Category Archives: Mindful Drawing

Father’s Day June 16th; What to give to the best Daddy ever?

Posted in Postcards, Birds, Mindful Drawing, Custom Made Mindful Drawing Products, Thank-You Cards, Mindful Drawing Products, Fine Art Cards, Father's day, Woodpecker, Paula Kuitenbrouwer, Daddy Card, Woodcocks, Oriolus oriolus or Wielewaal, Eurasian Golden Oriole, Beautiful, Birds of Prey Roofvogels, Common Kestrel: Falco tinnunculus, Birds of Prey, Celebrating..... by
Common Kestrels

Father’s Day is a celebration honouring fathers and celebrating fatherhood, paternal bonds, and the influence of fathers in society. This is a rather long definition. To celebrate ‘The Best Dad Ever’ of ‘The Best Daddy in the World’, probably rings more bells.

‘Daddy toss me in the air’ and ‘Daddy be a horsey’ is preformed by dad year round;  one day per year it is about celebrating good fathers.

KestrelCards

Bird Cards

Happy Father’s day to all best daddies of the world!

I have two gifts designed for bird loving fathers.

An A4 high quality reproduction of my Common Kestrels on thick fine art paper (that can be framed) for 20 Euro/ 17 British pounds/ 25 US Dollars exclusive shipping.

And a set of 4 fine art cards of a pair of Woodpeckers, Woodcocks, Golden Orioles, and Turtle Doves, that come with inlays and envelopes. This set is 15 Euro/ 20 USA dollars/ 13 British pounds exclusive shipping.

Paula

For ordering, contact me at mindfuldrawing@gmail.com

A Honeysuckle Waltz

Posted in Botany, Honeysuckle, Mindful Drawing, Mindful Drawing Products, Music and Art, Paula Kuitenbrouwer by

Honeysuckle

Flower Art and Music by Rebecca Tripp, Honeysuckle by Paula Kuitenbrouwer

Rebecca Tripp is a young musician as well as an artist. Music is her passion. Rebecca composes music that evokes uplifting and peaceful emotions. She has created many enjoyable flower art and music videos. Click on my honeysuckle and you will be directed to her video. To my delight Rebecca has included my honeysuckle in her Honeysuckle Waltz.

This is Rebecca and if you look carefully and creatively, you will notice that Rebecca and my honeysuckle resemble each other: both are elegantly positioned, with having green and tan-orange as their dominating colours. (Little wonder Rebecca has been drawn to composing a honeysuckle waltz).

Enjoy more of Rebecca’s work on Deviantart.

I wish Rebecca success in the world of music and art.

Paula Kuitenbrouwer

Paula Kuitenbrouwer sells exquisite fine art cards of her drawings as well as reproductions, and of some drawings smaller business-, gift- or mummy-cards. See Purchase in the header. In case you like to commission Paula, contact her at mindfuldrawing@gmail.com
 

Common Kestrels with Nest (Falco tinnunculus)

Posted in Birds, Birds of Prey, Birds of Prey Roofvogels, Common Kestrel: Falco tinnunculus, Composition, Free Drawing, Freehand Drawing, Mindful Drawing, Mindfully Drawing, Ornithology by

Common KestrelsCommon Kestrels, Falco tinnunculus, copyright Paula Kuitenbrouwer

Spring, Birds and Bird Eggs
 
I have drawn a springbird scene, showing a female common kestrel, who has just landed on her old crow’s nest. She is inspecting her eggs. The male is relaxed and sits close to the nest. The male common kestrel has a blue-grey cap and blue-grey tail, whereas the head cap and tail of the female is brown.
 
Have you ever seen a common kestrel? You will be amazed how cute they look. It is the combination of their round little heads and their big, dark eyes that makes them look adorable. But are ‘cute’ and ‘adorable’ words we use to describe a bird of prey?
 
Common kestrels were hunting birds for royal ladies in medieval times. Kestrels were considered to be of little use for serious falconry, and that is because they weren’t thought of as fantastic hunters. Kestrels hunt exclusively for mouse-sized mammals, insects (like dragonflies), beetles or small reptiles.
 
High court ladies wouldn’t mind when their bird caught a dragonfly, a beetle or a vole. If a bird prefers to chase a dragonfly over a delicious rabbit, or catches a clumsy beetle instead of small, tasty bird, this allow us to describe kestrels as cute, and surely very cute by comparison to birds of prey that hunt for hares, pheasants or even apes.
 
Paula
 
 
 
 

Paula Kuitenbrouwer sells exquisite fine art cards of her drawings as well as reproductions. An A4 reproduction as well as big and regular sized fine art cards of this Common Kestrel drawing will soon be available. Pre-ordering is possible.

