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You like to tidy your studio and you need advice? Paula Kuitenbrouwer draws inspiration form the decluttering movement as well as Swedish Death Cleaning.
You like to learn a few tricks for checking your composition? Here they are…
Torn between two lovers? Between maximalist and minimalist art? I understand….
Would you like to see my DNA self portrait more close up? Why not visit my new website? On my new website you will find my self portrait and its story. Its elaborate decorative patterns needs some elucidation.
I will keep and grow mindfuldrawing.com. There is no need to unsubscribe although I welcome your subscription on my new website.
Your truly,
Paula Kuitenbrouwer
‘Who were the Celts?’ a wonderful course at at Oxford Department for Continuing Education gave me so much inspiration. I enjoyed it from the first till the last day and regretted it came to an end. One of the essays I had to read was an essay on Iron Age mirrors. ‘Mirrors in the British Iron Age: Performance, Revelation and Power, by Melanie Giles and Jody Joy.
Iron Age 50 BC – AD 50
Found in 1908 near Desborough
After reading about Iron Age mirrors, I set out to draw the Iron Age Desborough mirror. Through drawing I would gain more insights into its decorations and its function. Iron Age mirrors that were beautifully decorated and made of bronze and iron were found in graves of high status Iron Age women.
I like to say something about high status Iron Age women. One might think ‘high status’ refers to rich women or wives of rulers or kings. But although both accounts can be correct, high status refers in the Iron Age more to women being leaders or shamans.
The essay discusses how Iron Age metallurgy and how a whole community was involved in the making process. Also, it discusses social relations, grave goods, and the compass drawn motifs of repeated and distinctive forms arranged into intricate and flee flowing designs. Fascinating, to say in the least. The question begs why were mirrors used as grave goods? The easiest answer does not always work, one being that the Iron Age lady was buried with her belongings. Perhaps the mirrors were not possessions but (diplomatic) gifts. And why would a deceased lady take a mirror, she wouldn’t need it in her afterlife, or would she?
Imagine looking into this mirror. The effect of seeing your face in the reflective properties of the plate, disrupted or enhanced by its La Tene decorations would …yes, what would you see?
Giles and Joy describe how the decorations on the mirrors are not only used to deceive the eye, but also to reinforce the reflective qualities of the mirror plate. The anthropologist Alfred Gell points out that Iron Age mirrors could have expressed political power and legitimize associations with the supernatural. This is hard for us to understand but in order to understand what Gell states requires us to imagine a time in which you only saw your reflection in (restless or calm) water, in shiny objects, like copper, bronze, silver or gold. How special such mirrors would be! Imagine now that next to not frequently seeing your reflection, you were raised to notice all sorts of shapes in water, smoke, old trees, and rocks. We have a clear sense of what we see is real and what is imagination, but for ancient people perhaps seeing was just seeing, whether it was imagination or fact. If the under-upper and middle world aren’t having hard borders, perhaps seeing imaginative, hallucinative and factual weren’t compartmentalized either.
When I suffer a migraine aura, I see things that do not exist and things that I need to see are gone. I can pass a person in a street who is missing his head! Perhaps looking into an Iron Age mirror yields a similar effect as having a migraine aura because Iron Age mirrors have blanked out spaces and thus provide viewers with a disorienting and distorted image of themselves. Yet, an Iron Age mirror has not only missing parts (blanked out spaces, decorated with a basket woven texture) but carefully chosen synchronized but flow-like playful, witty, and mischievous botanical and animal patterns. What effect would looking into a shiny plate, with a deliberate disorienting pattern have? Here the essay explains more about the ‘technology of enchantment‘ and goes deeper into psychological war-fare though powerful visceral and visual effects. It informs the reader about the Fang People of Gabon who used hallucinogens before looking into mirrors, and states that these Iron Age mirrors were not real mirrors (not for checking hair or make-up). In fact, the mirrors played a role in rituals to release the soul to its afterlife.
