Dan Kistler Studios

The island of Samos

4.25 We have arrived on the island of Samos as the island and its people are making the transition into the tourist season. Many of the shops are just now opening. At many of the restaurants our choices are limited. But the food as been great and so has the hospitality, scenery, and weather (well maybe not great but improving).

So far on Samos we have visited the tiny village of Drakei at the western most tip of the island. It seemed like we doubled the population of the village with our visit. Although after being in the village for the afternoon we realized that there are a lot of people living in the village mostly elderly ladies. At least that is who we saw.

The next day was a studio painting day with a demo and instruction from Donia Lilly. Good day to be inside as it was blustery and cold outside. The island is very green and lush this year as they have had a very wet and cold winter, lots of rain in the spring. The painting day was long and intense. Crits with a group of 21 are very long.

The next day we visited the Temple of Hera which I must say was a disappointment. After the spectacular sites in Turkey, where we had the run of the place this temple had guards all over the place, nothing could be touched or stepped on and there really was nothing but bits and pieces. The scale of the site was impressive when you imagined how large the columns were.

From there we drove up into the hills to visit a monastery. This monastery has a church in the center of it and the inside of the church cannot be fully described. It could take hours to catalog the detail of the room. Walls covered in frescoes, lights covered in gold and icons, carpets and marble, stained glass and light…etc. A room filled to bursting with the stuff of religion.

Today we visited the village of Manolates and took a short hike down from there with Manolis. The village sits high up in the hills and is a place filled with artists doing ceramics or jewelry. A beautiful day with not clouds in the sky. Maybe the first day like that since we came to the island. The lushness of the island was very apparent as we hiked down the hillsides, hillsides filled with olive trees, grapes, orange trees and flowers everywhere. But I must say even though the group has been in Europe for almost a month we are still very American. We rushed down the hillside eagerly looking forward to the end of the hike. We still rush through meals like Americans. We have yet to slow down fully and enjoy the ride, hike, walk or meal. Time left for change.

Transition to Greece

4.20 Left Priene early in the morning for Kusadasi and our ferry to Greece. Sad to leave Turkey as the time spent in Turkey was so good. Three completely different experiences in the same country. Istanbul was a big city experience. Kusadasi a smaller city on the coast and very much a resort area town. Priene was very rural, earthy, friendly, warm, and small scale. How many towns do you get to eat dinner next to a pond with a large duck floating in it while watching a man walk his four sheep through the town square. Only in Turkey.

A short ferry ride from Kusadasi to Samos Town (Vathy or Vathi) into a day that was cool and hot all at the same time. In one hour and fifteen minutes we transitioned from the lush green of Turkey to the rocky but surprisingly green of Greece. We promptly loaded up our rental cars and headed to the Mykali Hotel our home for the next 18 days.

4.21 Donia Lilly gave the group a walking tour of Pythagorio, sharing with us her favorites bakeries, restaurants, nooks and crannies of the village. Afternoon open to settle in while David, Donia and me met with each student to review their drawings and sketchbooks. 5.5 hours later (started at 2:00 pm) we finished. An amazing afternoon of art. And what a great group of artists. Progress from all and on all fronts. Welcome to Greece.

Adventures in Turkey

Since the last entry on April 8th from Istanbul the group has traveled from Istanbul to Kusadasi, Turkey and to Priene, Turkey. And in twelve days have had what feels like months of experiences. Almost too many to remember. If you have ever considered traveling to Turkey, stop considering and book a flight. The country is ready for you.

We left Istanbul on the evening of April 8th on what was to be a simple overnight bus trip south from Istanbul to Kusadasi. Simple was never as simple as this trip. A frustrated driver, a lost driver, a bus driver that hit a car in traffic and then tried to blame the stopped car he hit, a bus that could top out at 50 kph on a downhill with a breeze and most of the time could only go about 20 (all blamed on bad gas!), and a late night ferry ride over some body of water. After all that which only got us a few miles out of Istanbul (it is big but not that big) we switched buses, from a private bus to regular local buses (we spilt into two groups) at some bus station in the middle of the night in the middle of lord only knows where Turkey. We arrived in Kusadasi at around 9:30 the next morning tired of sitting on buses to a wonderful 2-star hotel complete with howling dog and a pool filled with an undetermined amount of green water. After a brief sleep spent the afternoon along the waterfront drawing while some of the group went swimming. What a crazy day.

4.10 Next day we toured Effesus and some surrounding sites. Ran through is more like it. Our guide was in a hurry and kept us moving much too fast. And most of the time we could not hear what he was telling us. Plan to spend a day at Effesus if you are going there to draw.

4.11 Visited Selcuk and the Isabey Mosque and the Crisler Library. A great day complete with a drawing demo by David.

4.12 We moved to Priene which was our home until 4.20. What a great little town. The people are the best hosts in Turkey. The students played football (soccer) with the local players on every other night. The days were spent going to the site at Priene, Miletus, or Didyma. With some other days hiking up the hills to the fortress overlooking Priene.

One of the best experiences was spent with Kayleigh and Gwyn as we went seeking the goat herd to record the sound of the bells. We spied the herd moving our direction off in the distance and just happened to find their path. We sat down in the middle of the path and waited for the goats to come to us. A did they ever. A very large herd of goats with bells of all types and sizes. The sound cannot be described with words easily.

Here is the sound of the goats

Symphony of the Goats
Walked down the hill
to the symphony of the goats
on the far hill
as they meandered up the hill to the fortress.
Deep booming bells
mixed with a soup pan being tapped rapidly
along with clangs, bangs, bings, snorts
and tings.
A Turkish hillside symphony of goats.
The sun will go behind the hill in one hour.
Must be going.

