Yalnızlık / Loneliness

"Yalnızlık   / Loneliness   "

12"x9" watercolor painting on watercolor paper

My Growing World Series

Original painting for sale

Red Balloon

"Red Balloon"

12"x9" watercolor painting on watercolor paper

My Growing World Series

Original painting for sale

Yalnızlığa Doğru / Towards Loneliness

"Yalnızlığa Doğru / Towards Loneliness"

9"x12" watercolor painting on watercolor paper

My Growing World Series

Original painting for sale

FIKRET MUALLA SAYGI (1903-1967)

Fikret Mualla was born in Istanbul in 1903, the son of an aristocratic family. Everything was good until he suffered an accident when he was twelve years old.  An injury to his leg would leave him with a limp for the rest of his life, greatly affecting him.  After a while his mother passed away as well. These events gave him deep sorrow.  

After his mother’s death his father married to a younger woman. Because of all the changes in his life, he became angry and unbalanced. At the age of seventeen, he was sent to Switzerland to study engineering. He felt as though he was kicked out of the house. 

While in Switzerland, he realized that he was interested in art, and after a while he went to Germany to study painting.  He was shy and lonely in Germany. When he didn’t paint, he was drinking alcohol. In 1928, he was hospitalized for the first time for his alcoholism. 

In 1928 he went back to Turkey. He gave art lessons, but couldn’t find attention in Istanbul.  He began to give lectures and wrote books.  At the same time he was drawing stage costumes and drawing illustrations for books, in addition to painting. 

In 1934 he had his first reception in Istanbul, which went mostly unnoticed.

His father passed away in 1938. Fikret Mualla recceived an inheritance and decided to move to Paris, where he would spend the rest of his life. 

During a 1954 reception in Paris, he sold his all paintings and finally began to gain people’s attention. As he became better connected with the artists of Paris, he gained respect and fame.  

But he still suffered from mental illness, and had to be committed to asylums several times.  He painted to forget about his troubles and to be happy. That’s why he was not affected by other painting styles. He used his feelings. He made his own style, and focused on painting cities, Istanbul, Paris, people, streets, cafes and fishermen.

It was rumored that Picasso bought one of his paintings in exchange for one of Mualla's.  Fikret Mualla the reprotedly sold it for a bottle of raki, the national drink of Turkey. 

After his death Turkish government bought his paintings and exhibited in Ankara.

His life story has had a profound effect on me and the way I look at painting.  I feel that the kind of adversity Mualla experienced fueled his creativity, and while his life was tragic, it resulted in a beautiful body of work.

Here are some of his paintings that I really enjoy;

Who?

"Who?"

12"x9" Acrylic Painting on Canson acrylic paper 98lb

My Growing World Series

Original painting for sale

I saw the moon

"I saw the moon"

12"x9" Acrylic Painting on Canson acrylic paper 98lb

My Growing World Series

Original painting for sale


Who else saw the moon?

A day at the National Gallery of Art

 I was at the National Gallery of Art today. I had really fun. I like the environment; paintings, paintings and more paintings!

This is the only painting by Da Vinci in the US!


'Ginevra de' Benci'
Leonardo Da Vinci

Isn't it a great painting? I like the contrast most!

'Woman holding a balance'
Vermeer

Did you know that the woman on the painting killed herself ?


'Lucretia'
Rembrandt

National Gallery of Art is a really nice place!
You can walk around, shop, have a cup of coffee, smell the plants! 

Venice! There are many things to say about it! My Dream City!


'Approach to Venice'
JMW Turner

What a big size painting! Very detailed, awesome colors!




'Napoleon Bonapart'
Jaques-Louis David

I can tell many things about Van Gogh! He is the guy who inspires me a lot! He is the guy who made me start painting! I really, really love his paintings!

 I like the colors and style a lot! It's awesome, very effective!

 
 'Gypsy woman with baby'
Amedeo Modigliani

 
Awesome colors, contrast and style! Look at her face! Isn't she very confident! 


'Odalisque'
Auguste Renoir

I have another painting of Van Gogh! 

This is a shot from the museum!  I really like the design, lights!

'Multiverse'

Leo Villareal

This is a massive painting which I liked. I thought the design would make a good background for a photo of me.


Painting with the Statue of Liberty, 1983
Roy Lichtenstein

He is the another painter who inspires me!

Open Window Callioure, 1905
Henri Matisse

               

I can't believe they have this painting hidden in a corner of the museum! People are surprised to see a Dali painting.


'The Sacrament of the last supper' 1955

Salvador Dali