See Purchase in the header for what is available as well as the price list. In case you like to commission Paula, contact her at mindfuldrawing@gmail.com

Spring, Persephone, and Demeter

Posted in Botany, Custom Made Mindful Drawing Products, Dutch Tulips, Fine Art Cards, Garden Inspiration, Greeting Cards, Mindful Drawing, Mindful Drawing Products, Mindfully Drawing, Motherhood, On Art, Paula Kuitenbrouwer, Postcards, Seasons, Spring, Such is life...., Thank-You Cards by

Paula’s Spring Fine Art Card Sets, click on pictures to enlarge.

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Spring has arrived in the Netherlands!

The Greek goddess Persephone, also named Proserpine, is the personification of spring. She is the daughter of Zeus (a.k.a. Jupiter) and Demeter (a.k.a. Ceres).

PersephonePersephone sitting on her throne (marble)

During winter she is abducted by Hades, to be queen of Underworld. Every spring she is allowed to return to the surface of the earth. As soon as Persephone leaves the Underworld, spring is inevitable.

This year it took Persephone a long time to escaped from the wintry embrace by Hades, the ancient Greek god of the Underworld. Demeter, her mother, cries of joy, and embraces her daughter. Now they celebrate spring together.

Demeter and Persephone?

Terracotta, two women, Hellenistic, around 100 BC
The figures may represent Demeter and Persephone.

Demeter is a glorious mother goddess again. She blesses our fields and flowers. Our grain will ripen, and our harvest will be abundant. Persephone and Demeter will make our garden and balcony flowers bloom.

Dante Gabriel Rossetti

Dante Gabriel Rossetti’s Proserpine (Persephone), 1874

It is wonderful to welcome Persephone and Demeter back after a long, cold winter. Let’s hope they bless our flowers and crops.

Paula

Paula Kuitenbrouwer sells exquisite fine art cards of her drawings as well as reproductions, and of some drawings smaller business-, gift- or mummy-cards. See Purchase in the header for what is available as well as the price list. In case you like to commission Paula, contact her at mindfuldrawing@gmail.com

An invitation to have a look at my work…..

Posted in Bags, Beautiful Dutch, Beetle, Birds, Birthday gifts, Botany, Broad-bodied Chaser Dragonfly, Broad-bodied Chaser Libelle, Bug, Bugs, Butterflies, Christmas Cards, Crafts, Custom Made Mindful Drawing Products, Dragonfly, Dutch, Dutch Tulips, Eurasian Golden Oriole, Feathers, Fine Art Cards, Fish, Floral Composition, Flowers, Forest Fruit, Friendship, Fruit, Garden Birds, Gifts, Golden Oriole: Oriolus oriolus, Greeting Cards, Handwritten Note, Happy Holiday Cards, Holidays, Holly, Home-Decoration, Honeysuckle, Ilex aquifolium, insects, Kingfisher, Kuitenbrouwer-Kuytenbrouwer, Love, May Bugs, Menu Cards, Mindful Drawing, Mindful Drawing Products, Mother's day, Motherhood, Mummy card, New Year, Note Cards, Oriolus oriolus or Wielewaal, Owl, Paula Kuitenbrouwer, Pine-Cones, Pineapples, Postcards, Production of Fine Art cards, Pumpkin, Reproductions, Seasons, Shop, So Beautifully Dutch, SongThrush, Spring, Stag Beetle, Still Life, Tawny Owl, Thank-You Cards, Thanksgiving, Tote Bag, Tulips, Website Paula Kuitenbrouwer, Winter, Woodcocks, Woodpecker by

Birdcards

I invite you to have a look at my portfolio. To view the drawings-paintings, click on the names:

Birds, Flowers, Butterflies, Nature, and Miscellaneous (Available for ordering)

Birds:

  • Owls, Tawny, Strix aluco. Available as Fine Art Cards, Reproduction (A4-size)
  • Dove, Eurasian Collared Dove, Streptopelia decaocto. Available as Fine Art Cards, Reproduction (A4-size)
  • Woodcocks, Scolopax rusticola, Available as Fine Art Cards, Reproduction (A4-size), small stickers, Business card, Small Gift Card.
  • Woodpeckers, Available as Fine Art Cards, Reproduction (A4-size).
  • Song Thrush, Turdus philomelos. Available as Fine Art Cards, Reproduction (A4-size)
  • Lapwings (Peewits), Vanellus vanellus. Available as Fine Art Cards, Reproduction (A4-size)
  • Golden Orioles, Oriolus oriolus. Available as Fine Art Cards, Reproduction (A4-size)
  • Kingfisher, Alcedo azurea. Available as Fine Art Cards, Small stickers, Business card, Small Gift Card.
  • Bullfinches, Pyrrhula pyrrhula. Available as a Fine Art Cards.
  • European-goldfinch, Carduelis carduelis. Available as a Fine Art Card.

