East meets West in Istanbul

Istanbul deserves a blog of its own. A remarkable city of 13 million people it sprawls over the beginning of Asia and the end of Europe over a rippling carpet of hills separated by the epic Bosphorus Straits. There are things to explore wherever you go. At the end of the tour we switched to a hotel in the area of Sultanhamet, a bit touristy as it holds the Haghia Sophia, the Blue Mosque, A cistern of Justinius and the Hippodrome of the Roman period,Topkapi Palace and more things of legends. Once your mind wraps around those things you wander the streets and bazaars and try to take it all in. We wandered our last day to the Egyptian Bazaar aka the Spice Bazaar and the Grand Bazaar- is it ever. There are all world nationalities wandering around everywhere. We helped a Yemeni man take a picture with his family, you hear French, German, English, Aussie English and Arabic of all kinds. The Turks are friendly wherever you go and willing to help with your questions. Over all the cosmopolitan atmosphere is the call to prayer echoing over the traffic and hustle and bustle. I cannot imagine a more exotic place. 

East meets West, poor and rich, smells and sights. From sultans to seamen there is a sense of real history and cultural blending far beyond our current era. Tour guides rattle off periods of history more than a thousand years ago and one has a sense of being rather inconsequential to the stream of things. 

We wander through the streets, mostly filled with men hawking their wares, cats are everywhere, some of the nicest cats we have ever seen roaming a city. I saw no trace of rats, undoubtably they are there but for such a crowded city that is not wealthy the streets were in pretty good shape. Traffic is horrendous, pollution a serious problem. We cough, they cough and smoke their turkish tobacco. Pockets of tourists sit in squares with hookahs and sweet smelling smoke and we are constantly surrounded with things to buy. Everywhere. Rugs, food, evil eyes, jewelry, housewares, costumes, textiles and on it goes. A bit overwhelming to say the least. We rest for tea or cherry juice in the shadow of another fabulous mosque.

Turkey 4 en route to Ephesus

Modern Turkey is fast encroaching of traditional Turkey. Women in full Muslim dress chat on cell phones with shiny nikes on their feet. Solar water heaters are easily seem on concrete houses and high rises, alongside satellite dishes and ceramic chimneys. In one town we passed through the bottles on the roof signified an eligible woman to marry. Break the bottle, court the woman.

I suspect that in another ten years the old Turkey will be that much harder to find. Mores the pity. The good thing is that education is a priority. I am hopeful that that will also encompass environmental education as the countryside is so beautiful yet there is evidence that the people do not quite comprehend the effects of pollution yet. For so many people to be captured in the places like Istanbul and Denisli it will take some public service programs to balance the conditions of habit. Biggest industries in the area that we have driven through, cotton (denim is a big export for Levis, Lee’s and Wrangler), olive oil, hazelnuts, pomegranates. In the roadside rest stops there is a guy who stands pressing oranges and pomegranates for the most delicious juice. You feel taller and healthier drinking it. 

Tourism is a huge business and one has to remember that it has always been so. This, the passageway between the Orient and Europe has, for centuries been innundated with multilingual, multicultural groups. We are often joined and passed by germans, Chinese, Spanish, Russians and many others. Some of the gypsies selling “evil eye” trinkets and cotton balls have mastery over words of English, predpominately, “Lady” and “Money" Bartering gets old and we long to just pay the price that's owed. That is not the culture. We continue to haggle.

Turkey 3 Antalya

 

Turkey is as varied as any country but much much more historied. It is the beginning of the Tigres  and Euphrates Rivers, the walking place of St. Paul and others, the spot of mythology and of culture. We have passed through the bread basket of the country beween Kapadokya and Antalyan the Mediterranean and have now passed once again over the Taurus Mountains that run the length of the country to the south and head toward the Aegean and the Greek influenced coast.

Predominate crops seem to be- at this time of the year- pumpkins and others of the squash family You see them in the fields and stacked by the houses,as restaurant ornaments and being picked for seeds. Fields are interspersed with grazing land and shepherds can be seen with their dogs among the now dry grasses.

The rivers influence don’t run far into the country. It is very dry where we are right now but there are free flowing rivers that are well known for their trout (deliciously enjoyed for yesterday’s lunch). Goat cheese is presented with every breakfast and dinner buffet. Wine is the drink of choice for Turkish meals, also beer. Raki, the synonym for Turkish ouzu is drunk for celebrations, gatherings and pick me ups.

