Welcome to a new cycle and new begins! Happy 21st of December!

Another busy week ended. Well, the commissioned portrait is finished. Both my model and his mother were very happy from the result. Another good news, "Carpe Diem" from "Ars Longa Vita Brevis" series is sold! I am glad the owner wants to hang it on to her office which means many people can see it...

"Carpe Diem" (Seize the day) - SOLD

Oil and mixed media on canvas, 60 x 92 cm., 2011

On the other hand, once again humans are not dead! The end of the world theory by Mayan calendar was a big fuss...  Definitely the big winners were the party organizers for the 21st of December - the last day of the world :) I had a good laugh when i read in a Turkish newspaper about the little town called "Sirince" where people can be safe from Apocalypse on the 21st. The authorities were worried for the huge amount of tourist reservation and people said it will be the end of the town for sure, cause they have only 3 public toilets :))))

I want to share the clip "The humans are dead" by Flight of the Conchords. Watch now, this is the end of the world :))

Holiday Season is on the doorway!

Another holiday season is getting closer. Lights are up on the main streets and shop windows are all decorated with Santa's goodies:) Mailing out needed, yes! I already ordered my holiday greeting cards. I used to receive a lots of  Xmas cards but every year less and less now. I guess people loosing their customs. It's pity .. Anyway, If you think to get some nice Xmas cards, you still have time, just make a list of your loved ones, and believe me when they receive your card they will be very very happy...

Oil on Canvas- (Work in progress)

Working on the Still Life every other day alternating with the other unfinished artworks. White areas drying slower as usual, almost applied first coat and some secondary coats... Now I will work on the floor and the shadows. It's coming out nicely, I guess, will see it in few more sessions later. On the other hand the commissioned portrait work of a young boy is about to finish. 

Have a wonderful holiday season!

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New artwork work in progress

I liked to post unfinished paintings cause I know many of yours would like to see the work in progress... I composed and took the photo of this image for a while ago and stuck it in my future projects folder. Well, I realized that when I saw the photo recently I thought It fits perfect for my "CactuSueños" series...

I put dark grey toned background and sketched the composition raughly applying the first coats of sky and the floor. Next, I will work on the car and the pots ... Check for the new updates.

Oil on canvas (Work on progress)

Have a nice week!

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Tempus Fugit

The latin proverb "Tempus Fugit" says very well; "Time flies". So be aware of it please! Don't let people to steal your time or the other way... This painting is perfect to remind us the precious tic tocs of time. 

A poem by Christina Georgina Rossetti ; Tempus Fugit

Lovely Spring,

A brief sweet thing,

Is swift on the wing;

Gracious Summer,

A slow sweet comer,

Hastens past;

Autumn while sweet

Is all incomplete

With a moaning blast,--

Nothing can last,

Can be cleaved unto,

Can be dwelt upon;

It is hurried through,

It is come and gone,

Undone it cannot be done,

It is ever to do,

Ever old, ever new,

Ever waxing old

And lapsing to Winter cold.

"Tempus Fugit" Time flies (SOLD)

Oil on canvas and mixed media, 22 x 22cm., 2011

Portrait of Cigdem

The portrait work is completed. In last layers I added some shadows on the t-shirt and gave some volume to the hair. The arms, the ear and the gold earring fixed. Lastly, I worked on the eyes patiently... The next step will be the oiling out the whole surface. Right now some parts are matte others shiny. Also I want to paint the sides of the canvas with dark grey tone like museum wrap style.

"Portrait of Cigdem" Oil on Canvas, 38 x 45 cm

In the mean time I am working on another portrait project. I stretched the canvas and put the background colour. The composition laid out with only burnt amber. I am on the process of putting the first monochrome painting with burnt umber, raw sienna, yellow ocher, blue black and flake white colours. The painting in this stage is not telling that much so when it advance I will show some pictures.