Flowers/Botanical:

Butterflies:

Fish:

Fruit and Vegetables:

Miscellaneous:

  • Pheasant Feather. Available as Fine Art Cards.
  • Acorn, Available as Fine Art Cards.
  • Tote Bags, 100% cotton, with butterflies, an Orange Lily, Woodpeckers, or a Kingfisher. Contact me for prices at mindfuldrawing@gmail.com

Here is the price list:

Price list 2013

Tulip Cards

And here are recommendations and reviews:

“Lovely item and a very helpful seller – many thanks!”

“Shipment was very fast and the product was very high quality. Thank you – I’m very pleased”

“What GORGEOUS ARTWORK you do! I always wished I was more artistic, I love to draw but only have limited talent in that way. I love you depictions of nature, just beautiful! Thank you for sharing that”.

“Hi Paula, I love your drawings and looking at them I can really feel the quiet moments and simple pleasures we can get from nature. Very calming, indeed! Many thanks”.

“You are a wonderfully talented artist Paula with a beautiful technique for making tender images that warm my heart to look at. Thank you”

“Paula, like you I love nature but you have an amazing capacity to capture nature at it’s best with your wonderful drawings. My best wishes for your continued success – people will fall in love with your wonderful talent”.

“The detail shown in the drawing of the Tawny Owl is amazing. This is another amazing piece from your Collection. Warm regards”

“Paula, I loved your nature arts. I do like stumbling upon feathers once in a while and collect them for their beauty. They seem like magical gifts from nature”.

Questions and orders? Contact: mindfuldrawing@gmail.com

New drawings and paintings are regularly uploaded

Paula

Tote bags

Gift Cards

Fine Art Cards

Mindful Drawing

Floral Cards

Beautiful Pictures

Posted in Beautiful, Beautiful Dutch, Botany, Dutch, Fine Art Cards, Fish, Floral Composition, Flowers, Greeting Cards, Honeysuckle, Korean, Mindful Drawing, Mindful Drawing Products, Note Cards, Oriolus oriolus or Wielewaal, Postcards, Reproductions, So Beautifully Dutch, Thank-You Cards, Utrecht, Wood Crafts, Woodpecker by

Mindful Drawing

Golden Oriole A5 Fine Art Card, Pheasant Feather A5 Fine Art Card, Honeysuckle, Dutch Tulips and Woodcock A5 Fine Art Cards, A6 Koi Fish with Lotus Flower Fine Art Card. All cards by Paula Kuitenbrouwer. Paper Floral Bouquet.

Paula Kuitenbrouwer

Paula Kuitenbrouwer sells exquisite fine art cards of her drawings as well as reproductions, and of some drawings smaller business-, gift- or mummy-cards. See Purchase in the header for what is available as well as the price list. In case you like to commission Paula, contact her at mindfuldrawing@gmail.com

Elements of Design: Textures

Posted in Birds, Composition, Fine Art Cards, Mindful Drawing, Mindful Drawing Products, On Art, Paula Kuitenbrouwer, Reproductions, So Beautifully Dutch, SongThrush, Willem Claesz Heda, Woodcocks by

Willem Claesz Heda, Breakfast Table with Blackberry Pie, 1631

I invite you to appreciate Willem Claesz Heda’s artistic skills by studying his painted textures. In his (above) breakfast still-life, he shows us how well he mastered painting different textures of a white damask tablecloth, precious drinking vessels of gold, silver, and glass, tin, the dough of the pie, fruit, wood, and velvet. Claesz skilfully painted these textures to convince us: the objects look totally real. None of the objects looks not exactly okay, surreal or confusing. Glass looks like glass. Wood looks like wood. A painting like this, urges the viewer to touch the painting, in order to check if he is touching real paint, not wood, glass or fabric.

Still Life with Fine Art Bird Drawings, photo and drawings by Paula Kuitenbrouwer (click to enlarge); Replica Golden Age Glass, Tin Drinking Mug, Italian Fabric, Antique Wood, Peacock Feathers, and Fine Art Cards (Woodcocks and Song Thrush).

Textures are important elements of design, whether used in a painting, in quilt-making, or in decorating your home. If you want a rich painting, photo, or scene (that is to say, rich in feeling), consider using and showing different textures.

Paula

Acorn

Posted in Botany, Business Cards, Butterflies, Coloured Pencil, Custom Made Mindful Drawing Products, Fine Art Cards, Free Drawing, Fruit, Happy Holiday Cards, Home-Decoration, Mindful Drawing, Mindful Drawing Products, Note Cards, Paula Kuitenbrouwer, Postcards, Thank-You Cards by

Acorn by Paula Kuitenbrouwer, Acrylic Paint, 2011

Acorn, pastels, by Paula Kuitenbrouwer, pastels, 2010.