More later…

Painting buddy - Istanbul 4.6, 4.7

Went back near the park and once again ran into my painting buddy. Her name is Dilan (I think) and lives nearby. She and her brother and just about every other kid on the block came over to draw with Gwyn and me. Hard to get anything accomplished when they wanted to draw with you. Plus their grandmother was constantly shouting at them and just like kids all over the world they completely ignored her with their powers of selective hearing. A universal power all children have and they don’t even realize it.

Istanbul 4.7

Started the day waiting for the arrival of the President of the US. Our route up to the area in front of the Blue Mosque was completely blocked by police tanks and barricades. We had the best view from the roof. Finally saw the caravan of cars pass and then watched as the prez toured the Blue Mosque on tv. Seems like it was a positive feeling on the street to the visit.

Next part of the day was spent with some drawing. Hard to do when surrounded by kids who want to draw with you. Plus it was a bit chilly and wet.

I finally found the old part of the Grand Bazaar away from the tourists and the hard selling that takes place at the front end. This part had tiny, narrow streets crammed with people (not tourists) out for a day of shopping. And I found the spice market. And I know where to find a place you can buy chickens, fish, cheese, peacocks and leeches. What a great place. No one strolls here. They fly from place to place, pulling carts, huge loads on backs and never seeming to run into each other. This place is not made for cars.

Later part of the day was spent outside a mosque drawing. Very quiet but even here you are approached and everyone is always selling. When you are seen drawing one line is always “I am a designer. Why are you drawing this? I am interested in why you are drawing this?” A close inspection of your new found friend reveals his pockets are stuffed with brochures for this and that and he is interested in only selling you something or getting you to someone’s shop. Hard not to stand out when you are drawing. Tourists are truly ATM’s on two feet. Have not really had a conversation with someone who is not trying to sell me something. Travel alone through the bazaar and you get fewer attempts to sell you things.

Istanbul is a filled with contrasts. A quiet park and just up the street men shouting at one another as they go about their business on a street filled with hundreds of men pulling, carrying, making, cleaning all kinds of stuff. Noise, noise, and more noise. City life. Texture of sound surrounds you on every turn.

Istanbul 4.6

The day - The started with painting and drawing in a small city park in the old part of town. The park was very quiet with just a few people walking through on their way to work or shopping. I was joined briefly by some guy who just mumbled. No idea what he was  talking about. Then when the school got out I was joined by a little girl who found my paint palette very irresistable. She promptly stuck her finger in all my colors and smeared them around. Next grabbed my brush and attacked my sketchbook. She almost started filling in all my drawings. I had to quickly get her to paint on a blank page. She ran off with my sketchbook and showed her friends who came over to help her paint. The little kids at the park where great to see and interact with. One little girl loved to draw and then tell you the word she just drew.

Lunch with Sara, Hanna, Johanna, Makenna and Catherine at some small cafe. Spent the afternoon wandering around the Grand Bazaar with Catherine in the rain. Really got lost in there. All seems like the same stuff at every stall in the bazaar.

Date night with Jodie Maurer at a local restaurant. A great day of interacting with Istanbul and its people. Each day seems to be a complete experience all unto itself. Super full and so enriched. Could spend weeks here and never get tired of what there is to see and draw.

Istanbul 4.5

Another sunny day in Istanbul but more wind which made it a bit cooler. Church in the lobby of the hostel with the sounds of video games and the smells of cigarette smoke in the air. Then we were off to the Topkapi Palace for a visit the the sultan’s palace and a drawing demo with David.

Check out the images on flickr.com

New York City 4.2 + 4.3

4.2 Our time in New York City was spent at the Metropolitan Museum of Art where we were shown the Greek and Byzantine collection. After our visit at the Met we broke into small groups and found various places to eat. Had a hot dog and water in the rain with David and Brook. Then we trekked further downtown to the Onassis Center for Greek Culture and saw the Women in Greek art exhibition and had a presentation from a doctoral student from Columbia University. Then dinner at a small Itlian restaurant and church service at 8th Church. A very full day.

4.3 On this day we got a later start to the day and visited the MOMA. What a fantastic museum with the exception of the lame placement of Christina’s World by Andrew Wyeth. In the hallway next to the escalator. Right! Left there after getting filled with ideas and art and proceeded to make our way to JFK for the flight to London. Short flight but a long night to London and then on to Istanbul. Arrived Istanbul on Friday 4.3 in the late afternoon. What a city.

Istanbul 4.4

Merhaba

After a wonderful breakfast on the roof of the hostel with a view of the ships in the sea, we moved on to the Blue Mosque. It was filled with lots of tourists and we drew a crowd as we drew the impressive mosque. Lunch was on the street. We visited the Hagia Sophia and drew more crowds mostly around Guy who the kids thought was some kind of rock star. Hiked to the park overlooking the strait and sat by the fountains. Dinner with Sara, Brook, Jodie, David, Joy, Ivy, and Heather. Back to the hostel for a digital photo fest or according CJ it is group bonding.

For more photos see flickr.com.

Arrival in Turkey

After a short stay in New York City and visits to The Met and the MOMA and the Onasiss Center the Greece group has moved to Turkey. Left New York City at 8:15 pm and arrived the next morning in London at 7:30 am. Then left for Istanbul for a very smooth ride into a windy Istanbul. The hostel is right down in the thick of things near the Blue Mosque and the Hagia Sophia.Dinner was at the Sultan Pub where the group ate and ate and got very, very tired after an all-nighter on the plane and very little sleep today. Check back tomorrow for photos.