Category Archives: Postcards

Vesak or Buddha’s Birthday

Posted in celebration of holy days, Custom Made Mindful Drawing Products, Drawings by Thomas Kluck, Free Drawing, Freehand Drawing, Greeting Cards, Handwritten Note, Happy Holiday Cards, Holidays, Mindful Drawing Products, Mindfullness, Mindfully Drawing, Postcards, Vesak or Buddha's Birthday by

BuddhaThom

Drawing, conté crayons, copyright by Thomas Kluck 

Vesak, or Buddha’s Birthday, is a holy day observed traditionally by Buddhists that commemorates the birth, enlightenment, and death of Gautama Buddha. This year Vesak is celebrated on the 25th of May.

Colourful lanterns with wish tags and cherry blossoms

When my family lived in Korea, we celebrated Vesak by going to our neighbouring temple. The streets leading up to the temple were decorated with lanterns and trees celebrated the month of May with abundant cherry blossoms. The temple was almost covered with colourful lanterns. Our young daughter had to touch them all. Buddha’s Birthday was one of the most colourful and happiest days.

We donated money to the temple and clipped our wish tag to one of the lanterns. After a walk through the temple gardens, we were invited by the monks to pour ama-cha (a beverage prepared from a variety of hydrangea) on a small Buddha statute, as if bathing a newborn baby. A festival with music and lectures followed. Long time after we had gone home, we could still listen to the music through our open windows.

If you have no temple in your area, you can still celebrate Buddha’s birthday. Invite friends over for a (vegan/vegetarian) lunch or diner, put on colourful lanterns, or write your fellow Buddhist friends a nice handwritten note with a Buddhist verse that inspires you and your friend. Or walk the dog of your ill neighbour or visit an animal shelter…there are many ways to celebrate Vesak.

May the teachings of the Buddha bring you wisdom and happiness.

Paula Kuitenbrouwer

P.S. I invite links to vegan/vegetarian blogs for Vesak lunch and dinner ideas in the comment-section. I thank my fellow vegan and vegetarian blog-friends in advance for their cooperation and scrumptious ideas.

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

Delicate Butterflies

Posted in Beautiful, Broad-bodied Chaser Dragonfly, Broad-bodied Chaser Libelle, Business Cards, Butterflies, Coloured Pencil, Colours, Custom Made Mindful Drawing Products, Dragonfly, Feehand drawing, Garden Inspiration, Greeting Cards, Handwritten Note, insects, Mindful Drawing Products, Mindfully Drawing, Mother's day, Mummy card, Note Cards, Paula Kuitenbrouwer, Postcards, Seasons, Thank-You Cards by

Butterfly Fine Art Cards Set

To my delight, I’ve seen the first butterfly of this season.

The first butterflies we are likely to see early in the year are those which hibernate, such as the Peacock, Comma, Red Admiral, and Small Tortoiseshells.

Delicate Butterflies

All of them I’ve drawn on my different butterfly compositions.

Atalanta & Peacock

Atalanta & Peacock

Beautiful butterflies

 (For more information on this set of fine art cards, click here.)

Ringlet

(A Ringlet)

Have you seen spring butterflies?

Could you find out or look up which one it was?

Paula Kuitenbrouwer

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

Golden Orioles

Posted in Birds, Coloured Pencil, Custom Made Mindful Drawing Products, Fine Art Cards, Golden Oriole: Oriolus oriolus, Greeting Cards, Mindful Drawing Products, Oriolus oriolus or Wielewaal, Postcards, Reproductions by

Golden OriolesGolden Orioles, copyright Paula KuitenbrouwerGolden Orioles

Golden Orioles

Golden Orioles Fine Art Cards (A5) & an A-4 print

My Golden Orioles fine art cards are available now. For the A-4 print and more information on ordering on and off-line, contact me at mindfuldrawing@gmail.com.

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
She is looking forward to hear from you.

