Celtic Artist Card

| Paula Kuitenbrouwer

 

Celtic Art Card by Paula Kuitenbrouwer
Celtic Inspired Art Card by Paula Kuitenbrouwer
Text on Card Paula Kuitenbrouwer
Text on Celtic Art Card by Paula Kuitenbrouwer

This is a handmade card showing the illusion of an antique golden-silver disk with Lapis Lazuli inlays. There are four boars, many swans, and 4 hidden faces to discover. Inside the card there is a full colour inlay and an extra inlay with the following text: My Celtic Art Project. This is my contribution to my ‘Who are the Celts?’ course at Oxford Department for Continuing Education, week 5 ‘Make your Own Celtic Art’ (2017). At the end of a demanding week of studying participants were challenged to make their own Celtic art. I used Golden/Silver ink-pens, an ordinary Bic blue pen, art paper, a protector, and many rulers to create an illusion of a golden plate decorated with silver and Lapis Lazuli boars. Notice the boars, hidden faces, and many swans.
© by Paula Kuitenbrouwer

This engaging card comes in protective cellophane, a name card, and a seal sticker. All in all this is an art project card that will entertain its (new) owner and it leaves plenty of room for a handwritten text.

At Etsy.

 

Valentine’s Day Gifts: Love Is in the Air

| Paula Kuitenbrouwer

Last year, I bought a wooden card with a colourful seahorse on it and sent it to my husband’s work address. It collected some curious staff members eager to learn who would sent so bluntly a Valentine’s card to a married man. His wife (of course!) although that turned out to be an anti-climax for some but warmed my husband’s heart. He returned home that day with red roses. The card said: ‘You are MY seahorse’ and because that cute sea creature has zero resemblance with my husband, it made me laugh. However, thinking a bit deeper, male seahorses are terrific fathers. Male seahorses are equipped with pouches; when mating, female seahorses deposit up to 1,500 eggs in male’s pouches. A male seahorse carries her eggs for 9 to 45 days until the baby seahorses emerge fully developed, but very small. Learning about this devoted fatherly fact, it reminded me how, when I was a new mom, my back was often burning with pains by carrying my toddler daughter and how my husband carried her on his shoulders, back, and front in a baby carrier. So, after all, he is my seahorse.

I like to point out Mandarin Ducks art cards or a Mandarin embroidery hoop (there is only one available) as perfect Valentine’s gifts. In Asia mandarin ducks are associated with love. Having a mandarin print in your home supposes to attract love. This is handy information for some of us looking forward to Valentine’s Day. Maybe it isn’t a myth at all.

In traditional Chinese culture, mandarin ducks are believed to be lifelong couples, unlike other species of ducks. Hence, they are regarded as a symbol of love, affection and fidelity. Receiving a Mandarin Duck card is a gift experience. Its inlay is full colour. There is a full colour name card of me with two couples of Mandarin Ducks. Plus a seal sticker and a vintage post stamp. The cards arrives in a plastic cellophane or fully addressed if commissioned. Mandarin duck cards help gift-givers to express themselves through a lovely and colourful designs of two ducks that are cosily resting together.

Paula

My booklet has one chapter with illustrations on a Mandarin duck couple too. It is here.

Cards at Etsy.

Embroidery Mandarin Duck at Etsy.

 

Prehistoric Rhinoceros

| Paula Kuitenbrouwer
Rhinoceros Embroidery
May I present some prehistoric testosterone? From Chauvet Cave (France), a most impressive Rhinoceros, who, after being drawn on beautiful coloured cave walls at c. 30,000 BCE, never fails to impress.

P.S. My booklet is down to 2.99 British Ponds on Amazon.co.uk. This is such a low price, and it is First Come, First Serve. After it is bought, the price goes up again. So, be quick.

And let me know when you have bought my booklet: I will send you an Ex Libris. State your request for the Raphael Apostle, the Raphael Horse or the Old Tree Ex Libris.

More news: all hand embroidered Duck Couples and my Woolly Rhinoceros are now listed on Etsy. You will be surprised how low I keep my prices. I have to do that because shipping is so expensive and I think art and crafts should be affordable.

