I have recently taken up an ariel conditioning class. I always find that it is important to try something new, challenging and scary…like ariel trapeze…or moving to Istanbul. It has only been a few weeks but I have already surprised myself with what I can do. There is nothing like hanging upside down, if only for a few moments, to get a fresh perspective on the world around you. So here’s to inverting yourself!
A sketch of my trapeze teacher demonstrating on the silks. Graphite and Watercolor.
With time in Istanbul winding down, I am out drawing as much as possible. The day Trici and I visited Buyuk Valide Han was cold, overcast and wet but we were both anxious to get some work done and haven’t drawn together in months.
Buyuk Valide Han is a hidden Istanbul treasure. Its was built in the 17th century by Kösem Sultan, the mother of Murat IV. The han contains a number of workshops and once served as a caravansarai or settlement area. I met Trici in the morning and we made our way by tram to the Grand Bazaar. We first wondered through a strip of the Bazaar, stopping at occasional shops to say hello to Trici’s many friends. We then headed out the other end and down the street to the entrance of Buyuk Valide Han. Our first hour in the building was spent walking the corridors, taking pictures of friendly workers and the crumbling architecture. Buyuk Valide Han to this day holds many workshops and the dark hallways are often filled with men carrying boxes or bags of mysterious objects. Behind doorways you can hear hammers and gears, and there is a smell of burnt rubber and hot metal.
After visiting one workshop where a group of cheerful men were making nargiles, we decided on eating before continuing our tour. Trici recommended a small Turkish pizza place right outside. Sitting there, we could not resist drawing the two men making our lunch. One from Konya and the other from the Black Sea. The man from Konya prepared the Pide and took orders on the phone while his companion from the Black Sea scooped them in and out of the hot oven. When we asked, they said they had been working together for over 30 years. We ate everything, finished our drawings and drank a cay. This was real Istanbul, and my heart ached at the thought of leaving, but then I remembered how many moments like this I experienced in the past 8 months and I felt grateful and fortunate. After lunch we climbed onto the roof of the han where we decided to draw after seeing the view of Suleymaniye. Trici asked the first two men we saw if it was possible to sit there and draw. They were of course accommodating, curious and hospitable, and brought us two plastic chairs while apologizing that their cay machine was not working that day. Oh it felt good to draw, I forgot the cold, the smoky smell, the grinding gears and sat in total meditation only to be broken my the occasional worker stopping to ask questions. By 4:30 we were blocks of ice and quite ready to leave, but with both of our drawings unfinished, we will have to return. The end of the day was spent in the Nargile Cafe off the Grand Bazaar where we continued drawing, talking and sipping cay while the rain came down outside. It was truly a wonderful day. Finished drawings coming soon!
Trici drawing on the roof
The view and the beginning stages of my drawing
The door man
A nargile workshop
An office in the midst of a workshop
Our lunch
One of the reasons I decided to travel and live in Turkey was for the sake of self discovery. It has occurred to me during this adventure that one’s identity has the ability to shift and alter depending on the experiences that happen throughout a lifetime. This statement may seem obvious but when you go through the kind of intensity of emotions that seem to happen naturally in Turkey, you are therefor forced to change and grow accordingly. I now look back on myself over 7 months ago and realize how much I have changed as an artist and woman. Through this time of alteration and self discovery I am painting and drawing my image as a way to make sense of it all. Self portraits have never been so prevalent in my work, but I am now finding how important they might be during this time of my life. Below are just a few self portraits from my sketchbook and studio work.
Self Portrait in Venice
Self Portrait with Short Hair
Facial Studies
Self Portrait with Language (in progress)
Self Portrait in Coffee (in progress)
Mavi Lale 
