Monthly Archives: April 2022

Commission Your Postal Stamp: Tekenopdracht van een Postzegel

Printing your own postal stamps

Commission your Postal Stamp
Commission your Postal Stamp
Commission your Postal Stamp
Commission your Postal Stamp
Commission your Postal Stamp

Not all that is handy is nice. Take, for instance, digital postal stamps. How can you positively feel nostalgic when you have to pen down a Sudoko sequence of 9 or 12 numbers on the top right corner of an envelope? I feel a bit like cheating on the art of philately.

Commission your Postal Stamp
Commission your Postal Stamp

DRESS -your stationary- TO IMPRESS

Dutch Post offers the possibility to order your own postal stamps. All you need is an image stored in your computer, upload it here, and Dutch Post turns it into an eye-catching stamp. Many countries offer this possibility. The stamps cost a few extra cents, but they are worth that.

Should you like to commission a postal stamp, there is no need to look further. I have designed postal stamps and I can do the same for you. All I need is your favourite theme, perhaps an animal, a butterfly, or a flower?

Here are a few of my designs: mandarin ducks, angel wings, and/or Christmas stamps.

Commission your Postal Stamp
Commission your Postal Stamp
Commission your Postal Stamp
Commission your Postal Stamp

The wonderful thing about a commission is that you might use the commissioned drawing also for a personalized bookplate.

Contact me freely to discuss your wishes.

Paula Kuitenbrouwer

Commission your Postal Stamp
Commission your Postal Stamp
Commission your Postal Stamp

LATEST & RELATED POSTS & ARTICLES

  • Mandarin Duck Cards, Various Art Cards, Prayer & Well-Wishing Cards

    Where to find beautiful and professionally printed art cards without opening an account? At Paula Kuitenbrouwer’s art shop which is part of her website that has welcomed nearly 190.000 visitors.

  • Angels’ Wings

    Angels’ wings … how do they look like? Do they have to resemble birds’ wings? Or can we express the wonders of the mystical realm in various creative ways? Creatively inspired by the elegant way bird wings have been added to human models in fine arts, artist Paula Kuitenbrouwer has set out to paint various…

  • Best Visited Articles: 184.000 views (and counting)

    Almost 190.000 views on a small, personal art website prompts a fresh new index. Paula Kuitenbrouwer, artist living in Utrecht, the Netherlands, explains her art and writings categorized in various ways.

  • The Artist’s Life

    Minimalist or Maximalist art? A cluttered or decluttered studio? How to check your composition? Here you find answers and inspiration.

  • Swedish Death Cleaning or Döstädning & Dementia

    Would it be possible that Swedish Death Cleaning helps to delay (among other interventions like good health and exercises) dementia? Paula Kuitenbrouwer offers her döstädning musings.

  • Swedish Death Cleaning Part 3.

    Swedish Death Cleaning Part 3 follows on Swedish Death Cleaning for Artists and Writers and Part 2. This part focuses on not feeling embarrassed but celebrating your aspirations.

SELF INQUIRY FOR AN ARTIST

Recent Mandarin Duck Gouache Paintings with Gold Leaf and Iridescent Paint

Who are the Killers and Midwives of your Art?

Upon visiting our local bookstore, my eye caught two titles. ‘The Courage to Be Disliked: The Japanese Phenomenon That Shows You How to Change Your Life and Achieve Real Happiness’ by Ichiro Kishimi and Fumitake Koga. And ‘The Beauty of Everyday Things’ by Soetsu Yanai. I did not need encouraging reviews to bring these books home.

With my new books safely stored in my backpack, I walked home musing over the question of what if I had lived, like Robinson Crusoe, on an island and there was nobody to admire or criticize my art, what would be my creative take on my life, on my small island, on my spiritual growth and so on. Or to put it slightly different, in a void of art appreciation and art criticism, what kind of artistic development would I experience? Is inspiration a divine energy or a genetic trait that keeps its steady flow despite having no social relevance? And with the book title ‘The Courage to Be Disliked’ in mind, if inspiration is independent of art appreciation, is it also independent of being disliked?

I have a deep and unwavering dislike for ugliness, hate, and aggression. My art therefore always will be beautiful, meditative, calm, and romantic because that is what flows out of me on my canvas. There is enough ugliness and hate, that it doesn’t need more spotlight. (I need to make a disclaimer here for political art; artists have to paint the human predicament, thus also war, hell and death, think of Picasso’s Guernica).

Time for some self-inquiry. Keep the answers to yourself and enjoy possible new insights:

Who has stimulated your art? Who has tried to kill or belittle your art? Who are the killers and midwives of your art?

What art would you make being a Robinson Crusoe (miraculously having a free and fully stocked art store available but alas nobody to appreciate your art)?

What would be your L’art pour l’art (‘Art for the sake of art’).

A bit of musing can yield astounding results.

Success!

Paula Kuitenbrouwer

Paula holds an MA degree in Philosophy and she is the owner of mindfuldrawing.com. Her pen and pencils are always fighting for her attention nevertheless they are best friends; Paula likes her art to be brainy and her essays to be artistic.

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vier-tulpen-kaart-met-enveloppe

Two (2) Tulips Art Cards by Paula Kuitenbrouwer

Elegant Tulips. Two double folded art cards, professionally printed with artwork by Paula Kuitenbrouwer. They comes with matching envelopes. Free shipping. One to send, one to keep.

€17.00

mandarin-ducks-art-card-standing-3

Two (2) Mandarin Ducks (standing) Art Cards by Paula Kuitenmbrouwer

A lovely couple of mandarin ducks are closely standing together, relaxed and keeping an eye on each other, bonding and celebrating their life long partnership. Two double folded art cards, professionally printed with artwork by Paula Kuitenbrouwer. They comes with matching envelopes. Free shipping. One to send, one to keep.

€17.00