All at Etsy.

May I present some prehistoric testosterone? From Chauvet Cave (Fr.), a most impressive Rhinoceros, who, after being drawn on beautiful coloured cave walls at c. 30,000 BCE, never fails to impress.

Man of Mander

| Paula Kuitenbrouwer

To reconnect with nature and with the past, we recently visited a few burial mounts near Ootmarsum in Twente (NL). This is a protected archaeological site and visiting this sleepy site feels as if one enters a thin place.

Here was found the ‘Man of Mander’, a shadow figure in stone (body imprint in stone) of a person almost of 2 metres tall and having no feet. He has probably been a Stone Age hunter or farmer. As a burial gift, for the Afterlife, he carried a stone arrow head. Why his feet are missing asks for careful analysing. One explanation could be that he was encouraged by his tribal members not to dwell on Earth as a spirit, instead to journey to the After Life.

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‘Man of Mander’, a shadow in stone of a decomposed body. The Man of Mander lies as a foetus on his side; feet are missing.

This area has had its burial chambers too, or ‘hunnebedden’ in Dutch, but they have long gone. Farmers and builders were, like us, eager to re-use large stones for building a nearby church and a pigsty. This sounds grinch-worthy and it surely is, but stones have a habit of looking perfect for re-using.

Standing there, in the cold, enchanted by the place, I read a poem about the burial mounts written by Mr. B.W.A.E baron Sloet tot Olthuys (1807-1884). The poem describes how the poet stands, like we did, near the burial mounts and muses about who lies there ‘sleeping for centuries’. All the sudden the poet becomes aware of a man. The man starts asking him questions. How is to believe in one god instead of many; how it is to work for another instead as for oneself? Is the poet as free and as in harmony has he, the Stone Age hunter, feels? I loved reading this poem because of the importance of empathy and asking questions (Cognitive Archaeology). Studying the unwritten past is like looking into a mirror and seeing our modern life and conditioning reflected. Asking questions to those living in the past is making an effort to step outside oneself, which is a very difficult yet wise thing to do from time to time. 

Paula Kuitenbrouwer

Artist & Author of ‘Birds, Butterflies, Fish & Botany‘

at @mindfuldrawing on Instagram

Portfolio at Etsy.

Ducks Embroidery Pattern Instant Download at my Etsy

| Paula Kuitenbrouwer
‘Red Ducks’ in the series of Tufted Ducks. Copyright Paula Kuitenbrouwer

I have uploaded in my Etsy shop a 15 pages embroidery pattern instant download with full-colour illustrations. This PDF, that comes with 3 different traceable pattern-drawings, offers the textile crafter inspiration and freedom to play with favourite stitches within the boundaries of the pattern.

Unless you need a stitch-by-stitch a cross-stitch pattern, this isn’t for you. This PDF offers you a possibility to select your favourite colours and experiment with new stitches. I drew this duck pattern and used it 6 times, and I highly recommend buying a stitching bible or a stitching guide to experiment with new stitches and to embellish the ducks with luxurious patterns.

This is a great pattern for freedom loving beginners who like to fill up the ducks with Running stitches or advances embroiderers who dare to use more complicated stitches. Your pattern will be available as an instant download as soon as your order is complete.

 

DuckembroideryFoto.JPG
This hoop project  demands a 22cm or 8 inches hoop; a light box (or a sunlit window functioning like a light box) or traceable fabric, a fabric pencil, and threads with dazzling colours for making your own Dazzling Ducks.You will receive 1 file of 15 pages with:

. The story behind this pattern;
. Main instructions, although the word inspiration covers the PdF download better;
– Three patterns in black and white  – for tracing;
– Advice about the transferring method and hoop size.