During the time that I spent drawing this Iron age mirror, I tried many things. I tried to project my face behind the decorations, fusing my face and the decorations and then see all sorts of animals. Of course, this is a very poor attempt to understand its magic. But I have to do it with a large doses of imagination and hours of drawing as there is no way I would be able to hold the mirror up and have a look in it. And even if I could do that, there wouldn’t be a ritual that would be helpfully performed by an Iron Age shaman who would be experienced in travelling between worlds. (Or brainwaves, or different stages of consciousness, whatever way you might define shamanistic journeying).
My concluding thoughts are that by looking into this mirror, in an Iron Age ritual ceremony, with an Iron Age cognitive mindset, maybe, as a dying lady of high status, I would find great comfort in seeing my old face being obscured with these splendid swirling decorations. I would be calm as I have seen, thanks to my migraines, things that aren’t there and fail to notice things that are there. I would probably enter theta brainwaves the same way as after sitting down for a longer time in meditation or -more Iron Age style- looking into the smoky swirls of an open campfire. I might start seeing my face, combined with the swirly flowing embellishments turning into animal and ancestral spirits.
One has to understand that the Iron Age was full of spirits, spirits we have carefully abandoned from our modern life. But just as they have been forgotten, it doesn’t mean these spirits aren’t there. I would most certainly find an ancestral spirit that would ‘present’ itself as so much of my own face would be blanked out, and only essential and familiar facial lines would still linger in the reflective image. Or perhaps, I would see a beautiful stag or another mammal, and experience it as my guiding spirit animal. Perhaps I would see the hybrid human-animal dressed-up shaman of the village giving me instructions to journey to the Other-world.
All in all, it would perhaps release my soul into an in-between world in which I would be able to project comfortably to what I would need to see. I would probably have been fasting during the last days of my life, I would be susceptible for my imaginative mind to dominate and thus the softly and dreamily reflecting mirror would get a transitional quality and function. Or perhaps I would look and whisper some wise words, like Tibetan shamans who look into mirrors to see the future and the past, wise words that would be helpful to my tribe. The Fang people of Gabon use mirrors to contact their ancestors. Do Iron Age mirrors have a similar function?
Obviously, many things become possible should such a highly valued mirror be available to a tribe. There are many more than this Desborough mirror only. One by one these mirrors and their fascinating embellishments are showing us that Iron Age metallurgy and shamanism practices were interrelated and that highly decorated ‘magic’ Iron Age mirrors were much appreciated by Iron Age peoples.
Paula Kuitenbrouwer
At Etsy
P.S. During the hours that I was drawing the Desborough mirror, I travelled between worlds too. I had to descend from my creative, spiritual plane of manifesting ideas to the mundane world of running errands. As the trees were shedding their leaves, I noticed many decomposed leaves with open parts resembling mini Iron Age mirrors scattered on the street. If you can not enjoy looking into the Desborough Iron Age mirror at the British Museum, do not despair, mini versions are freely available every autumn.
Art cards are available at Etsy (and can be framed as small memories to this exquisite mirror):
Who does not feel enchanted by Koi carps? The way that they gracefully slide through their watery world makes us believe that they represent our thoughts and feelings. These large, but ever so elegant, soft-finned Koi carps swim in freshwater; they appear and disappear, come and go from all directions, like our thoughts during meditation. The more the Koi carps feel relaxed whilst being watched by you, so our thoughts slow down during meditation as we do not engage with our thoughts, but observe them manifesting and disappearing. Koi carps stand for prosperity and success. Their hardy nature has also led to Koi being associated with longevity.
Here is another Koi Carp commission. The typical number of Koi fish in a Feng-shui is 9 because it means unity, prosperity and longevity. The number nine represents attainment and completion.
I also accept monochromatic (graphite) Koi carp commissions. Would you miss colour? That depends on what art you prefer and what kind of art decorates your home. Perhaps your home has neutral colours? Or your home is alludes to the 17-18th century? Or you have an earth home with only greys and ocher tones? Monochromatic art is soulful and although colour makes people happy, monochromatic art is without doubt a bit deeper.
