Author Archives: Ian Whiteman

About Ian Whiteman

see www.cwdm-portfolio.com

The Sweetest of Music

Posted on August 24, 2014 by Ian Whiteman

then….. … and now This post is on a musical subject, so for those whom music is proscribed then look away now. Or maybe not, as you might learn something. I was recently on the west coast … Continue reading →

Posted in miscellaneous, music, religion, sacred knowledge, Uncategorized | 7 Comments

Moronic Iconic

Posted on July 29, 2014 by Ian Whiteman

I have always thought Jonathan Meades’ scathing criticism of the casual use of the word iconic amply justified. I suspect there are many things he, a well known British writer, critic and film maker, and me, would disagree on, … Continue reading →

Posted in language, miscellaneous, religion, sacred knowledge, typography / design, Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Pixel Imperfect

Posted on June 9, 2014 by Ian Whiteman

When computers took over most design offices all over the world in the 1980s, there was a seismic shift in the way that ideas conceived by designers were drawn and constructed. CAD (computer aided design) enabled an accuracy of seven … Continue reading →

Posted in typography / design | Leave a comment

A Meaty Subject

Posted on May 11, 2014 by Ian Whiteman

I’ve given up writing comments on newspaper web sites as a waste of time. It’s just a way of readers, me included, venting their spleen and as currently I can’t think of anything to contribute on my chosen subject of … Continue reading →

Posted in miscellaneous, religion, sacred knowledge | 1 Comment

Arabic typesetting revisited

Posted on January 6, 2014 by Ian Whiteman

Hand written naskh (by Ibrahim Khattat – Iraq 20th century) My involvement with arabic has always been, for over 40 years, essentially calligraphic and I have always disliked the idea of trying to mechanise an essentially hand written script. But … Continue reading →

Posted in language, miscellaneous, Publishing, typography / design, Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Mending fences, chasing demons.

Posted on December 17, 2013 by Ian Whiteman

I have just returned from a few days filming in Morocco which was an attempt to revisit the time myself and a bunch of young white English and American men and women first visited a venerable Sufi master and his … Continue reading →

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Self-publish and be Blessed

Posted on November 25, 2013 by Ian Whiteman

Self-publishing is a topic which flies about the publishing world like helicopters fly around the valley I live in, seemingly never to land. I do see the attraction to a wannabe writer to fork out not very much money and have his or … Continue reading →

Posted in typography / design | 3 Comments

From Mods to Mecca

Posted on October 25, 2013 by Ian Whiteman

Nostalgia has always been big business. Look how the Victorians ached for a romantic gothic past and the Edwardians for a rapidly disappearing bucolic world with the arts and crafts revival. To find my own past the subject of a … Continue reading →

Posted in music, Publishing, religion, sacred knowledge, tassawuf, Uncategorized | 6 Comments

The Descent of Man

Posted on October 19, 2013 by Ian Whiteman

The latest L’Oreal TV ad goes like this: A beautiful female model pouts, “I believe in science, I don’t believe in miracles.” It’s a statement of faith. Odd, as they have a product called Revitalift Miracle Blur. So I don’t think L’Oreal … Continue reading →

Posted in language, miscellaneous, religion, sacred knowledge, science, tassawuf, Uncategorized | 2 Comments

Rumi, Rihlas and Other Considerations

Posted on August 11, 2013 by Ian Whiteman

If you are Turkish, Afghan or Iranian, most likely you would consider your ‘bard’ to be Jalaluddin Muhammad Rumi the great poet and Imam who is buried in Konya, the capital of central Anatolia, Turkey. He was born in Balkh, … Continue reading →

Posted in language, miscellaneous, religion, sacred knowledge, tassawuf, Uncategorized | 3 Comments