Red Tulips in a glass,
Watercolour, 10″x 8″

TULIPS

In Turkish history, the period between 1718-1730, a time of peace and prosperity during the reign of Ahmed III, is called the “Tulip Era” and Tulips or Lale in Turkish, became an important symbol in Turkish life thereafter. Many embroidered and handmade textiles, ceramics and artwork featured tulip designs and shapes and Tulip gardens were popular around the Golden Horn. In fact many cultivated varieties were widely grown here long before they were introduced to European gardens. This Era ended with the Patrona Halil revolt in 1730 when the Sultan was dethroned. As I painted this, thousands of tulips were being hand planted by large crews of village workers in the parks and gardens, along the promenade and in central reservations and traffic islands right across  Fethiye.

Poppy, Watercolour,
10″ x 8″

POPPIES

In 3,400 B.C. when the opium poppy was cultivated in lower Mesopotamia it was known as Hul Gil, the “joy plant.”  And what a lot of joy we manage to get from this flower!   Painkillers like morphine and codeine,  ornamental flowers for the garden and food like bagels for example, it’s even planted for soil erosion control,. Sadly, in it’s more dangerous guise as Heroin, it’s responsible for many wars and atrocities, most famously in the Opium wars of the mid 1800’s and today in Afghanistan and the Far East. Round here though, the sight of meadows full of pink poppies is one of the true joys of summer.