Dragonfly and Swallowtail Butterfly

Posted in Butterflies, Christmas Cards, Custom Made Mindful Drawing Products, Happy Holiday Cards, Postcards, Such is life.... by

Blog2 Original Dragonfly Swallowtail Butterfly coloured-pencil drawing, postcards, and mouse-pad, copyright Paula Kuitenbrouwer

To view this Dragonfly & Swallowtail Fine Art Card close up, click here.

On an ideal day, after home schooling my daughter, I have plenty of time to draw. The clock doesn’t seem to tick…..the day will last forever. Inspired by teaching the Great Masters, I start a new oil painting, carefully preparing it with a white-black under layer, time to start cooking is still far away.

Christmas-Happy Holidays Cards

(my Christmas-Happy Holiday Fine Art Card, my Gift-cards, old church-books, German herbal bouquet, Korean decoration and Italian fabric)

There is even enough time to toy with my camera.

How does your ideal day look like? You need 48 or 72 hours extra in a day?

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

A Handwritten Note

Posted in Christmas, Christmas Cards, Custom Made Mindful Drawing Products, Feathers, Fine Art Cards, Friendship, Greeting Cards, Handwritten Note, Happy Holiday Cards, Mindful Drawing Products, Postcards, Thanksgiving by

Click to enlarge

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Such wonderful treasure: The Art of the Handwritten Note, a guide to reclaiming civilized communication by Margaret Shepherd. This valuable book provides us with inspiration for writing letters and notes, as well as small thank you cards, shown here attached on a Korean Celadon flower vase with Dutch Tulips.

Vermeer’s ‘Girl reading a letter at an open window’ (circa 1659) tells us that despite the open window, that invites noises of playing children, dogs or chickens in the yard, in the room, a handwritten note captures the devoted attention of the girl. For a brief moment, the reader is drawn into the world of the writer. While we read letters, we hear the voices of the writers in our heads and hearts.

Don’t we all need a bit of enchantment, a show of friendship, or, like my Pheasant Feather card, a sign of appreciation?

We are approaching the Christmas and the Happy Holidays season. Refill your ink pens, and prepare your desk for a few hours of delightful, mindfully writing handwritten notes and cards.

Paula

Pumpkin Fall Autumn Harvest Halloween Fine Art Card

Posted in Autumn, Beetle, Bug, Bugs, Coloured Pencil, Composition, Custom Made Mindful Drawing Products, Floral Composition, Flowers, Free Drawing, Garden Birds, Garden Inspiration, Greeting Cards, Halloween, Handwritten Note, Holidays, Menu Cards, Mindful Drawing Products, Orange, Postcards, Pumpkin, Seasons, Stag Beetle, Thank-You Cards, Thanksgiving by

Autumn 2012 copyright by Paula Kuitenbrouwer

On show, my Pumpkin, Fall, Autumn, Harvest, or Halloween drawing. Cards are printed too. Let me explain you the theme and composition. This year I’ve combined garden birds, two Parus major ‘chickadees’, with fall fruit: pumpkins, apples, and acorns.
Last summer I’ve been hoping to find a Stag Beetle. I couldn’t find one, so I was happy to draw one. It slowly makes its way to the acorns and apples.

The chickadees in our garden give us constant delight and inspiration: they are dominant, noisy and funny. I can’t stop looking at their wonderful colours.

At the end of our street, there is a pumpkin patch. It is so nice to see the orange spots growing bigger every time we drive pass it.

Acorns…well, they keep us awake at night because they fall on our roof. When it is windy, we run to our front door with our hands covering our heads, afraid to get bombarded by them.

I’ve aimed for a diagonal composition. The Stag Beetle guides your view from down-left to up-right, to the last upright leaf of the big orange pumpkin. Normally I would put big objects in the back, but I liked the large orange pumpkin to dominate the drawing. The small green one offers depth being positioned behind the big large pumpkin. My signature is hidden in one single straw.

I wish you a lovely autumn season.

Paula Kuitenbrouwer

Pumpkin compositions by 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

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