When you look into the villages, and during weekends you see parents with their children everywhere. It is a matriarchal society and families are centermost in the Turkish culture.. It is also a very interactive culture, by that I mean there is much hugging, arm and arm and other close contact that is  a characteristic of daily life. 

They are friendly people.

I like it here.

Turkey II Kapadokya

We are quite in love with this area of Turkey as I was told we would be. The rugged dry beauty is just astounding. We forego-ed (forewent?) a balloon ride today although the next time we come it will be on the list. Awesome place to balloon and the weather was great. We wandered around the open air museum at Goreme and saw a number of churches carved into the rock dating back to the 4th century. We also walked around this cute Greek town before lunch. Following lunch we stopped at a local family's house and met some terrific women who had great senses of humor.

Yesterday we went to look at the amazing rocks and went into the underground cities. Had a cool guide who knew the caves like old friends. I didn't think I would be able to do the closeness thing but it worked out fine. I just had to stop thinking about where I was! We went to a fabulous pottery place that was a bit too dear but we gave in to the Turkish carpets today and they are sending them via UPS. The food is interesting and we are finding out how to get the most out of our hotels. We of course, would like to wander more but keep up with the group. The dynamics are settling out better and the guides are getting into the groove. We learn how to sneak away quick and buy figs, apricots and nuts from the vendors in the squares. I take little pictures here and there. Seems like I take pictures all the time but then I weed through them and wish I had taken more.


Tomorrow we are off again, toward Ephesus.

Topsy Turkey

We have concluded a couple days of Turkey. Hard to believe. Catching up with the jet lag has been a surprisingly challenging experience. Getting old? Maybe. But still willing, so there you go. We are currently waiting for a small domestic flight to take us to Kapadokya in southern Turkey. 

Istanbul was interesting, very large and crowded. We saw the equivalent of the mall in DC, a very small area including the Hagia Sophia, the Blue Mosque, the Grand Bazaar (very Grand) and a hurried visit to Topkapi Palace which, although lovely, was hard to compare to the Generalife in Granada Spain. As a fellow group member reminded me Spain is richer and the climate quite different. 

Nonetheless the tiles of the mosques were quite lovely and the architecture truly a work of achievement in what we saw. The photos will attest to that. The Ottomans, the Hittites, the Romans, the this and that, it’s a lot to absorb.

 My Favorite Thing of the day- the streets.

This is a city of 13 million people. I had no idea. It is on two sides of the Bosphorus straddling Asia and Europe and the flavor of the city reflects the diversity of the heritage. Young tatooed people, older women in full muslim dress, sassy boots and European suits. Istanbul seems to have it all. I look forward to wandering around when we come back in a week plus. The people are friendly and the food fresh and good. Istanbul is no bargain when it comes to shopping or eating but it is a city and we are seeing pretty much the tourist area. Our hotel was modern and clean, a nondescript Hilton and had the most sumptuous breakfast display. 

There is a marathon taking place in the city today, running from Asia to Europe, or perhaps it is the other way around but streets will be closed and there is an air of excitement prevailing. Can it be a metaphor for the world? Istanbul certainly is a good indication of a global sampling. It has been interesting to think of the centuries of tourists that have passed through here, so much history and trade for thousands of years. A good place to observe and reflect.

Mushrooms

Just because I haven't written does not mean that life is dull. The mushrooms that have been popping up everywhere lately are awesome. So awesome that I have been really getting into them. Look at these. Don't eat these. I cooked some up and had a tasty bite, meaty not bad flavor. Then I found them identified on the internet. They were not some sort of chanterelle mushroom as I imagined. They were Jack-o-lanterns and could give major gastric upset for several days. Luckily there were no such effects for me and so feeling as stupid as I was I threw them out. Only to find later that if I had taken them in a dark room they would glow. How cool was that! I was just stupid here all the way around. But look at some of these other non edibles. You have to admire just their sheer showmanship
If you were a smurf this would be your kind of place. I do wonder when you see nibbles taken out of poisonous mushrooms, where is the little dead body? Or does something eat it  that it doesn't affect. If so, what?
The whitish ones are a form of fly agaric-not edible and easily discernible but very picturesque. I can't figure what the grouped ones are but I did not want to eat them. Wiser? I am proof that old dogs learn new tricks.

