for a game or something. But looking at it from this angle, it does look like some Japanese Kanji.

Yakuzas tend not to have written words in their tattoos. But this one's branded: Max2008

"Spring"

Preliminary drawing from the panneau de`coratif "Spring," from The Seasons. 1896.
By Alphonse Maria Mucha

..................................................................

Replica of "Spring," for The Season. 2007.

By Max.2007.

Dedicated to my Sister: on her New Job.
And Thank you for bringing to me the precious belated Birthday gift ever.

My Graduation Speech

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
الحمد لله رب العالمين
الصلاة و السلام على أشرف المرسلين حبيب رب العالمين سيدنا محمد عليه الصلاة و السلام
السلام عليكم و رحمة الله و بركاته

Good evening and Welcome,
Time likes to play tricks on me, because six months ago, I thought about this day… and I saw myself sitting right there between my classmates, watching my friend say her graduation speech instead. But look at where we are now…

Still, I would like to speak on behalf of her and everyone. On behalf of those who couldn't make it to the ceremony (AJ). I would also like to take a second to thank everyone in the audience, Families and Friends, your presence means a lot to us. And Thank you to our Principal and to our hard-working Teachers for making this event possible. An especial thanks goes to our two Angels; our Parents… After God, you are the reason we are standing here today.

I was sitting alone one afternoon in the Administration, only a couple of days ago, my Father was late to pick me up, and the teachers just left the building leaving it only for myself. Time came to me that hour…it reminded me of yesterday and the day before... and suddenly, I was taken back to the first day of 12th Grade.That's when I realized, it's not coming back anymore. The days I have lived are just a memory to me now.

Time is surprising sometimes; it makes you remember the past and could take you there in a matter of seconds. So now I'm standing here, it just reminded me about that Wednesday, May 24th, the year 1995, that day I graduated from Kindergarten, just outside here on stage.Time could also be funny; because it never did mention that it will take me "there and back again". On the same stage, just 13 years later, it is Saturday, June 9th, the year 2007… and I am graduating High School.

Graduation is a pretty exciting thing, and we've always looked forward to this day. Well I didn't know that much about Graduation when I was in Kindergarten, but the thought of moving to the other side of the building made me excited. Exciting, yes, but now that we are here today, another emotion strikes us and we can't explain it. A mixture of fear and sadness, which I came to understand that it is because of change; the fear of the unknown that waits ahead of us and the sadness of parting the simple life that we've grown comfortable in.
You may call it Graduation or Change, but I'd like to call it "Metamorphosis", the process by which the young form develops into the adult form. You know, just like the butterfly, when the butterfly breaks out of its cocoon it happens to be its graduation.

In case you haven't noticed, the wings that comes along as the icon of this year's class is a representation of the metamorphosis, an aid for its completion, its success… and our victory. Yes we stand today victorious, proud and holding a token of our glory—our diplomas. The wings also represent what happens beyond the metamorphosis; a distinct horizon of a whole different life… a different world, the real world— and our wings, eager to escape the confines of its cocoon is ready to take off.
Where you choose to fly to, and how high and far you want to fly for rests on the strength and courage of your dreams. So dream big, and I would like to quote my Sister (Who's a writer) She said: "Man cannot surpass time or space, but with his dreams he can surpass anything"

Anything at all…

I would also like to share another secret, the secret to where Man could always find hope and energy. And I know all of us will need a lot of hope and energy while we set off in this new journey in life.

I quote the "Soul of a butterfly", The former World Champion: Mohammad Ali, he said: "Everything that God has created has a purpose. (The Sun has a purpose, the clouds, the rain; even the fish in the sea have a purpose) regardless of how large or small, all of us were born to accomplish a certain task. It is the knowledge of that purpose that enables every soul to fulfill itself. One person with knowledge of his life's purpose is more powerful than ten thousand working without that knowledge.

Mohammad Ali also said that "It is important for each of us to figure out why we were put here on earth by God. The importance of life is to accomplish the task we were given, and without working on this task, Life is meaningless.Human beings have a basic need and desire to accomplish something before they die— to make a difference. When working toward this goal, man has HOPE and ENERGY.
Therefore, it is essential that each of us learn what we were meant to do as early as possible in order to have a satisfying and productive life.

Your purpose may be bigger than mine or another person's, but that doesn't make mine any less important. God would not place a burden on a man's shoulders knowing he could not carry it, nor would he give a person a purpose without significance."

I hope for days to come you'll find your reason and fight for it, I hope the future won't ever scare you, and when the darkness consumes you; I hope you would see the light of the day.

Time, is a wheel in constant motion always rolling us along,
Tell me who wants to look back on their youth and wonder
Where those years have gone.

This moment is not change, it is chance! Chance to embrace your dreams and go for it!

I hope you'll continue to have a very wonderful evening!

This goes out to all my seniors, spread your wings and soar!

Thank you.