Contact me freely to commission your nine Koi carps. I make a colourful composition for you with measurements of 46-61 cm i.e 18-21 inches because these big fish need space. Compositions with 2 or 3 Koi carps can be smaller in size (and consequently lower in price).
Questions I will ask is whether you prefer accompanying lotus flowers and what colour Koi carps you favour. Also I need to know whether your preferences in relation to its orientation: horizontal (landscape) or vertical (portrait).
See more about commissioning me and its price indication at Etsy.
Paula Kuitenbrouwer
Paula Kuitenbrouwer, Drs. M.A. Paula holds an MA degree in Philosophy and works as an artist in Utrecht. She is the owner of mindfuldrawing.com, a website with academic essays, short articles, and most of all: artworks. Paula’s 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. Contact Paula freely for commissions.
Two (2) Koi Carp Art Cards
Two Koi Carp Art Cards by Paula Kuitenbrouwer. They are professionally printed, double folded art cards. They come with matching envelopes. One for keeping: one for sending. There are customers who frame the card. Free shipping.
€18.00
‘Would it be possible to commission you for a cottage drawing, a bit like your see on this card? But with a Yorkshire cottage in a Yorkshire countryside? But not a summer scene; actually it should be autumnal. Could you add mushrooms and late autumn butterflies? And perhaps ravens in the sky? For decoration, lots of ivy? Yes, brambles are fine too. I like the cottage to be a bit bigger. The hills with a steeper gradient? Would this be possible?‘
The answer is ‘yes‘ because I like to hear about your preferences and I like to draw beautiful, softly rendered monochromatic art. Colour is also possible but I prefer classical, 17th century drawings that have so much technique and soul. Put a monochromatic drawing in a wooden frame with a golden edged mount and your cottage art will be timeless.
Please, do return here regularly because I will posts updates on my work in progress.
Paula Kuitenbrouwer
Commission Artist in Utrecht, Netherlands (and preferring her holidays renting a lovely countryside cottage in the UK).
More updates will follow over the coming days.
Should you have questions related to (possible) commissions or technical questions, please use the contact form.
Paula Kuitenbrouwer
Paula Kuitenbrouwer, Drs. M.A. Paula holds an MA degree in Philosophy and works as an artist in Utrecht. She is the owner of mindfuldrawing.com, a website with academic essays, short articles, and most of all: artworks. Paula’s 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. Contact Paula freely for commissions.
Paula has her shop with originals at Etsy & her portfolio at Instagram. Art cards are available in the shop on this website.
Two (2) Mandarin Duck Art Cards (Standing)
Two double folded art cards that come with matching envelopes. The mandarin ducks are standing on one leg, close together to confirm their life long bond. Two cards: one for sending: one for keeping. There is a larger image inside for framing. Free shipping.
€18.00
Such questions lead to a decluttering trend which is named Swedish Death Cleaning. It does sound sad; it reminds us of emptying houses of deceased loved ones and donating over 90% of their belongings to charity or thrift shops. Death cleaning can be utterly draining, let us be honest about it. But it is exactly therefore that Swedish Death Cleaning advises us to start decluttering at the age of 60. Not that this way of down-scaling and simplifying your possessions is limited to 60+, on the contrary, you are invited at any time in your life to do a round of Death Cleaning because it has huge beneficial effects on your life and on the lives of those who will survive you.
Days after I turned 60, I read Swedish Death Cleaning by Emmanuel Eke. (There are more books on Swedish Death Cleaning; Emmanuel Eke’s book is probably the less pretty one but it is effective).
Decluttering policies are already implemented in my life (due to the lack of space) but now it is time to get rid of sticky, sentimental possessions that have been a burden on me and will be a burden on my beloved child. Swedish Death Cleaning will help me to live more in the present without all these repetitive mini movies playing in my head in which ancestors play too big a role. Thus, death cleaning goes beyond tidying and organization because it is not as simple as ‘keep what sparks joy’ but zooms in on the relation between objects and narratives that seem to be glued to objects.