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Canarias Expresso Restaurant

Finally I have an image from Canarias Expresso Restaurant in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. Earlier this year if you read my post about designing table tops, perhaps you will remember... In the process of this work,  first, I created several round and rectangle table top sketches applying my cactusueños images on them. After many follow ups and meetings we chose 3 different designs to use for the tables. I signed them with my logo and the barcode of my website.

 View from the restaurant

Canarias Expresso has very friendly staff and fantastic menu. I highly recommend you. It's right in front of the Cabildo building in Ciudad Jardin. 

These are the 3 designs (Digital art with my own original artwork's images) 

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"Portrait of Cigdem" Work in progress

"Portrait of Cigdem" is advancing nicely. In this stage the figure doesn't look quite pretty yet. But how the painting becomes layers and layers building itself. Worked on the background landscape and softened the skin tones a bit, I add another layer on the hair as well. Adding the transparent layers patiently pays back on the result.  Next step work is the details of landscape and after the shirt, chest, arms...

Portrait of "Cigdem" 38 x 45 cm. Oil on canvas (work in progress)

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New painting for Cactusueños series

There was not much space for my latest artwork  in the patio, therefore I decided to work in the studio again. The canvas size is 97 x 160 cm. I need at least 3 m. distance to look at the painting sometimes. Putting first layers of the skin tones so far.First I did the monochrome painting on the face, as I am mastering the old dutch master's technique patiently I am layering the transparent skin tones. On weekend planning to accomplish all the first layers to be done.

 New painting work in progress for "Cactusueños" series

 

Tip: Leftover oil paint can be saved in airtight container in your freezer up to a week.

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New Painting, work in progress

Recently I started to work on a portrait painting. It needs a lot of  layers on the skin tones and the background of course. These first stages of  the painting don't look very nice but that's how it is. Next step will be putting some layers on the sky and the sea. Once the face dried later I can start paint the face again... It'll get better no worries :)

Portrait of "Cigdem" 45 x 38 cm. Oil colour (work in progress)

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Patio days

Painting with oil colours at outdoors has highly advantages, like; natural light, getting fresh air, easy to clean around but all above it's much healthier! Guess what? Just started to paint at my outdoor patio... I will keep using my studio room for the other mediums such as acrylics, drawing, digital art computing etc...

"Cigdem" s portrait work in progress

Here is my latest setting, you can see that at the corner there are few plants also :))

By the lava sea

Lanzarote Island's surreal volcanic landscape inspired and urged me to create "By the lava sea" . One third of the painting is covered by the black weird rock block which is a lava rock by the way. The rock was half  inside the house and the big glass window starts from the edges of it to the top.

 

"By the lava sea" 

( view from the Cesar Manrique's former house "Taro de Tahiche")

Oil on canvas, 90 x 65 cm. 

I can actually show you with a picture so you can get better idea. It's another room in the house but facing to same direction almost. You see now the vast amount of lava, it's amazing!

 

Cesar Manrique's former house "Taro de Tahiche" . Today is his foundation and museum. For more info
http://www.cesarmanrique.com

From white to grey, red, green and the others

During July month I worked on the cactusueños paintings. Progress is advancing slowly… It is always pleasure to work with oil colours but they dry slowly but I don't wanna rush... I put the undertones of the paintings and did some sketches on the actual canvases. I will put more photos here soon …

On the other hand "the portrait of a young woman" is in this state. Still, many layers to add... The composition effectively satisfied me. The background is coming up well. New images will come soon, thanks for visiting my artlog.

Welcomeback to "CactuSueños"

In 2003, when I moved from New York to Gran Canaria I found the island has vast diversity of  vegetation, all kinds. Especially the cactus plant which always I admired its flower, the untouchable spine and its fruit "tuna"...  I visited in the island several botanical gardens, including the biggest cactus garden "Cactualdea" which is the biggest in all Europe and also the biggest botanical garden " Jardin del botanico" in Europe, as well. Learning the Canarian art history I wasn't suprized that this beautiful plant inspired many Canarian artists, like myself...