Where are the fairies?

Mea culpa

Maine is a beautiful place. I need to remind you of that because you may not be here and myself of that because I am. In the summertime everyone who lives here, rich or poor has guests come in. That is a Maine thing to do. It is not designated on license plates as Vacationland for no reason. During the summer the weather is clear as a bell and the water literally sparkles. Hard to beat. Add wildlife and water breezes and you remember why you're here. Case in point, here's a picture taken from the Pemaquid Point lighthouse.

The other thing that Maine excels in is local produce. Farmers markets are on Saturdays mostly but some places like Brunswick nearby has them a couple times a week. That makes it particularly nice for me who is into everything about food, textures, smells, combinations and consumption. Let me show you what I mean. This beautiful little goat cheese was wrapped like a presentwhich I was delighted to open, smell and consume.

I have a lot of food pictures and will write accordingly. 

When guests come you try to figure out how many places you can take them to so that they will love Maine too, although there are mixed reviews whether we should do this as we want people to come spend their money here but we don't want it to be crowded. We love our summer guests and love the quiet of the following seasons. A catch 22. It is easy to dawdle about taking people around. One place that was new for me this year was the Botanical Gardens near Boothbay- Awesome. Check it out for yourself. These ceramic sculptures were scattered in the gardens. A multi-seasonal spot that I will return to.

For those of you who enjoy active events you can't beat the hiking and boating. A lot of people come up to Maine and never see the shore- I personally think they are crazy but to each their own.  This past weekend was the Maine Marathon for those of you who would like practice before the Boston. For me, a kayak paddle is just the ticket, although I like a quiet day and a winding River. The Androscoggin, just off our property fits that bill well and is conducive to wildlife on the wing.

All of these pictures I took with company. Company gets you out, gets you going, gives motivation. That is why I haven't written in a while. I will improve over the winter months when no one comes to see us. It does have it's own special beauty and last year we had a milder winter than Washington, I'm just sayin'.... book now.....

Upcoming entries to a benefit show

I am entering a show and wrote up a blurb about the oil pastels I will submit. I am still working on the hen, and probably a bit on the others but you can see what I have been doing anyway. The pieces are ten inches by ten inches, as per the theme of the show. Basically anything goes but it can't be more than 3/4 inch high. I pastels on matt board and created the images on other pieces of matt board, cut them out along the image and will glue them down. It's fast and fun. I will let you know if they sell.

About this 10 x 10 work

I have traveled extensively and as a result have developed a philosophy that the world is an interesting and ever changing place. I am always trying to see what is around me and am usually not without my camera. For this series I am influenced by my photographic images. I see compositions whenever I go out, whatever I do.  Light and texture are especially intriguing in their juxtapositions within my photos.

Lately these inspirations have been translating to oil pastels but I also work in ceramic and wood carvings. I particularly enjoy repetition and negative space in my work, how they influence the composition and are an integral force in any piece. I have introduced the low relief aspect to enhance the negative space and because I enjoy sculptural attributes.

Through teaching I learned the versatility of oil pastels and have translated them to a graphically oriented design of my photographs. The colors seem to suggest themselves as if the piece takes on a life of it’s own.

It is great fun to create these pieces and I hope you will enjoy them as well.

California tripping

A couple weeks West to visit family. I am in the land of great produce which is an exciting thing and beautiful views. Not that Maine is lacking.
Come West I hear and it is a tempting thing. Especially on days when the breeze blows the fog away and you are left with sparkling sky and a pretty healthy population out and about. There are a million and a half things to do here, from eating to sightseeing to sports to arts and it is definitely a contender for retirement. Not too bad to have a built in family base either. A dilemma though. Would I be able to get a job? Would I be able to live in the manner to which I am accustomed and not my vacation mode? Don't know. Need to ponder.
It is crowded and cars are a must. I continue to search. In the meantime I fuel myself with luscious cheese and apricots, raspberries and mexican food and cozy div-y places. Life is good.