I have tried to have my daughter promise that should I arrive at the gates of heaven, she would give away 90% of my portfolio. I hoped this would take away a weight on her shoulders but she told me that you simply can’t put the burden of ‘death cleaning’ a whole portfolio (worked on for decades) on the shoulders of your child because your child will not permit her/himself to throw away one sketch, let alone full sketchbooks. ‘Take 7 of my best artworks and the rest is off to a thrift shop’. The reply? A steadfast ‘No’. ‘I have tried to have my daughter promise that should I arrive at the gates of heaven, she would give away 90% of my portfolio. I hoped this would take away a weight on her shoulders but she told me that you simply can’t put the burden of a whole portfolio (worked on for decades) on the shoulders of your child because your child will not permit her/himself to throw away one sketch, let alone full sketchbooks. ‘Take 7 of my best artworks and the rest is off to a thrift shop’. The reply? A steadfast ‘No’.
It is hard to ask to declutter possessions of parents; it is downright cruel to ask selecting or decluttering artworks made by a parent. It must feel like undoing your parents creativity and legacy. Thus it is you, the artist, who is responsible to leave a meaningful heritage (and in the case of being an artist, a slimmed down portfolio).
My advice is to set a limit of how many artworks you find reasonable to pass on to the next generation(s). Donate (or throw away) every year a few artworks. Should you be afraid of regret, store a digital copy on an external hard-drive. Slim down your portfolio yearly till you have reached the maximum of artworks you find pleasurable and fit (and of such quality) to leave behind. Increase the volume of death cleaning annually.
Another idea is found in My Name is Asher Lev by Chaim Potok. This deeply moving story is about the young artist Asher Lev, a religious boy with an overwhelming need to draw and paint. Asher has an extraordinary God-given gift but he has to master his talent without shaming his people or relinquishing any part of his deeply felt Judaism. Asher Lev is an artist with a heart and when a good friend dies, he pays a visit to the poor widow with children. Asher being a starting artist has no money to give but he -a real artist- is capable of creative thinking. He promises the widow to send her yearly one of his artworks that she should store. Years will pass and her collection will grow accordingly, and so will Asher’s name (hopefully his fame). When his reputation is at its heights, she should sell the art collection and support her children’s study with the money that yields.
It is 25-30 years ago that I read ‘My Name is Asher Lev’ and I remembered this side story whilst writing this article. I though this was such a brilliant idea by the writer Chaim Potok, I couldn’t help thinking Potok had seen this arrangement in real. It is a wonderful way of ‘death cleaning, the artist way’; give away your art to those who can use it (or use the money it might yield).
Long ago I befriended a published poet in her 80s. In her testament she left all her poems and writings to the Dutch Museum for Literature along with 100% of her financial heritage. A small book was published a year after her death containing her most prolific poems. The rest of her work was stored and will -perhaps- be subject for a Bachelors, Masters, or PhD research project.
It is important to be organized and to look ahead. Draft your testament so that your work won’t get lost. It is estimated that a large body of work by J.S. Bach got lost after it was passed on to his sons. The same counts for Da Vinci’s notebooks of which only a few have survived whilst he most likely had many. Two indescribable losses! Death cleaning means ‘death’ cleaning for a reason: make sure that your artistic work isn’t binned but well passed on to those appreciative of it.
For writers, artists, and artisans counts that one has to keep an up-to-date portfolio. I have a document on which all my drawings and paintings are listed plus their location (in which portable portfolio they are stored). I have a file on my computer for all my artistic work: photos, writings, and miscellaneous. On every of my 5 portable portfolios, I have clipped an envelope with an index of my portfolio which helps to find a drawing. Plus, I am not shy to throw away artwork. Only my excellent work should survive and be passed on. Be organized and be no sissy.
I am not a sissy when it comes to slimming down possessions. I have lived abroad and I have had a house to keep in our homeland and abroad, and thus at the end of each foreign assignment thrift shops, charities, orphanages loved me to bits (they actually said so, which made me laugh). However, donating stuff that is linked to beloved ancestors is another story than donating an outgrown IKEA child room.
