HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO ALL!

Monet's Turkeys

Tomorrow, November 28th will be Thanksgiving here in the United States.  It is a day that we celebrate Thankfulness because of our history of Native Americans sharing food with the first Pilgrims that settled in America.  The pilgrims were starving, not prepared for an American winter, with few supplies and inadequate shelter.  There is great discourse on where the first Thanksgiving took place, but the act of giving and sharing is paramount in the holiday. It is a day now American families travel and come together to share a meal and visit.  Traditionally Turkey is roasted, mashed potatoes and sweet potato casserole cooked and pumpkin pie is baked.  College football is on tv and everyone falls asleep after a big meal. I guess we can call it the art of an American Cultural event.  Oh yes, and everyone is expected to say what they are thankful for.  I am thankful for you, all Rabbit's Moon Studio readers and supports.  Happy Thanksgiving to you All!

THE INSTALLATIONS OF MEHMET ALI UYSAL

MEHMET ALI UYSAL

Merhaba Turkey! 

 When I saw Mehmet's large clothes pin it made me think of Claes Oldenburg's large sculptures

Mehmet Ali Uysal     Turkey/Turkiye                       from google image for educational purposes only

Mehmet Ali Uysal                                   from google image for educational purposes only

Claes Oldenburg       from google for education only

  After living in Turkey for two years, in Izmir I have a great deal of affection for the country and its people.  I often think there would be world peace much sooner of we only experienced each others cultures up close and personal.

I was on sabbatical from Pinellas County School System to study Islamic art and Turkish folk arts.  I was welcomed into communities and treated as an honored guest. Dokuz Eyul Univerisy in Izmir and the Topkapi Museum in Istanbul were very supportive and helpful during that time. 

Mehmet's sculptures are playful and seem to transform what ever space they are in.  I encourage you to learn more about this young artist and follow his career. Since 1990's Turkey has changed a good bit, and the art scene has grown tremendously. Now Istanbul host the Istanbul Biennial which is one of the art worlds most famous venues internationally.

Hello Izmir, Turkiye!!!

Merhaba!  It is so good to see you peaking in on the blog.  I have two years of really good memories from Izmir and Turkey.  I was fortunate to see a good part of your lovely country while I was there.  I know it has changed a lot since the 90's, but I will never forget the friendliness of the people and the beauty of your country.  I especially loved all the beautiful architecture and the Turkish folk arts.  
One of my favorite memories is looking out at the lights on the surrounding mountains.  It always reminded me of Van Gogh's Starry Night.  Thank you Izmir, for so many good memories.

Izmir at Night                                    from google image for educational purposes only

Izmir, Turkey

Merhaba Izmir, Turkiye
It is so nice to have you visit.  I lived in Izmir for two years and enjoyed it so very much.  I still remember looking at the homes on the hillsides light up like a million stars and eating calamari along the bay!  

Izmir

Tales of Santa Claus/Around the World

When I lived in Izmir, Turkey I heard the most wonderful tale about Santa Claus and his origin.  I even went to Myra visit the site.  For years after I told the story to the Children in my art classes, and with delight their younger siblings would ask for me to tell the story year after year.  I was looking for the story when I discovered this site to share with you about Santa Claus stories from all over the world.  Enjoy, our world is rich with imagination and delight!
Santa Claus Stories From Around the World(click on this phrase and it will take you to the link with all the stories of Santa)

Making the World a Better Place through Art

I would love to have feedback from all of you in your area of the world as to the ways we can use art to make the world a better place. It can be for an individual, a group of people, for the globe..it can be for a greener world, or a more peaceful world, or a world where we bypass politics and reach out to each other. In living in many other countries for extended lengths of time, the one thing I learned well is people are wonderful everywhere, it is the governments that divide us and make us feel distance from each other. I have learned so much from other cultures and learned quickly that my culture is not the center of the world, but that I am a citizen of a larger world and we are all a member of the human race. We share a planet, we breathe the same air, and depend on the same resources. We all love, feel pain and sadness, we all hurt, and we all struggle and suffer with bad times and obstacles. We are more alike than we are different. I truly believe art can make a difference as a flux for people to work together in a peaceful hopeful way, learning and sharing. When I lived in the Philippines I learned how close family relationships can be, I learned how loved a child can be by all the members of a family, I learned that patience and a soft voice can go a long way. I learned what being a host was, when a guest was present. I also learned the loudest people in any room were Americans.

When I lived in Turkey I learned what hospitality was truly about. I learned loyalty to friendship were paramount. I learned religions different from my own were not threatening, but interesting. I learned about the value of tradition. I have learned the value of traditional functional arts.

I have learned from where ever I have traveled and lived. It is the university of the world, if you are open to learn. I learned no matter how small the country, how rural the area, there were things that were superior to civilized countries.

Here is a site I recently saw on line that supports local artists in rural areas and supports indigenous cultures. It is called Better World Arts. Another positive idea that is helping end gang graffiti and promote a more peaceful environment is the Philadelphia Mural Project. To see all the murals takes three different tours and several days. The key to the success of the program was community involvement.

If you have difficulty leaving comments on the site, just e-mail me directly with your ideas and suggestions. My e-mail address is rabbits5@aol.com

Please join me in this quest, together we can do a lot! Lets reach out and make the world a better place through the arts!

Ebru, The Turkish Art of Marbling Paper

Here is another site you will enjoy on the Turkish Art of Ebru(water technique) of Marbling Paper. This is also listed in the column on the right of websites of interest in clickable form.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=NQSWmkt6-Hk&feature=related

MERHABA TURKEY!!!!

I lived in Izmir two years and traveled widely in Turkey. It so nice to see a reader from a favorite place of mine in this world. The Topkapi, Pamukale Falls, Cappidocia, Antalya, Bursa, Istanbul, doner Kebabs, calamari...oh, I could go on and on. Tesekkur ederim! (thank you!)

Artist Made Books

This is a handmade book I created during a workshop at Arrowmont Art Center in Gatlinburg, Tennessee. I use a Japanese stab binding stitch to sew the pages together. The rusted found object is a door number I found when living in Izmir, Turkey. I love the worn, old, used, lived look of the metal piece and the thought of it as a door opening. The photo of the camel is one I took at a camel wrestling event near Izmir. I cut a window in the handmade paper and glued sandpaper for additional texture. The photo of the children were taken on a trip taken to the near by town of Bergama. I added a sheet of velum over the photo to add a hint of mystery, and the idea of peaking in on another's world. Lastly the ball is a carved bone bead with leather string. Bookmaking takes patience and lots of measuring and remeasuring. If you are off even a fourth of an inch in one part, the next part is off even more! But I was still pleased with the results. What do you think?

I like to think of all my readers as an extended world family and perhaps together we can find a little spot together where it is peaceful and all the world's problems are at bay for awhile. So let me introduce you to another family member. This is Zafer. He is eight now. He was brought home by partner, who works for Hospice, one day. His owner had cancer and had to find a home for some kittens. Zafer fit in the palm of my hand the day he came home. He is part Japanese Bob tail and has a unique personality. He is skittish with all but us, and aloof like all cats. He decides when he will accept your love! As he gets older he has mellowed and has become a big time night cuddler. He likes to like in my art studio on top of my drawings. The sun comes in for him just right there and he can laze and sleep all day dreaming of mice dancing in his head!

Zafer is a Turkish name. We named him after one of our very best friends in Izmir. I will always thing of him as Rick in Casablanca..so handsome. Here's to you Zafer in Izmir!