Recent works

Print studio experiments

Sunday Brunch

Inspired by a gift - Sarah Leah Chase-"Year Around Cookbook" I had the neighbors over.
Grilled Marinated Flank Steak
Italian Artichoke Tart
Green Salad with cucumbers,  Pomegranate Orange Vinaigrette
Asparagus Vinaigrette
Crusty Rosemary Bread

Lemon Cake

Mimosas, iced tea or sparkling wine

The Italian Artichoke Tart was delish- a star and perfect do ahead. Write me for the recipe. I picked lillies of the valley for the centerpiece with the paperweights-nice.
It is a lovely day. I am taking a nap and then hauling the kayak out of storage 'cause I ain't cooking tonight!

New York Celebrations

Well Emily has graduated. What a time we had in New York. What a great place, What a great daughter. She graduated with honors and has her act together like I never did. We are all so proud and wish her luck as she heads out into the big bad world. She is hoping to stay in the Apple and as long as she can pay her bills it's all right with me.

Mom and I got to the Metropolitan Museum and saw a great Picasso show with a lot of early work and some linoleum block prints that were inspiring. They also had an impressive show of the Limbourg brothers illuminations that I really enjoyed. THey have so much detail in their work and the stories are so amusing. Unfortunately they died of the plague while working for the court. Look them up. You'll be glad you did. And think small, very small, like the picture on the illustration here is as big as your palm if that. New York was so much fun I am including a slideshow. In the post graduation events I am  continuing to attempt to make art and beginning finally to have images and visions pop into my head uncalled for. I will post finished work that works for me.

Stormy weather

All in all it has been a pretty nice spring. We finished the snow and the peepers are out in force. The summer birds are coming in, rose breasted grosbeaks and Baltimore orioles. The blue jays arrived as a gang last week and caused some problems but we have seemed to get back to a normal amount now.

It was a stormy day, cool and blowy and rainy. Interestingly enough the spring flowers hang on tenaciously. We still have tulips along with our lilacs and rhododendrons and I've seen some daffodils I noticed blooming for the third week while waiting for the school bus to move along. A nice mix to happen all at the same time. Not like Washington, which is beautiful but then walloped by heat. Speaking of which I am including a picture of the cherry blossoms this year in DC. What a beautiful day that was! as you can see.
It's almost kayak season.

Taking over Mom's

In our house the finest conversations are about food. That is especially true as we gather at my Mom's house. Holidays are more about the food than the event and we celebrate in fine style when we get together in the creation of food monuments. My mother has a small kitchen, very small, but recently it was  the scene of a grand strawberry rhubarb pie and some marvelous cinnamon buns courtesy of my sister. She is a great baker and has a blog where she has recipes of her efforts. You may want to look at that. I remember when I worked with her in East Hampton at a farmers market. People would line up and wait for her blueberry muffins to come out of the oven. Yes, they were that good.
Cooking in Mom's kitchen got me wondering when we made the transition to feel so comfortable taking over our mothers' kitchen when we would be reluctant to give over our own-except to our children and therein lies the key. Children cooking in the kitchen is a reward in itself. My mom sincerely doesn't seem to mind that we make baked salmon steaks with sweet chili sauce for dinner accompanied with a tossed salad with fresh baby artichokes followed with the strawberry rhubarb pie. Can imagine why.
We are inspired by food, the sense of community it creates and the opportunity to share what we make with those we love. What a payoff!

Yes Virginia, there really is an Ohiopyle

In the Laurel Highlands of Pennsylvania (which is shortly south of Pittsburg) is the Yough River and the Allegheny mountains. Several minutes from Ohiopyle PA is the Frank Lloyd Wright house named Falling Water. It is so named because Bear Run goes right underneath the house and is incorporated in the design.
This was the reason and the setting for a spring getaway, just the girls, to do as we would. What a nice trip. Hiking, biking(from Ohiopyle to Confluence 11 miles each way-painful. Molly was the champion),and shooting(imagine!) filled our time between the cultural enrichment and of course, the beautiful countryside. Too bad the food was less than stellar- but hey, we were off season and a lot of places were closed.
Want an indulgent getaway? Try Nemacolin Woodlands Resort. Not where we stayed. We were at the Yough Plaza Hotel- yes, the Plaza, in Ohiopyle.
Enjoy the pics

Latest edition

The newest addition to my carving family. It is a least tern. Not a very regal name but a rather smart looking bird.

Spring walks

The mid sixties last week made the dogs and I motivated to explore new groound. We went to Phippsburg, the area below Bath and had some lovely walkabouts

Winter is done

The swamp cabbage is blooming and the ice is gone from the bay. Redwing blackbirds are in the yard and there are ducks looking for grasses.
Looks like winter has flown the coop.
Adios!