In ‘Common Challenges and Emotional Attachments Associated with Letting go of Possessions During Swedish Death Cleaning Process’ (p.42), I find what I am looking for, namely dealing with various emotional attachments, mainly passed on by family. I will face a difficult situation when my last parent -currently in his nineties- will cross the River Styx. A future heritage will yield mostly Emotional Attachment Possessions. I will have to take decluttering to the next level: to the level of death cleaning stuff that has been passed on lovingly.
Difficulties surrounding death cleaning of emotional valued possessions are fear of regret, loss of identity, sunk costs fallacy (for instance antiques have devalued enormously), and inherited beliefs. The best piece of advice Eke’s book gives is to Identify True Value. This is a complex evaluation. It involves an assessment of its practical use, its story (that plays in my head only), its financial value, and above all because of being already 60 (and having only 25-35 years ahead) its value for my child. Does the object provoke a story that sits as an ear-worm in your head or will it offer a happy tale? But even more than that, does the object fit in the life my daughter envisages to live? Would it be a passed on burden or an object of joy for her?
For donating sentimental possessions, I have adopted a mental trick. I zoom in on a feeling a subtle annoyance being obliged to hold on to inherited stuff. Most of the time I find myself grateful for an heirloom, but other times I struggle with feelings of guilt because it was not my choice to feel overwhelmed with the emotional effects and memories that stick to certain items. I didn’t buy it; I didn’t decide to keep it, and still, it is now in my possession! Of course, we have a choice accepting or declining possessions passed on by others, and whilst many pieces are passed on with feelings of gratefulness, the older you become, the less grateful you are with possessions previously owned by others because you do not need them. You do not need more objects whispering to you and involuntarily provoking memories. You need a quiet home to hear or pick up the subtle voice of creative inspiration.
Another powerful piece of advice related to death cleaning is to visualize your ideal space. It is hard to imagine that such space is filled with heirlooms (like a museum), weighing you down with stories echoing from the past. My imagined ideal space is filled with things that are useful and wanted by the next generation. This is death cleaning in essence; you do the work for your beloved ones.
Eke advises to ‘pass on heirlooms early’ which is powerful advice. Young people need stuff in their 20s-30s. Sometimes inherited stuff is still appreciated at the age of 40+. But after 50 who needs extra stuff? Hardly anybody because our homes become smaller and smaller, generations have less children per family, or are (voluntarily) childless (due to climate change, overpopulation, or other ecological reasons). Or have adopted a minimalist, anti-materialist, or tiny living lifestyle, which all are admirable.
I was given a lovely necklace by my late neighbour. I wore that necklace for during two decades and then one day it snapped. The beads flew in all directions and although I could save a few, the necklace was lost. Surprisingly, I had peace with that. I saved the small lock and a few beads. One must let go of possessions and their narratives. Surprisingly when the necklace broke, my neighbour didn’t magically disappear from my memory. The necklace turned out not to be a relic.
‘Are you tired of feeling overwhelmed by clutter, stressed by possessions? It is time to take charge and embark on your own decluttering journey. Swedish Death Cleaning offers a unique and empowering approach to decluttering that not only brings peace and organization to your life but also leaved behind a meaningful legacy for your loved ones‘. (Emmanuel I. Eke)
I do not have much clutter. When you have moved house internationally a few times, every move has been limited to an international shipping container maximum (cubic meters). The day before a moving company arrived, you were 100% sure you had decluttered your stuff to the bare bone to avoid embarrassment. Clutter therefore hasn’t been my main motive to read about Swedish Death Cleaning, because know how to declutter. In fact my husband and I often refer to our ‘inverted house’ which is a house that only exists in our minds. In this non-existing house we ‘see’ (with our mind’s eye) everything we have given away to charities and thrift shops or have brought to recycle stations. Sometimes my husband tries to find something and inquires about it. Then I say: ‘You can find it in our living room in our inverted house’, after which we both laugh. We have mastered decluttering. I bought Swedish Death Cleaning for the next-level-advice on how to deal with sentimental possessions which are harder to shed than clutter.