A good example, one of the great Gran Canarian painters called " Néstor Martín- Fernández de la Torre" (1887-1937)

Néstor Martín- Fernández de la Torre

Triptic Mural "El Mar"- lateral derecho- Casino Isla Tenerife

 The very first cactus painting was a group of cactus called the type of "cordon" in our garden. Several cactus paintings followed by with these style which looks like "abstract figurative".

Orange flowerd cactus

Oil on canvas, 60 x 100 cm., 2004 

The transition was inevitable, folowing few years the subject of cactus didn't changed but the paintings formed by with new colours, tecniques and additionally using my selfportraits. A very first painting with these style I think, it can be called as "figurative symbolism". The name of the series formed after this painting cause, I was portraying myself in each painting dreaming...

Cactusueños I

Oil on panel, 45 x 105 cm., 2007

(SOLD)

I am working on and off with Cactusueños close to 8 years now. You will be seeing soon my latest works... Keep it real, Cheers!

 To see more works visit at my web page

New Studio

These days I was busy working to set my new studio. There are three sections in the studio room; drawing, painting and digital work station. I have lots of light in the afternoons till late hours. Frech air comes through the balcony door  and I can see the park which is right across the street. The floor is covered with very nice ceramic tiles, it's easy to clean. I have a big closet to fill most of supplies and a shelf to put all the mediums and tools. Looking forward to create many artworks in this new studio...

   View from the new studio

Amicus res rara

“Amicus res rara” True friend is a rare thing

Oil painting and mixed media on canvas - 22 x 22 cm – 2011

If you have at least one good friend in this life you must consider yourself lucky. Latin proverb says “Amicus res rara” (true friend is a rare thing). What is really a true friend for you? Let’s define this person; maybe someone you can understand and express yourself or someone you can count on, someone gives you his/her friendship without any expectations… I love this song “Friends” by “Flight of the concords. Enjoy it! Have a wonderful week! Don't forget to keep in touch with your good friends...

How I designed table tops with artworks

At the end of 2011 I got hired for designing table tops for a new restaurant which will be open at the end of February in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. I prepared 10 different design drafts and 3 were chosen by this client. To create these designs I used some images of my "cactusueños" oil colour painting series. The client was very happy with my artwork, she is offering more design jobs for her new restaurant. Actually last year she purchased one of my painting ( see Cactusueños II ). When someone appreciates of my creativity and hardwork and comebacks to me it really turns me on and gives me a lots of motivation! It's great way to start to the new year :))

Table top design, oil paiting images on pvc, 1 m. diameter January 2012

From studio's window

In the beginning of 2012 we have this fantastic weather in Gran Canaria. Actually we are expecting the cold weather soon at the peaks of the island and they say it may even snow this year!

What I see from my painting studio's window. Beautiful green valley with the palm trees and view to Atlantic ocean...

A wish from 2012 - Terra firma

"Terra firma" Stable earth

Oil on canvas and mixed media, 22 x 22cm., 2011

I wish a stable and strong earth from 2012. No more shakes, my home country, Turkey suffered several earthquakes just few months ago. Many devistated stories and sadness...

Schumann, aria, sonata n.1, op.11, Claudio Arrau, vanitas, trompe l´oeil

Vita est Somnium

Life is a Dream (La vida es sueño) is a Spanish language play by Pedro Calderón de la Barca. First published in 1635 (or possibly early in 1636), it is a philosophical allegory regarding the human situation and the mystery of life. (by Wikipedia )

"Vita est Somnium" Life is a dream (SOLD)
Oil on canvas and mixed media, 22 x 22cm., 2011

Life is a Dream (La vida es sueño) is a Spanish language play by Pedro Calderón de la Barca. First published in 1635 (or possibly early in 1636), it is a philosophical allegory regarding the human situation and the mystery of life. (by Wikipedia )

Welcome to 2012 from Sirenas of Las Canteras!

On the 31st of December 50 children choreographed by Paola Tirados presenting the swimming show in Las Canteras Beach Gran Canaria, Canary Islands, Spain.