Ah, Maine winters

The least desirable month of year. The end of winter got me bad in Virginia and has grabbed me  in a death grip in Maine. Following a warm and turquoise cruise we came back to a gale wind storm with buckets o' rain, buckets o' tears- and I do have buckets coming out of my ears.

We lost power the night of the 25th of Feb. and don't expect it back anytime soon.I have never heard such wind in all my long life. It was unsettling. You could hear things bumping around and hitting the windows. One of my neighbors lost part of a roof(check out the pic, There was a roof from the apex to the end of the windows), which landed near another neighbors house. Luckily no one was hurt. There are a lot of trees down and many, many people without power with limited resources to restore them. The latest word from the neighbors-maybe a week. I hope they are wrong. We have a noisy but efficient generator that keeps the basement from flooding and provides heat and water. Life could be worse. I should not complain.

Here is an example of the beating the pines took that I got on our walk to the point. The eagles seem to be all right We have seen them on the ice. MAny branches came down around them but their tree was strong. (How do they know that?) I am heartened that it stays lighter later. We have only to endure for a while then everything will be right as rain. It will be mud season then. Luckily last nights snow is largely melted and was not too much of a bother. I got to the coffee shop in town that is packed with people-whom I gather are also equally without power, internet and low on patience, yet know they have to  endure for some time to come.
The dogs are not keen on the new patterns of living. They are as spoiled as we are, wanting their lights, warmth and quiet at the end of the day. The challenges of flashlight reading are being resolved a little more every night. I shall be an expert soon!
I am continuing with my drawing and carving and trying to stave off the winter blues.
We had a relaxing sun drenched cruise to the Carribean a couple weeks ago-probably what makes this weather harder to handle. See the pix to the side to share some sunny moments.
If you read this, feel free to become a follower so I am not shouting into the wind.

Snow impression

Snow squalls

Airbrush the pine trees,

Frosting the surfaces 

with sugar dust.

Florida in January

Okay, to be honest, there are nice things about Florida, there, I said it. So recognizing my general reluctance to pontificate the pleasures of the Sunshine State I will talk about some of the things that I enjoyed.

When we left Maine on Wednesday morning we walked through the snow with Yaktrax  on our shoes to keep us from slipping to the car which I had parked at the neighbors in case of great snow drop. Luckily it was not so bad and although it was 4:30 in the morning when we got the car on the road no other mishaps were in store.

When we get to Florida, the tropical breezes are pushing a soft 77 degrees across my face. Not a bad way to live I thought, suddenly catching myself with the horror of what I had said. (I have vowed to never live there as I slip solidly into senior-hood) The grass was green the flowers bloom, although you can see that the cold snap from a couple weeks ago definitely took it’s toll. The banana trees and the birds of paradise took a beating. Recovery looks good. Birds abound in all shapes and sizes. Double knits and golf courses glow with radiant health. Lizards scuttle from sun to bush.

We cross a bridge and there is the blue that I love so well- that Caribbean Sea of white sand and turquoise allure. Hard to argue with the pleasure that gives me. 

Our trip was punctuated by a number of events, one I share here is our casual dive, Dune Dog, that serves, of course, a number of hot dogs, but also cold beers and crispy fish sandwiches or grilled dolphin sandwiches (the fish not the mammal). So good, so easy to eat, I long to order another for the joy of wrapping my big mouth around it. I exercise reluctant restraint. They have other stuff too and I enclose a little slide show as I haven’t done that in a while.

We had a drive to Gulfport to visit with college friend, Jacquie.  On the way I saw armadillos munching by the side of the road (Do armadillos munch? Seemed so) and lots of birds of prey and herons of many sizes and colors. The town of Gulfport is a laid back place just between St. Petersburg and Tampa. It’s like Rehobeth with a beach bum air, nowhere near as pretentious. Trees drip with spanish moss. Houses are small bungalows with an eclectic air of Craftsmanship style, or spanish or southern shotgun. Many cute, highly livable, places. Porches for watching neighbors, sides of chimneys painted with seascapes to liven up the adjacent patios. 