‘Imagine waking up in a clutter-free, serene environment every day, where everything has a purpose and a place’
Emmanuel I. Eke
Imagine waking up in a space that has almost an unbearable (emotional) lightness, having no negative stories attached to objects, that breaths openness, and offers plenty of room for creativity. That is cleansed from heaviness, from things that pull you back to the past in a negative way.
I will remember this when I busy myself with several rounds of Swedish Death Cleaning, because it will -paradoxically- create more room for life.
Paula
Paula Kuitenbrouwer, Drs. M.A.
Paula holds an MA degree in Philosophy and works as an artist in Utrecht. She is the owner of mindfuldrawing.com, an artist website with academic essays, short articles, and lots of artworks. 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. Contact Paula freely for commissions.
Art shop at Etsy & Portfolio at Instagram
Have you appreciated this article? Perhaps you have browsed through my website and you have read more? I kindly thank you for your support by buying my art cards, which you will not regret.
Art Card by Paula Kuitenbrouwer
Two art cards with Mandarin Ducks Standing on One Leg
Two professionally printed Mandarin Duck art cards, double folded, with a matching envelope. Larger image inside for framing. One for sending, one for keeping. Free shipping.
€18.00
Crossed Bison of Lascaux Art Cards (2)
Two wonderful and richly illustrated double folded art cards showing the stampeding (crossed) bison of the prehistoric cave Lascaux (France). Professionally printed. Free shipping. One for sending: one for keeping.
€18.00
by Paula Kuitenbrouwer
Koi fish represent unity, prosperity, and longevity. For others Koi carp stand for resilience because these carps are strong. Feng Shui practitioners agree that the favored number of fish for your pond or aquarium is best limited to nine because nine stands for prosperity.
(Showing how a commission is made in several steps: from a monochromatic, detailed underdrawing, to the first colours, and several layers of colour later applying a protective spray).
You like to watch slow moving Koi carp? You like their meditative flow? You love Koi carp? Contact me freely should you like to commission a monochromatic drawing or a colourful painting of several Koi carp for your home.
I can paint a Koi carp pond for you with or without lotus-flowers or other water-plants. With as many Koi carps you like, however nine is maximum due to the size of the Arches paper that I work on.
Koi are often associated with elegance, strength of character, perseverance, and accomplishment. But also with meditation; watching them slows the mind. The fish also symbolize good fortune, and prosperity. Their long history and hardy nature has also led to Koi being associated with longevity. Koi carp are one of the most Feng-shui loved animals.
I have drawn and painted Koi carp in different settings, seen through water, from the perspective from outside of a pond, or from a ‘helicopter’ or above view. Contact me freely to discuss your wishes.
I invite you to have a look at my Etsy shop where you find several Koi Carp commissions.
If you can do with some guidance, contact me freely.
With or without lotus flowers, with blue, or orange, or yellow fish, your preferences are important to me.
Paula Kuitenbrouwer
Paula’s shop at Etsy
Two Koi Carp Double Folded Art Cards by Paula Kuitenbrouwer
Two Koi Carps and a lotus flower decorate this lovely card that comes with a matching envelope. Free shipping!
€18.00
Geschreven door Paula Kuitenbrouwer. Ze gaf tien jaren thuisonderwijs in verscheidende landen.
Bijna alle ouders kennen een paar grappige kinderversjes. Maar wanneer kinderen naar school gaan, duikt vaak een anti-autoritair argument op om kinderen te vrijwaren van het leren van gedichten. ‘Een kind moet niet gedrild worden’, of sceptisch: ‘Wat is de relevantie van gedichten?’ Gedichten behoren tot het educatieve fundament waar een kind taal, cultuur en in enkele gevallen schrijfkunst op kan bouwen. Er bestaan goede redenen om gedichten weer een plaats te geven in het kinderhart. Kinderen hebben baat bij het leren van gedichten, ook als ze later geen alfa-studie oppakken.