 

After having used the Duck Patterns, please, hand them over to your (grand)children as a colour page. You might get inspired by their use of wild colours all over again!
For PERSONAL use only.
Copyright remains with the designer Paula Kuitenbrouwer.
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While I am working on too many projects, our piggies are enjoying their daily catnaps in their cosy cottages. I love the human life……but I wish that I could nap so easily as they do.
Kindest greetings,
Paula

Crane Birds Work in Progress

| Paula Kuitenbrouwer

Carefully cutting away the transfer fabric which held the original drawing of the crane birds. Next, I will be working on the Dutch landscape, which will have a low horizon. This will be a gift for my bird loving father, who had the luck of seeing a large group of crane birds flying over. An increasing number of crane birds are nesting in the Netherlands, which is great.

Paula Kuitenbrouwer

Artist & Author

@mindfuldrawing at Instagram

 

On my Desk

| Paula Kuitenbrouwer

On my desk: Hannah Green’s notebook that I use for Sashiko notes, my booklet ‘Birds, Butterflies, Fish & Botany’, my Sashiko cloth with autumn colours, and its beautiful hand dyed, multi coloured yarn, as well as my Ex Libris.

There are so many projects to work on; one life isn’t enough! Apart from that, I wish to live multiple creative lives in different times; like that of a Celtic blacksmith in the late Iron Age or of a prehistoric stone cutter. Or that of a Medieval weaver. But, who knows… I might have live these lives already. Which creative life does appeal to you, apart from your current one?

Paula Kuitenbrouwer

Artist & Author

‘Birds, Butterflies, Fish & Botany’

at Etsy

Mandarin & Wood Ducks Cards

| Paula Kuitenbrouwer

 

Mandarin and Wood ducks nest in tree cavities. The female doesn’t feed her ducklings because that is too much work compared to having a nest on water level between reeds. There is another bird that doesn’t feed its young. Lapwings don’t feed their chicks but for other reasons. Lapwing chicks are born on a field that lies fallow, which means they are very vulnerable to predators. Parent lapwings use all their energy to guide and defend their chicks. Feeding would lead predators directly to the cute fluff balls.
There is another difference between lapwings and mandarin and wood ducks, apart from lapwings being meadow birds and the other two are waterfowl. Lapwings both take care for raising their young in a coordinated manner. When danger is detected one of the parents will call out orders (mainly ‘For the love of life, freeze and remain still!’) while the other parent will cleverly distract or lead the predator away from the chicks.
The male mandarin and wood duck, both being such handsome drakes, can’t do that, they wisely stay away from the mums and their ducklings. Should the extraordinary colourful daddy of the family take part in feeding the ducklings, he would draw too much attention to his reproduced and fluffy DNA. For a female mandarin duck to be married (yes, for life) to such handsome fellow comes with a price.
Paula Kuitenbrouwer
Artist & Author

instagram_PNG13.png @ mindfuldrawing

img_4951I have made a few Mandarin and Wood Duck cards, with a full colour inlay. They come in protective cellophane and a seal sticker. There are at my Etsy, but you can contact me too via the contact form. (scroll down).

 

Mandarin Duck Cards & Studio Candy

| Paula Kuitenbrouwer

img_4848I lived some months near a duck pond in Ireland and that increased my appreciation for these capable birds. Yes, capable. We tend to think ducks are hilarious and silly, like geese, but ducks are threefold capable; they can fly long distances, dive deep, and can spend days on water. Mandarin ducks are perhaps the most loved ducks because they symbolize friendship, loyalty, and love. You send a Mandarin Duck card to somebody to invite or celebrate a long-lasting friendship, loyalty or love. Mandarin duck drawings and prints are my best selling items of my Etsy shop. It is a nice to make art that celebrates love and friendship.

Paula Kuitenbrouwer

Artist, Author & Expat

‘Birds, Butterflies, Fish & Botany’

P.S. The cards come with a full coloured inlay, a seal sticker, and on its backside a decent sticker that says my name and website.

P.S. I promised eye-candy? Here is a corner of my studio. It was easy to set up. Not so easy is setting up a studio exhibition of my drawings as there are too many and I prefer to keep them safely stored in my portfolio case. So, if you like to see my work, pop over to my Etsy shop or browse through my website. I remember deleting a fast amount of my work after discovering copies on other sites, still this website shows that I love to capture Nature’s beauty, mainly birds, butterflies, koi fish & botany.