It was a great place to pull the plug on activities for a couple days and I would recommend it for an alternative to East Coast frenzies. John Prine apparently has a home here and we heard some great music in nearby Treasure Island on Saturday night. Champagne on the pier at sunset is also a worthwhile pastime. 
A short ride takes us to St. Petersburg for a morning look see. We wander through the Saturday market, enjoy gelato and St. Pete neighborhoods. Playing southern tourist has its merits in a northern winter.

This Sunday morning, up at 5 AM, catch the plane back with each plane stop walkway increasing in chill factor until we reached Portland, land of good food and white ground. It is plowed. It is pleasant. The dogs are glad to see us and the memory of those azure breezes is tucked away to help me through the winter

Dogs- the here and now

Walking the dogs is a transcendental thing. Most of the time I don’t want to take the time to do it but once I am out I am almost always happy. There are a lot of different places to take them besides right around the house. WIll and I went to Dodge Point near Damariscotta a couple days ago which is a lovely walk but long (2.5 miles) In the snow that is a good workout.
Yesterday we were walking at Skofield Preserve which is a nice wooded hilly area near Brunswick adjacent to the ocean. Cassie was on her habitual hunt. In the snow I did not worry too much. We have flushed deer there and of course squirrels.  She stuck her big face in a hole at the base of a tree and was barking and barking. I knew there was a critter in there and hoped it wasn’t a porcupine. They are expensive and upsetting. I yelled at her and yelled and she finally heard me through her blood lust and did come, somewhat embarrassed that she was so excited. After a minute or two on her leash I let her off and she was off on another scent that was intriguing. In the spring, at this site, the dogs often come back from their mini adventures elbow deep in fine and fishy mud. In the winter there is no such problem and there are few people around, generally none so that is a good thing. On the loop back Cassie pealed off into the woods and I did not realize it until I heard her really frantic barking. I had to hoof it through the woods hoping it wasn’t a porcupine and then Cassie finally came towards me with her tongue far our her mouth. Luckily it wasn’t a porcupine this time.
 I put her on the leash and we walked  on following the ridge only to see the object of her frenzy.  She had found a raccoon. At least a 35 pounder. It was ever so slowly trying to make it up a tree that wasn’t really conducive for climbing with all the small branches. Needless to say, Cassie still wanted to help it along. I admonished her and was glad it had not rearranged her face. I think the thing that saved it was the fact that it was so darn big. No harm done except for the harmony of the raccoon. Do they semi-hibernate? I think so. Cassie was quite rude to jostle it out of it’s sleep so loudly.

Five minutes later all was well. Dogs off the leash, not a care in the world although Zoe has a way of making it clear that she had not been a part of the bad dog-gedness of her sister. They are like that- all or nothing. Gotta eat right now, starving to death, okay think I’ll sleep for a while. But I will get up in a second if I think you will take me where you are going. Well, time to stretch out and watch everything. 
Perhaps this what makes dogs such friendly spirits. They take everything at face value without judgement. I can go? Great! you won’t regret this, I really appreciate it. Oh, I have to stay home? bummer. I guess I’ll take a nap.

People should be more like dogs. Everything does not need to be such a big deal. 

Remembering how to see

There is something about winter that is so suited to making art. Or attempting to. I got a lot of jewelry done for Christmas and am starting up the carving class again. We talk at the art office about how people fall into a winter period, where life can be slower and more self dedicated without guilt. Perhaps because when you deal with the weather it can be such a challenge. We have been lucky so far this year.

 I have started taking a life drawing session on Wednesdays and am finding that I still sort of know how to do it  although I had to back track a bit and employ techniques that I had my students do. The exercises still work so that was good to know.

I am always challenged with proportion and forcing myself to draw what I see. It is a humbling thing to draw what you see. And a good way to practice your willingness to take criticism. We are going to incorporate a critique/class one of our sessions per month. I think that will be a good thing. Have someone else’s eyes help you see. I am still challenged especially by hands and feet so will probably work on that for a while.

In the meantime I am cooking up ideas and vow to produce in my sketchbook. Here is one of the poses that we had. I like the model, she’s very angular and at 60 + years very patient and pleasant. They had a show all about her a few months back. That would be a neat thing.

There are interesting artist in the class and it is a revitalizing thing to do. Got a studio? Have a regular group in. Share the creative flow.
Drawing assignment: an umbrella- as accurate as possible. Open or closed.
check the angles with your pencil