I was born and raised in Turkey. As a little girl going to the construction sites with my dad, a contractor, was my favorite thing. The process of how an idea was put on paper by the architect and engineers, orchestrated by the contractors, and built by skilled tradesmen fascinated me. I wanted to be part of that process. By 8-years old, I already knew I wanted to become an architect. So I did the most logical thing by building homes with playing cards! I must say my buildings were not structurally sound!!!

I was sure one day I would be a famous architect. Haha!.. life had other plans for me!

After finishing Yildiz Technical University in Istanbul, I worked for my parents and a small architectural firm. I was not happy. My dream was to work for an international company. There was one problem; I did not speak English! I enrolled in an intensive English course at the University of Illinois and moved to the States. A year later, I was back in Turkey and got my dream job. I only worked there for eight months before getting married and moving back to the States.

It was a dream crasher to find out working as an architect was not possible unless I took additional classes to get my license here. It was out of the question for me to pursue my dream of being an architect at that time for various reasons.

Art has always been part of my life one way or another; photography, scrapbooking, jewelry making, card making, playing with play-dough with my kids, filling coloring pages in their coloring books! :))

We moved around so many times when I was younger. I promised myself I would never marry someone who has to move a lot because of his job! I didn't hear the universe laughing at me at that time, but I can now! Moving has never stopped as my husband changed his career shortly after we got married! Surprise, surprise! It turns out moving is good! I would not be the person I am today if I always stayed where I was. Living in Geneva, Switzerland, and Amsterdam, The Netherlands, was life-changing. Being exposed to different cultures is the best education anyone can have.

My art journey began when my girlfriends and I decided to do a fun art session together in a small atelier in Amsterdam. I had no intentions of continuing with the art lessons. I was disappointed with my ability to paint.

Our wise teacher Hans Verwoerd told me that perhaps I chose the wrong subject to paint. He told me to look at the postcards at the newspaper stand around the corner and see if any of them excites me. I returned to the atelier with a smile and a postcard in my hand; an endearing cow picture! I think it was the innocent expression on his face that melted my heart! Hans was right about choosing the right subject. Painting this cow was so exciting that I joined my friends and signed up for 10- lessons. 10-lessons turned into painting every Wednesday for 4-years in his studio.

I joined Hans and some of his students in France for art workshops, took part in his exhibitions in Amsterdam, started donating my art to the charity auctions at the International School of Amsterdam, and taking commission work. I was encouraged by the interest and the appreciation of others for my art.

2012 is a year of many changes! Our family moved back to the States after living six years in Amsterdam. We felt at home there and did not want to leave. But it became sorrowful when suddenly we lost my 33-year-old brother, just a couple of months before the move! We purchased an older home with intentions of remodeling it just a few days before the devastating news. I had to be strong for my kids and my parents, but I was falling apart on the inside. After a difficult couple of months, our belongings were packed and shipped, and we were back in the States.

I was in charge of designing the remodeling project and picking materials for it. The project took about five months to complete, five months of living in temporary housings with only luggage full of personal belongings.

The following few years were emotionally exhausting. No matter how hard I tried, I could not accept the loss of my brother. I knew I had to do something before I slipped into the dark end of the depression. I saw some artists doing a 100-Day Challenge, finishing a painting a day for 100 consecutive days. I decided to take on that challenge. Decision that I will be forever grateful for many reasons.

Painting 100 days without a break did 3 things: 

• One, it kept me busy with something I enjoyed. I did not focus on the death of my brother all day long. The pain slowly faded, acceptance became easier.

• Two, I got better at using color, and knowing what subjects give me more joy to paint.

• Three, painting became a daily habit and turned into my passion!

The exhibition following the 100 Day challenge was very successful and encouraged me to pursue art as a career. 

Life had a different direction for me! It was preparing me for what was and is yet to come. I must say I like her plans better than mine! I am very grateful for all the experiences and opportunities and look forward to seeing what the future will bring. 

Much Love,

Buket