Ottostop Design

A slightly unnerving Sunday today as Bodrum is hosting a "Hayır" rally, (supporting a No vote in the upcoming referendum) and the area around the castle is full of police, riot police and a TOMA, an armoured vehicle. I have never seen anything like this before in Bodrum and I don't like it. However, if I hadn't walked to this part of town, I would have been blissfully unaware as the rest of Bodrum is unaffected.  

Last Sunday was completely different.  I had a fantastic time on board Karen V, one of Bodrum's most long established day-trip boats, learning how to screen print. 

The course was organised by Leyla Temiz, a bubbly Mancunian, with an infectious laugh and an enthusiasm for screen printing which has seen her abandon a career as an English teacher in Istanbul to set up Ottostop Design, a screen printing business in Fethiye on Turkey's Mediterranean coast.

After a brief introduction and demonstration we were allowed to get stuck in with stencils, inks and squeegees and although we couldn't produce anything as beautiful as Leyla's pomegranates and watermelons, we all made something worth taking home.

Several times I questioned Suat and Karen's judgement in allowing a group of amateurs with ink covered fingers to slop colour so close to their cabin cushions, but I think they escaped unscathed and to stage a workshop on a boat was an inspired choice, not only for the light but a crew member serving wine was very welcome (plus a delicious fruit cake made by Leyla's mother Pat, which deserves a blog post of its own).

You can catch Leyla's lessons in several Turkish towns and cities - details and photographs are on her Facebook page Ottostop Design Facebook  and you can buy her prints and follow her blog on her website Ottostopdesign.com

Photo from Ottostop Design Facebook page