COGNITIEVE WAARDE
Of het gaat om serieuze, klassieke, verhalende of humoristische gedichten, het zijn de ware opvolgers van kinderversjes. Een kinderversje is de eerste kennismaking met de combinatie van ritme, cadans, rijm en taalpatronen en helpt bij spreekvaardigheid en bereidt het kind voor op gedichten. De cognitieve waarde van het leren van gedichten is groot. Kinderen die gedichten leren, memoriseren en reciteren ontwikkelen taalvaardigheden. Een kind leert door gedichten, net zoals door lezen, nieuwe woorden. Hoe rijker de woordenschat van een kind, hoe beter. Zelfs als een kind een gedicht hoort en de betekenis van een aantal woorden niet kent, dan raadt een kind naar die betekenis met de hulp van het gedicht dat die betekenis suggereert. Kinderen die poëtisch geschoold worden, ontwikkelen ook een gevoel voor verschillende betekenissen van woorden en zinnen. Net zoals tweetalige kinderen weten dat ‘blauw’ niet een kleur is maar een woord voor een kleur die je ook met ‘blue’ kunt aanduiden, leren kinderen woordcombinaties te gebruiken om essenties van iets te duiden.
En essenties worden ook begrepen door kinderen met dyslexie. Voor kinderen met dyslexie is het leren memoriseren en reciteren van gedichten een zegen. Zij kunnen gedichten met een docent of ouder leren door deze samen keer-op-keer op te zeggen zodat de geschreven tekst geen obstakel vormt. De trots op het kindergezicht spreekt boekdelen wanneer het een lang gedicht kan voordragen. Niemand vermoedt dyslexie en even kan dit kind gewoon of zelfs excellent zijn, wat het zelfvertrouwen stimuleert.
Niet alle kinderen gaan later een taal- of letterenstudie volgen. Toch is het jeugdig kennismaken met de dichtkunst voor alle kinderen van toegevoegde waarde. Voor elk kind, dyslectisch, begaafd, of gemiddeld, is echter vooral de ontwikkeling van het taalgevoel het belangrijkst. De subtiele taal uitdrukkingen waarmee ze kennismaken, maken hen ambitieuzer. Woordkeuze wordt belangrijk voor hen. En door het goed gebruik van taal en de zorgvuldige woordkeuze onderscheiden zij zich. Zij gaan inzien dat je je enthousiasme voor iets nauwgezet kunt uitdrukken dan met een langgerekt, taalarmoedig ‘Cool!’ Dus zelfs in het geval dat een kind nimmer een dichtbundel zal oppakken, is het leren van gedichten zinvol voor taal-en geheugen ontwikkeling.
Voor een aantal kinderen gaan gedichten nog meer betekenen. Hoe vaker deze kinderen gedichten reciteren, hoe meer zij ontdekken dat gebeurtenissen in het leven herinneren aan een gedicht. De werkelijkheid wordt poëtisch kracht bijgezet. Begin daarom op jonge leeftijd met gedichten. Een 5-6-jarige kan al een gedicht voordragen (al dan niet met een spiekbriefje). Ouders staan daar versteld van, maar docenten weten beter. Het leren memoriseren en reciteren van gedichten past bij het bewegelijke, fantasierijke, speelse en muzikale leren dat kinderen graag doen en waar zij goed in zijn. En voor diegenen die het leren reciteren van gedichten toch niet waarderen, onderzoek of daar luiheid aan ten grondslag ligt door hen te vragen of zij het (nog) niet kunnen opzeggen? Zoals het kennen van de tafels van vermenigvuldiging het rekenen een leven lang vergemakkelijkt, zo geven gedichten kinderen taalkundig een goede start.
