Spontaneous Combustion

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After the Fall 9" x 7" Acrylic on card

After the Fall
9″ x 7″ Acrylic on mount board

The mountains that surround us here in Fethiye are covered in pine forests and Spontaneous Combustion is a good description of the speed in which fires develop in this tinder dry environment.  Unfortunately there is nothing mystical about them and they are mostly caused by carelessness with cigarettes.  However,  barbecue fires,  Chinese lanterns and fireworks contribute and an article in our local news reporting the temporary banning of these activities  was in mind as I watched our local firefighting helicopter dumping huge buckets of water on the latest outbreak.  They begin with a wisp of smoke but just seconds later flames shoot up and trees almost explode in the heat.  Our daily breezes are onshore and away from the town but I’d hate to see one of  these fires develop with an offshore breeze.  Our fire fighting service are doing a fantastic job and I dedicate this painting to them.

 

 

Recycling Turkish style

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Geraniums on a wall 11" x 8" Acrylic on card

Geraniums on a wall
11″ x 8″ Acrylic on mount board

The container of choice around here is a recycled olive oil can.  Everywhere you look you will see  them along the edges of garden paths or perched atop stone walls leading their second lives as garden plant pots.  The filling of choice is the geranium followed closely by chillies and tomatoes.  Depending on the standard of the owner’s green fingers they range in quality from straggly, underwatered and underfed, sad cases to splendid, bushy specimens in the peak of condition.  It’s the cans themselves that fascinate me as in their original, pristine state they are normally highly decorated examples of mediterranean product advertising featuring bucolic landscapes, portraits, poultry, ornate patterns and obviously olives in all their forms.  After time, rust takes over and the beauty of the design slowly fades, replaced by a different kind of beauty.  A bit like their owners, come to think of it.

Home again, naturally

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Barmouth garden1 (L)

Barmouth Garden
11″ x 8″ Acrylic on mount board

It pains me to admit it but the return flight  was excellent in every way and the outgoing flight only became a nightmare when the mother of the two year old sat next to me gave him a can of a well known Energy drink.  Credit where it’s due, a big Thank You to Thomas Cook.

So I’m back in Turkey after a month working in Barmouth, the beautiful Welsh town where we still have a business.  The Snowdonia countryside was stunning as always and it was great to meet up with friends but I prefer it here in almost every way.

I’m starting with an impression  of a corner of our seaside garden in Wales while it’s still fresh in my mind.  It certainly left an impression on my back tidying up after a gap of nearly a year.

Kaş sunset

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Kaş sunset 12" x 8" Acrylic on card

Kaş sunset
12″ x 8″ Acrylic on mount board

We have owned a house and business in the coastal town of Barmouth in Wales for 23 years.  Nowadays, it’s a factory outlet store selling the Regatta outdoor clothing range.  If you are ever nearby, pop in and say hello to the wonderful Teresa and Louıse.  Barmouth is a truly beautiful location, sandwiched between the Irish sea and the mountains of Snowdonia and, although we prefer the climate here, we love it there.  Actually, by now I’m looking forward to a bit of rain!  Anyway, as Barmouth is a tourist town I  must go over to work in the summer.  I’m leaving tonight but I’ll be back in a month and meanwhile I’ll try to do some watercolour painting in the hills, but that’s not really relevant to this blog.  So sadly, I have to leave you temporarily with this sunset painting of Kaş.

Cadianda

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Cadianda 12" x 9" Acrylic on card

Cadianda
12″ x 9″ Acrylic on mount board

Cadianda, an early Byzantine settlement, located 25 kilometres from Fethiye on a hilltop outside Uzumlu,  has suffered in numerous ways through the centuries but there is still plenty to see. Nowadays, the ruins lie hidden among the trees, but this was once a sizeable city complete with an ampitheatre, an agora, a necropolis, many tombs in a variety of styles, a Hellenistic theatre and a stadium and racetrack. Most of the ruins are from the Roman period although the earlier name suggests the original settlement, Kadawanti, dates to 3000 B.C.  I prefer to wander the circular path clockwise when the site unfolds with a succession of surprises and spectacular views of Fethiye during the climb to the top. There is an element of danger here as the summit area is pocketed with the remains of 4 interconnecting deep cisterns into which the careless could fall. Water shortages and earthquakes were a problem up here and Cadianda was ultimately abandoned by the 7th Century.

Caroline and Jon’s wedding

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Caroline and Jon 36" x 24" Acrylic on canvas

Caroline and Jon
36″ x 24″ Acrylic on canvas

This is not my usual oeuvre but inspiration comes from many sources. My neice married in Australia and, as we missed the occasion, I painted this portrait as a surprise wedding present. The shipping quote from Fethiye to Melbourne was outrageous so I’ve had to wait until it was finally delivered by hand  (oversize baggage foc with Etihad, by the way) before I could post this image. I’ve heard from her mum that they like it so I’m happy!

Tomb Bay

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Lycian Rock Tombs in Tomb Bay

Lycian Rock Tombs in Tomb Bay

Sailing in Tomb Bay Fethiye

Sailing in Tomb Bay Fethiye

Tomb Bay

 

Just 15 miles, not far from here

Across a space so crystal clear

A sea where the Meltimi blows

Sailing west, the compass shows.

Tomb Bay where the dust has blown

From people laid to rest in stone

Into the water deep and blue

The reflections that once were you

And on a rocky outcrop crown

Where white goats are staring down

Graves are hewn from ochre rock

Now empty caverns without locks

Among the Oleander there

When Sweetgum scents the evening air

I wander up the stony trail

To try to find a ghostly tale

And Tomb Bay was the place to go

When Ziggy died and we were low

Then reminders of the times we shared

Were all around, so much despair

Tomb Bay where the Lycians laid

Their dead to rest in ancient days

But now 3000 years have passed

Did they believe that they would last

Forever…..

Tony Taylor, July 2013

Kaş

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Kas Landscape 10" x 8" Acrylic on card

Kaş Landscape
10″ x 8″ Acrylic on mount board

Kaş is a small fishing, diving, yachting and tourist town, with its narrow streets scented with jasmine flowers, and a district of Antalya Province of Turkey.  As a tourist town it is still relatively unspoilt. There are plenty of little guest houses, quiet cafes serving home cooking, or small bars to relax in.  It has an annual arts festival, jazz concerts in the Hellenistic theatre and occasional underwater ceramics exhibitions.  In the early 1990s tourism started booming in Kaş, with visitors mainly from the UK and Germany. This growth of tourism brought an explosion in apartment building and often unlicenced development, which is seriously threatening the landscape and the environment. Particularly affected is the beautiful Çukurbağ Peninsula, west of the town, where many luxury hotels have been built.

Ziggy R.I.P.

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Ziggy Who died today, aged one

Ziggy
Who died today, aged one

I painted this portrait of Ziggy, our beautiful Vizla, for Gina’s birthday last week and had intended to post it today on Ziggy’s birthday to celebrate all the great times we’ve had.

Now I have to tell you that Ziggy died suddenly in the night. It was an awful shock when Gina found her this morning. Ziggy was exactly one year old and we have no idea why she died, there are no signs and she was perfectly normal at 11pm last night. It seems there are many causes of sudden death in young dogs, my best guess is something related to the distemper she had when we rescued her, heart failure or a seizure perhaps. The vet and our neighbours all say the most likely cause is a snake bite.

She came into our lives like a bolt of lightning, shining brilliantly for just a moment, leaving her presence burned into our minds.  We are content that we gave her the best life that we could and sad that we couldn’t say goodbye.  We know that she will be playing forever in the garden of our memories