LIVE SKY
-Half moon out on the terrace with an angry, miserable friend—–Spectacularly beautiful summer evening, with clouds sailing up from the lights across the Bosporus, my friend unhappy because the love of his life had moved away. Later he followed her. I remember the beauty of this night, and how my wild longings were pretty much burned out. Or satisfied by living here.
PAINTED STREETLAMP
-The terra-cotta-painted streetlamp. Now my balcony is moonlit & private again—–The municipality had put a streetlight right next to my lovely balcony, so halogen bright it kept me awake at night. Furious and helpless I called my landlord, who said to paint it. I attached a brush to a bamboo pole and voila!
BLUE MOON MOSQUE
Drawn from the Arcadia Hotel Terrace. A crowd-pleaser.
AYNUR & ZELIHA Left Side
-Aynur at 14 – Quick & smart, Anynur’s been selling tops in Sultanahmet for years to help her family. Last year she took the cover, although her best friend Zeliha did not. Now, at 14, she got a factory job making clothes. I asked her what she would do if she could do anything. “I’d be a doctor,” she said.
AYNUR & ZELIHA Right Side
-Pretty in pink & purple, Zeliha at 14 – Oh the feverish joy of a new dress at 14! Zeliha and her best friend Aynur growing up selling tops in Sultanahmet – Pink top Purple satin skirt Oh la la—–The other half of the friendship. I sure hope they’re well. They’ve been on my walls for years and years.
BOUKOLEON OVERGROWN
—While doing this drawing of the Great Portals of the summer palace, I met Aydin, Ferdi & Mert, who live in this ruin and will guard me while I go in there to draw. Nice guys who work in the fish market in Kumkapi. BOUKOLEON PALACE —–A first take on the Great Portals of the Brokedown Palace. Six years later I spent an entire summer drawing them (Book 27: ABOUT FACE). The homeless guys in this ruin always watched out for me. I never had a problem save one government worker, and they made short work of him.
LITTLE BOUKOLEON DOOR
-Sunday – I just met Alexander Krivenko, the Russian Consul General, wandering through these ruins. Spring 2005—–This door later had a gate on it, and ruin denizens painted tribal designs on the pillars inside. But on that day it was black and full of mystery.
Lovely Mia Goldstein of Israel, having a conversation with Ygor after taking this enchanting picture of him with Pinkie.
MEIS FROM KAS
-7AM-Noon, 7-9 July 2005 – From the terrace, Hideaway Hotel, Kaş—–The island is Greek. They made a movie about it in the 1980s, Mediterrano. Going to Kaş 5 years after I lived there was heart-rending. My whole life had turned inside out, and the following year, with the new marina, so did Kaş.
CISTERN IN KAS
-Water splashing forever in this 2010-year-old stone chamber under Kas. 11 July 2005 – Stone looks like water here after 2010 years – They had just discovered the cistern, dated from 5 BCE. While I was drawing, an old man came up and presented me with the broken-off top of a amphora. “These were here when we found this,” he said, “take it.” I still have it. It looks like an extremely old coffee cup.