Happy 4th of July (Photography)

Happy 4th of July!

I hope everyone has a fun filled, wonderful

and safe day!  

These are flowers on my balcony -- Thanks for stopping by -- Sheryl

Paste Paper ( PaperArts )

This last weekend, Terry was gone for 3 whole days.  I have had a ankle giving me some problems -- so I stayed in, giving it time to rest.  I have had some trouble finding art supplies.  While my friend Joan was here we found a place that had some gouache in little jars.  We tried using it for paste paper and really had a good time.  However, I tried to letter with it yesterday and it was horrible!  

Paper is my next issue.  I have found Canson MiTiens (?) and some acrylic paint.  When I was home in October, Barbara Close helped me pack a lot of Arches Text Wove.  She kept saying, "Sheryl, that's a lot of paper!" Thank goodness I brought so much!  So, long story short -- while Terry was gone, I cooked the best batch of paste I have ever made!  Spent Friday evening playing.  Saturday, I drafted a couple of templates for project ideas I have had for a while -- so, hopefully I will have some of those to show you soon.

I know, I know my designs are a little redundant -- my next project is to go shopping for tools.  

Thanks for stopping by -- Sheryl

Photo Walk -- Nisantasi (photography)

Today, I met a friend in Besiktas to walk around.  This is her part of the city and I hadn't been there at all.  I was excited for her to show me around.   We walked around and she showed me were the weekend market is located.  I am still amazed at how each part of the city has a different feeling;  a flare of it's own.  After lunch we were walking up toward the Nisantasi area (Yes, this is when the fateful deed happened!  Forever it will be known as "spit street"!) to see what we could find.  We walked through a nice little park and looked at the bronzes of local writers.  As we walked out I saw a man laying in the grass taking a nap in the shade.  I guess he was alive, thinking back on it, I do think it was strange that he was on his stomach.  This street is where the high-end stores are located.  Gucci, Rolex, etc, they are all there!  And of course, it is up-hill.  I mean UP-HILL!  I really haven't decided if it's easier to walk down or up a street.

We get to the next big intersection and we see a really neat old looking entrance. To something!  So we walked up and it was an old cemetery.   Cats were laying around (waiting to scare us!) and on some of the concrete thingys, people had put bee hives.   The weeds had been chopped down and many of the graves had been disturbed.  As we walked we could see bone pieces.  Joy was just sure they were from cows, I'm not so sure.  We found dates from 1924 to 1933 as burial dates.  I am sure when this was first established it was a beautiful, park like place with a nice entrance.  

Very different from what we are accustomed to in the US.  When they bury a loved one, the body is washed then wrapped in some kind of shroud.  A coffin is used for the ceremony but the body (without coffin) is then lowered into the ground by the male members of the family.  It is my understanding that the same plot can be used for multiple family members.   It seems that this cemetery has been abandoned for whatever reason.  I was curious that I didn't see and "evil eyes" here.  

Thanks for stopping by -- Sheryl

SHOES - Quote of the day!

Creativity often consists of

merely tuning up what is already there.

Did you know that the right and

left shoes were thought up a little 

over a century ago?

Bernice Fitz-Gibbon

I thought these shoes deserved some kind of accolade -- Shot through the window of a very expensive shoe store --  

Thanks for stopping by -- Sheryl

Storks in the City (travel)

S t o r k s

I can't believe these birds!  Right in the heart of Selcuk the storks were nesting on the top of high line poles.   While we were in Pammukale some people checked into our hotel who had just come from here.  After visiting Ephesus, we drove to this place for a look ourselves.  We went to the hotel (we are always looking for a great place to stay) and went upstairs to the rooftop deck.  It was really shocking to see how close they were. . .

. . . the funniest thing was, when the little ones would poop, they would stand up and it would fire out straight.  I mean like someone had squeezed a mayonnaise bottle.  Not only was it visual but you could hear if it hit the street or someones car.  These were pretty big birds!

Thanks for stopping by . . .

Ephesus -- the city that keeps on giving! (Travel)

Ephesus

I was here with some friends last October 2010 and I can not believe how much it has changed.  I thought it was spectacular then but the new excavations are fantastic!  I can't even explain how much reconstruction has taken place.   

This excavation is huge!  So much that is new and so much more information.  I wonder what they have found that would contribute to our knowledge of the people who lived here.  Actually, within this frame, somewhere, is a stone which commemorates the death of Cleopatra's sister.  

I am actually standing on the seats of the public latrine.  (Across from the house reconstruction site) looking towards the stadium which is just out of the frame on the right side.  This was not here before.  Where the columns are standing, is called  "Marble Street".  I wish I had made notes because I don't have the date it was constructed. Terry rented us the audio tour guide sets.  It was really interesting to hear about the site and the excavation.  

 Here are some Greek letters that I found to be pretty interesting.  I loved the large "T" right in the middle.  Most of the stones with letters, that I had seen the last time, were locked away in a portion of the ruin.  I hope for them to be on display the next time I go --

This is an actual sample of a "Mile Stone" used on the Roman highways.  These actually became status symbols among the rulers of the time.  Some of them would have the likeness of the current magistrate.  It seems that on certain roads the miles stones were more extravagant.  Sometimes, the stones would be turned upside down and re-carved to save on material.  Usually the numbers were painted red for better visibility in the grass.  

I hope you are enjoying seeing these places -- 

Thanks for stopping by -- Sheryl

Quote of the Day (Photography)

"Ah, summer,

what power you have to 

make us suffer and like it!"

Russell Baker

I am amazed at how different it is here than in Oklahoma!  It's really been pretty mild so far -- the flowers are just fantastic -- the roses are huge and the everything else is flourishing!  

Have a great day!  Thanks for stopping by -- Sheryl