Creative items seen in Istanbul

I was lucky enough to spend some time in Istanbul a few weeks ago. It is a fantastic city, and I really enjoyed my stay there. I was inspired by the colour of the markets because there are endless stalls of fabrics, cushions, ornaments and lighting. There is amazing jewellery, scarves and turkish clothing.


The mosques and palaces are full of  beautiful detailing and painting. The mosaics and tiling are so intricate. This is the main reason for visiting the city for most people.


Here is a selection of colourful things I found creative and worth a second glance in the markets.The reason these items look good is the fact there are so many of them. Collective pattern and bling, which is impossible to ignore.

As someone who makes a lot of cushions, to sell, I am always interested in cushions when I travel to other parts of the world. I took masses of photos of cushions, in shops and on market stalls, to inspire me on my return. I found a lot that were not particularly Turkish, and plenty you could probably find on market stalls in London. However, among the tat was a few I thought were a bit more authentic. I like the woven one made from thick brocade , and the lovely red turkish jacket cushion was very attractive.

I spotted these baskets made from pine cones as I was leaving the market. They are so simple and so effective. Although all the colourful stuff in the market was eyecatching,. most of it is manufactured and aimed at the tourist market.  I am always drawn to things that are handcrafted and original. I can imagine someone going out to collect these pinecones, and working in their home or simple studio to make them in to baskets. 

A wall in the Topkapi Palace. This is so inspirational for all sorts of art work. it makes me want to do a mosaic, either out of tiles or just from coloured paper.

The architecture in Istanbul is so stunning.  Almost on every corner you can see a mosque. I liked this simple, but very bold, stylised painting on the side of a bus. The design would make a good greetings card .

I found this painting of Istanbul in a small gallery near the Blue Mosque. most of the paintings were collages and patterns, but a few included  images of the city. The city view had been worked on top of a torn paper and paint collage.