Fine Art Cards of the lower acorn can be ordered at mindfuldrawing@gmail.com

Paula Kuitenbrouwer sells exquisite fine art cards of her drawings as well as reproductions, and of some drawings smaller business-, gift- or mummy-cards. See Purchase in the header for what is available as well as the price list. In case you like to commission Paula, contact her at mindfuldrawing@gmail.com

The Importance of Different Elements and Textures

Posted in Composition, Design, How to draw......., Mindful Drawing, Musings, On Art, Pinterest, Still Life by

I will show you three modern pictures with my comments and two of my drawings to show you the importance of putting different elements and textures together.

Look at the small, modern still life above. You see ceramics, concrete, wood, glass, metal, and water in the glass flask. All those elements make a lovely modern still life. To me it is a bit too low positioned, on the other hand the empty space on the right-up feels de-cluttered and ‘Zen’. Somehow we long  for emptiness to quiet our busy minds. Therefore put those ‘full’ and ‘empty’ elements together.

Now have a look at this enchanting picture. Why is it so pretty? It is just a table with glassware. I think it is so wonderful because it combines only a few but beautiful elements: thick old wood, modern transparent glass, and open chair with a closed background (wall). These contradicting elements ‘open’ and ‘close’, ‘massive’ and ‘transparent’, ‘antique’ and ‘modern’ make a perfect picture.

Another beautiful picture! Look at its elements: the soft texture of the peony goes wonderfully with the hardness of the glass. The fluff of the peony contradicts beautifully the smooth surface of the vase. The old and unpainted wood should be positioned -as it is- close to crystal clear water. This is a lovely composition of contradicting textures and elements.

Notice how important different textures and elements are in a picture. How conflicting or contradicting elements beautifully enrich a painting or picture.

Now I invite you to have a look how I’ve complemented a massive pumpkin with fragile butterflies in this drawing:

and here I’ve done in essence the same only with a massive, dark coloured block of wood and fragile, fluttery Blue butterflies:

Put different elements together to create a rich drawing, painting or photo.
Why that is so, I have no clue. My best guess is that we feel happy and rich in feeling if we are invited to experience different elements; like the soft wind on our bodies when we make a beach walk, or the smell of wet grass when we open our windows to let in the warmth and light of the sun.

Paula

P.S. I have no idea who took the three modern still life photos because they were posted on Pinterest before the time Pinterest ensured all uploaded pictures kept their links to their original source. I regret not be able to give credit to the owners of these lovely photos. I hope one day they will add a comment to this post that links their work back to their website or blog.

Mindfully Observing Colours II

Posted in Color Theory, Colours, Composition, Mindful Drawing, Mindful Observing Colours, Musings by

Have a look at the colours of these vintage bowls. I see warm, Bordeaux red, I see ochre yellow, moss green, deep purplish blue, metallic blue, rock-grey and whitish grey. I see golden yellow and earth-brown. What a wonderful colours in these seemingly faded vintage bowls.

Which colours do I see? Well, I see a warm red heart against a grey dead-coloured background. Is that what makes this so beautiful? Is it the story of how warm love feels against the knowledge that dead is inevitable? I see a small blue-white line around the orange centre. I see a bit of green on the greyish wood. I see a glowing orange right next to the dead black of the key-hole. Which colours do you see? Which story is there to unlock for you?

Which colours do you see in this old wood? I see the whole range of yellow to deep orange, even warm red. I see grey changing in blue. I see dark grey getting darker till black. There is lots of green, white and dark blue too. Because all colours are the effect of light on wood, and none of the colours shine, this is a very pretty colour palette.

Blue and Orange are complementary colours. This mushroom has all colours of blue as decorative rings around its orange centre. It claims its space by a perfect white edge, saying: ‘Here I am, and here I stop’. Notice how the centre looks like a lava pit in a deep ravine. The different colours of blue show geographical layers. Or is it that this mushroom wants to look like a cut through tree showing its age with its pretty layers? Whatever, it is very beautiful.

Paula

P.S. I have no idea who took the four colourful photos because they were posted on Pinterest before the time Pinterest ensured all uploaded pictures kept their links to their original source. I regret not be able to give credit to the owners of these lovely photos. I hope one day they will add a comment to this post that links their work back to their website or blog.

Paula Kuitenbrouwer sells exquisite fine art cards of her drawings as well as reproductions, and of some drawings smaller business-, gift- or mummy-cards. See Purchase in the header for what is available as well as the price list. In case you like to commission Paula, contact her at mindfuldrawing@gmail.com