ZEYNAL MY TEACHER
Zeynal’s famous hypnotic gaze that wows the girls in his office at the Disabled Society.
Zeynal – My Turkish teacher, a fascinating fellow. A polio survivor from the age of one, he works full-time as an accountant and is getting his masters in economics at night & on weekends, In his spare time, he finds wheelchairs for poor children in villages, as part of his activities in an organization for the disabled, “Everything I ever wanted I had to wait for,” he said one cold evening in November, “But when I say it will happen, it does.” ——
ALL DOWN THE DAY AT ÇEŞME – 2004
Noon to dark – late November 2004 Sultanahmet – Derelict but beautiful old hamam at Çeşme Cafe near Küçük Ayasofya – All on a winter afternoon – When I began this it was bright sunlight & I finished after dark, many teas later.——The contrast between this drawing and the first take months before was encouraging. This time I was employed and able to go to the restaurant afterwards.
THE USUAL SUSPECTS
Mike’s 50th & my ode to Mort Drucker. Everyone is grinning! Never drew so many smiles—— Mad artist Mort Drucker was a genius at likenesses.
IT WAS THEIR HOME
Gül the owner of Arena Hotel, her grandfather & the silk prayer rug made by her grandmother. I imagine them in this their parlor, with her embroidery & his fez—— She was happy to let me draw her childhood home on the east side of the Arena- which is Turkish for Hippodrome.
SHE’S AN ARTIST
Such tiny, plump hands made of iron —- A tiny chartreuse salon and Fatma in scarlet. A frigid afternoon 2 days before Christmas 2004 — She’s an artist! Fatma from Bulgaria, the best mani-pedicurist I’ve found anywhere, am I lucky to find her in Sultanahmet!
OLD MAN UNDER THE BRIDGE
His cap was faded orange & his coat tan corduroy; the sack black plastic. This old man was shuffling along in the Eminönü passageway to the Galata Bridge – He came up to my ribcage.
OLD CITY STREET
Katıp Sinan Camii Sokak – Mid-Ramazan, early November 2004 – Sultanahmet – Istanbul — One of the delights of my life, after spending several hours recording a view, is to walk into it. The children usually drive me crazy when I’m working but the ones on this street, where the buildings have their arms around one another, are a joy. Eminönü, cobble this street! ——-
RAMADAN DRUMMER
Ösman Öztürk – Shivering in doorway I am finishing this drawing of Ösman, who I met again by chance, while waiting for a street cobbler to resole my good old LA boots – It’s freezing & I am barefoot but happy after the first mani-pedicure in forever – Things are looking up——- This fellow drummed to wake people before dawn so they could eat before daylight Ramadan fast.
WOMAN IN A SKI JACKET
Gülten – A woman in a ski jacket & cover sitting with her husband behind their Ramazan stall in the Hippodrome one cold night in October 2004.
THE ENGINEERS
University at Buffalo – State University of New York —- Andrew – Nader – Kaan – Michael — After tasty fish dinner, sitting in the Masonic Hall in Taksim listening to Nader describe Washington DC as Masonic symbols — Map of DC — 3 seismic engineers ( & the son of a late loved colleague) guest professoring from BUFFALO University & looking into retrofitting Ayasoya for “The Big One.” All are American – Andrew from Australia, Michael a Greek, and Nader Iranian from here. Great company & the best in their field. I’ll miss them!——Michael later became a friend and patron; he and his family came here many times.
ASSORTED LIONS
Carpet Lions – Istanbul lion – This lion has lost his jaw – Arasta Bazaar Lions – Hittite Lions – Giant-eared stone lion concert speaker——Actually this last one is probably plastic, part of Helmuth Lutz’s art installation on the square in front of Ayasofya.