Turkish Miniature Paintings

I became very interested in the art of Miniature Paintings while I was reading “My Name is Red” from Orhan Pamuk.

My visit to Cyprus

With some of my friends, family in Cyprus

I will always fondly remember my vist to Cyprus September - October 2007. Especially meeting up with my very best friends from high school years. I dedicate this page to my lovely friends Aydin, Meral, Tulin and all the other Kolej members of course, my brother Sermen and his wife Janan as well as our beautiful cousins Derya and Ercan who looked after us while our stay in this breath taking little heaven called Cyprus.

With some of my school mates: Vecihe, Serife, Tulin, Yonca, Aydin, Me, Soguda. Suprise meeting with them after 20 years was really exciting.

With Meral who took the photo above and spend quite a few days entertaining me in Cyprus.

Here with Aydin an her Mum (Aydin arranged the surprise meeting with the group as above and have me over at her place, as well as taking me around )

Dincer, Aydin and mum

At Bella Pais with Meral and Janan

At Bella Pais with Meral (Bella Pais is an old Venitian Monastery)


At the Peanut restaurant see the peanuts on the table? With Aydin and Meral.

At the beach with sexy Meral

My Brother Sermen and his wife Janan

and their holiday house we stayed most of the time.

And the garden with it's lovely pool.

At front of the Great Inn (from Ottomon times)

This was the hub of town in 1700-1900's.

The yard is now used as a Cafee and Saturday entertainment. While the rooms upstairs are used

as art shops and studios

Inside the Great Inn

Inside the Great Inn and my very pretty cousin Derya

More eating with the family


Istanbul






A few pictures from the old part of Istanbul.

I spend 3 days in Istanbul and this area is called Sirkeci and has all the great Roman and Ottoman buildings.



I spend the second day at Taksim, another Roman Greek part of the city now is one of the big shopping centers.

The third day, I meet up with my girlfriend Aydin and her husband Dincer at my hotel, we spend the day shopping, lunching and doing more shopping before our return to Cyprus.

Working with Lotus

Here is my last week's attempts trying to master the elegant Lotus flower, I am using different styles here:




Using mix styles:






Using outline techniques:

Working with Haiying's Lessons

Here is some of my efforts practicing with Haiying : (I am dedicating this post to her)
Practicing with Magnolias:

Putting some texture at the bottom with tissue

Pink Magnolias

Outlining the Magnolias

Practicing with Lotus:
Two Different compositions








Practicing with outlining technique:






Practicing with Lotus flowers and pods

My first paintings with Julia Lo

Here is my early work (October - November, 2006)
(I like to dedicate this page to Julia Lo)


My very first painting


Three little chicks

Fruit and Veggies

Grapes (just loved painting these!!)

Bird 1 (took a bit of practice)

Bird 2 (was a little easier)


Trees (really enjoyed painting them)

Rocks and texturing (needed a a bit of practice)

My recent paintings with my new teacher Gu:

I had a little help from Haiying with the leaves here.

This was a copy from one of the older paintings, the crane looks a little different to the actual cranes.

Learning Chinese Brush Painting

Chinese Brush Paintings

I have always admired Chinese art, ceramics and paintings since young age. Last October, 2006, I started to attend to a Chinese Brush Paintings classes which I enjoyed tremendously.

My first teacher Julia Lo was inspirational. I studied with her for eight weeks and learned the first basic brush strokes with her. I also have atended a few classes of Sumi-e painting with Andre Solier and hoping to get back to studying with him again this year.

I am a member of a Yahoo Chinese Brush Painting group which has been a tremendous help and given me the opportunity to talk to other ensusiastic artists and teachers of this art.