New Website…..

I have a new website.

I will be adding more images over the next few weeks!

More from Istanbul

A few more paintings from the balcony…

The Work….

Here are a few of the paintings I did in Istanbul.  They range from quick sketches of the skyline at dusk – to multiple day plein air – to a self-portrait done in our living room with a mirror.  All of them were done in oil, from life.

In Progress!!

Painting Abroad…..

Here are a few pictures of us working in the field.  It’s been almost two weeks since we’ve left Istanbul and I miss our time there, I miss the hours spent at a particular location, getting to know it, interacting with locals and tourist alike.  I miss painting.  But I am loving seeing more of the country and meeting new people.

My set-up at the Abdesthane down our street – day one

Kenny painting the Abdesthane (fountain), where men wash before entering mosques

These boys REALLY REALLY wanted me to paint them in!

Trying a Turkish energy bar. Funny, it tasted a lot like a candy bar…

How we carried our rigs to our painting location

We were set up next to each other but painted different subjects.

My set-up for my self portrait.

Breakfast….

I HAVE MASTERED THE TURKISH DISH….. MENEMEN!

Utilizing only my taste-buds and memory I recreated this very very “complicated” dish in our little kitchen.  Imagine a breakfast dish that’s a mix between and omelet and scrambled eggs.  Ha ha ha ha!  I jest that it’s complicated.  What it is, is delicious.  We’ve had it a few times now in different little cafes around our neighborhood, Cihangir, as well as across the Golden Horn in Sultanahment.  It’s really so yummy and simple, I just had to try.  And I succeeded!

Tomatoes, olive oil, hot peppers, eggs, and cheese, (bell peppers and/or onions – optional)

Add a little çay (turkish tea), bread, and the sound of morning prayers.  So Good.

Menemen at Elif Cafe in Sultanahmet

Painting….

Us painting around town.

Waiting for the tram with our gear

Painting the mosque down our street

Painting our favorite produce stand

Searching for a good composition at Aya Sofya

Painting the tomb of Sultan Ahmed I, at the foot of the Blue Mosque

Lunch musing…10/01

Turkish ice cream man outside Topkapi Palace. Dread tugging day!

A very insightful friend of mine wants to know: how many people ask to touch my dreads here in Istanbul?

Ramadan ended about a week ago.  We happened to go for a walk in Sultanahmet the day after it ended.  The streets were FILLED with people.  I don’t know if I’ve ever seen so many people out.  There were major traffic jams on the sidewalk!

I was standing in line for an ice cream cone when I felt a tug on my dreads.  Somewhat stunned I looked back and noticed a young woman walking with her family – I don’t know why but I sensed it had been her.  She then turned around and stared at me intently.  My first dread encounter.

After that we began noticing how many people were staring at me.  Some with curiosity, many with disgust.  Of the latter most were women.  It was quite entertaining.  A few blocks later as we were accosted by a carpet seller a group of young women standing behind me began tugging on my dreads and asking me questions in Turkish.  It was bizarre.  Fortunately they were nice about it and one of them told me the dreads were pretty.  The staring continued for the rest of the evening.  Kenny told me that he had to “stare down” a number of women who were about to grab my dreads – wow.  At some point I began feeling overwhelmed by the attention.  Our last stop that day, a bakery across from the Blue Mosque, the man behind the counter asked me if my dreads were real.  I told him the truth, that they are not and that I did it for Burning Man (attempting to explain Burning Man – priceless!)  I also told him about the stares and tugging.  He explained they don’t see many people with dreads anymore, that about 5 years ago there were many tourist with this style of hair but not now.  Ahhhh Ha!   That explains it!

Well the dreads are out and no one stares anymore.  In fact, now I’m often asked if I’m Turkish.  How funny

Very important to know:      Tuvalet nerede?  (too*va*let ne*re*de)      where’s the toilet?

love,  ju

Istanbul – Week One

First Day and first view of Istanbul – from Galata tower

Us up on Galata Tower

Little nap after we go to our flat.

Balcony View 1

Balcony View 2

Balcony View 3

First Turkish beer…. not bad.

My set up. Painting the view from our balcony – First painting!

Kenny’s setup. I’m painting to the left.

Near Taksim Square – not quite as good as gyros

In awe …you can see Aya Sofya in my sunglasses, Blue Mosque in backgrd.

Blue Mosque – took our shoes off and I had to wear a head scarf.

Blue Mosque – I can’t describe how I felt walking into this mosque. It was powerful.

Self-port with Dreads – reason I hadn’t taken them out yet :-)

Double portrait… Kenny painting me, painting myself!

First home cooked meal!

Istanbul at night

Setting moon from our balcony

We’re coming up on the middle of our second week in Istanbul.  I had better get writing before the weeks blur and I forget what we did when!

London was wonderful but at the end of the week I think we were both ready to start the next leg of our adventure and having seen so much amazing art there, Kenny and I were ready to have brush in hand!

We arrived here Friday, 18 September.  We’re not residing in Sultanahmet or any of the neighborhoods that tourist usually stay.  Instead we chose to live in Cihangir neighborhood, which is across the Golden Horn from most of the main attractions.  This is the European area and the place that many ex-pats live.  It’s definitely more swanky, but not in an overly cleaned up way, more like how Venice CA is swanky – fashionable but with an edge.

Our first night was spent at a hotel.  Saturday afternoon we moved into our flat – both a bit anxious to see it.  We were counting on a view worthy of painting.  We were not disappointed!  From our balcony we look out the right over the Golden Horn at Topkapi Palace, Aya Sofya, the Blue Mosque, and many, many other mosques.   Directly before us we see the Bosphorous and to the left the Asian side of Turkey.  We hear prayers broadcast 5 times a day.  The air is different here, warm and wet like Hawai’i but full of particles (dare I say pollution?) that make the most incredible sunsets….red, purple, yellow, grey, blue…..all at the same time.

We took Sunday off to unpack and rest.  London demanded such a hectic pace we were happy to just sit, look and be.  Monday we found our grocery store, our corner produce stand (I LOVE IT -open till midnight) and began painting, .  We’ve been painting every day since!

Gule gule!  Love, Ju

(good-bye)

Week in London

Day 1

Day 1

Day 1

Day 1

Day…?

Day 3 – Tower of London

Day 3 – Tower of London

Day 1

Day 6

Day 1

Day 6 – Last day in London

Day 1

Day 1

Day 1

Day 6 – Last Day

Day 6 – Last Day

Day 2

Day 2

Day 3 – Tower of London

Day 2

Day 6

Day 3 – Tower of London

Day….?

Day 2

Day 3 – Tower of London

Day…..?

Day 6 – Last Day

Day 3 – Tower of London

Day 3 – Tower of London

Day 2

Day 3 – Tower of London

Day….?

Day 3 – Tower of London

Day 3 – Tower of London

Day 2

Day 2

Day 2

Day 6 – Last Day

Day 6

Day 3 – Tower of London

Okay, this is my first attempt at a blog.  So far I would rate it as FRUSTRATING.  Pictures not in order, deleting and organizing is time consuming and not user friendly.

But ignore that.

I’ve made an album of some pics from our week in London.  It was fabulous!  Walking, art, pints, museum, walking, art, pints, friends, walking, pints, pints, pints, art, museum, art, pints…………….walking!  and then MORE GREAT ART!

London was great!

Waterhouse Restrospective at the Royal Academy was worth leaving Burning Man early.

Love,

Ju

Judy Nimtz – first post.

Judy Nimtz is a West Coast based painter working in the realist tradition.

She is currently seeking inspiration abroad.