EL CID MANIC & SERIOUS
He never should’ve tried to cheat a Jew.”—– El Cid, Jewish from Iran, caught a local conman cheating artists, and got the fellow castigated and evicted by the Municipality. You’ve gotta love a guy like that.
JUST MARRIED!
Ahmet & Ebru Just Married——- These lovebirds lived downstairs from me in Küçük Ayasofya, where Ahmet, a Turkish Master Craftsman in shell inlay, still has his workshop at the Medrese there. I made this drawing to commemorate their marriage.
ISMET & HIS SAZ
Ismet Aydin at his cafe HAYAT – The tastiest doner kebap in Sultanahmet——It was just below Arasta Bazaar, a great place on the corner.
LAZZARIN CAFE
Back in Plovdiv – [Cyrillic writing]: Bulagudarya: Thank You — Cafe Lazzarin: This woodsy green place became even more charming when I discovered that their strong coffees are 70 ‘cents’ … the friendly waitress & ambience are priceless — The civilized Bulgarians build around their trees—> Vili — Dolby’s logo is in our alphabet. But oh! Those familiar names in Cyrillic… tres cool! “Anthony Hopkins” in Cyrillic – “Come join us!” So I did—–
BRONZE CLOWN IN PLOVDIV
I’m not the only person to notice that this life-sized bronze statue, its knees & nose bright with rubbing, is clearly playing with itself! — Disney would be proud of this natural (?) grotto fenced with iron on the edge of a park pond. Sadly the pond is dry — I don’t know what kind of trees these are… long thin and pods weeping all pale green against the big bright spreading leaves… — The Excelsior Shopping Mall: cheesy plastic Herculeses “holding up” the roof—— The jocular bronze fellow, dressed like a working man, sits on a wall along the main walk street in town, and everybody smiles when they see him.
WOOD INTERIOR IN PLOVDIV
This group at the next table is made up of poets & artists! They loved my sketchbook & wouldn’t let me pay for my dinner. I left Plovdiv feeling safe & loved. I’m so glad I listened to the little voice that told me to go back to this morning’s cafe —– Wooden house museum in Plovdiv —
SUGAR IN PLOVDIV
Staggered up an alluring stepped passage to find the ancient city of Plovdiv, with fantastic architecture built on ruins dating back to Philip of Macedon. Too late for this drawing… this is a note to myself to go back!! —- Sugar posed & then wrote me this poem.
EDIP PINARLI
The guy who immortalized me in Sultanahmet — One heckuva good interviewer – And calls Turkey “the worlds’s open air museum” on the cover of his magazine—— This was a bit of solace for missing that wedding. A really good interview about this work you are looking at.
JOHN FREELY TAKE ONE
It was an honor to meet this beloved author, whose books on Turkey are such a joy to read. I was a bit nervous doing this drawing…