CULTURELE EN TRADITIONELE ARGUMENTEN
In de meeste culturen kunnen kinderen niet ontsnappen aan het reciteren van gebeden, ballades of gedichten. Het is een onderdeel van hun familie traditie of religie. Denk aan het reciteren in de joodse traditie maar ook in de islamitische, christelijke en boeddhistische. De gebeden worden uitgesproken of gezongen. Het bidden kalmeert de geest, bevordert de contemplatie en maakt de bidder drager van het religieuze erfgoed. Hetzelfde geldt voor het reciteren van gedichten. Gedichten reflecteren gevoelens, verhalen over gebeurtenissen, beschrijven landschappen of gaan over een persoon. Wanneer gedichten door opeenvolgende generaties opgezegd worden, is er sprake van cultuurbehoud. Het is precies daarom dat culturen eeuwenlang educatief gevormd zijn met behulp van de dichtkunst. Griekse jochies internaliseren de Homerus in taal, verhaal en cultuur. Talloze gedichten, verzen en mythes zijn door alle eeuwen heen voorgedragen terwijl de jonge kinderen deze zagen met hun ‘inward eye’, zoals Wordsworth beschrijft in zijn gedicht ‘Daffodils’. Deze jonge kinderen zagen met hun verbeelding mythische voorstellingen, fantastische verbeeldingen en boeiende verhalen zoals moderne kinderen televisiekijken. Gedichten zijn cultuur in woord en beeld, zij leren kinderen niet alleen de poëtische kant van de taal en het leven, maar ze brengen ook waardering voor geschiedenis bij. Hoe beleefden dichters in de vorige eeuwen de werkelijkheid? Wat ervoeren zij gevoelsmatig? Van welke landschappen hielden zij? Hoe namen zij afscheid van een geliefde? Het memoriseren van literaire cultuur is een waardevol onderdeel van een curriculum dat een breder doel heeft dan taalontwikkeling.
EMOTIES EN GEDICHTEN
B.P. Shelley, J. Brodski, M. Nussbaum en J. C. Powys zijn maar vier van de ongetwijfeld vele dichters, filosofen en schrijvers die van mening zijn dat gedichten bijdragen aan morele bewustwording. Volgens hun overtuiging zijn gedichten instrumenteel voor het ‘verdichten van de levenservaring door de literaire dimensie’ (Powys), het voeden van de fantasie (Shelley), en het ontwikkelen van het inlevingsvermogen (Nussbaum). Literaire ervaring, fantasie, inlevingsvermogen en empathie maakt een mens sympathieker ten opzichte van zijn medemens. Deze empathie vormt de basis voor moreel handelen.
Tegenstanders van deze aanname beweren dat ook Nazi kampbewakers gedichten lazen maar dat afwisselden met het martelen van gevangenen. Het is oncontroleerbaar en daarom inderdaad onwetenschappelijk te beweren dat gedichten een moreel effect hebben op kinderen. Maar dat betekent niet dat het memoriseren en reciteren van gedichten daarom maar uit het leven van een kind mag verdwijnen. Immers, het onthouden en voordragen van gedichten is, zoals eerder gesteld, met name belangrijk voor de taalontwikkeling en het cultuurbehoud. Of het ook moreel een steentje bijdraagt, hoeft geen doorslaggevende motivatie te zijn.
Bij een aantal kinderen zullen gedichten niets meer doen dan het geheugen aanspreken zoals het onthouden van telefoonnummers. Deze kinderen moet je niet vervelen met dichtkunst. Maar voor de anderen geldt dat gedichten aanzetten tot piekeren en lachen. Net zoals het religieuze idioom van gebeden, helpen gedichten, gevoelens en ervaringen in woorden te vatten. Al zal maar een aantal kinderen liefde voor gedichten ontwikkelen of zelf dichter worden, deze groep is belangrijk genoeg om aandacht aan te besteden.
In het moderne onderwijs is de aandacht voor gedichten echter minimaal. Het onderwijs wordt steeds informeler, minder competitief en minder gericht op het opbouwen van fundamentele vaardigheden zoals rekenen, taal en schrijven. Voor het maken van gedichten moeten jonge leerlingen goed geschoold worden in grammatica, spelling en technische aspecten van gedichten.
Het mankement van het hedendaagse onderwijs is dat jonge docenten zelf niet veel weten van de dichtkunst en daarom blijven steken in het geven van complimenten. Een jonge leerling die echter wil leren hoe hij zijn gedicht kan verbeteren, heeft geen boodschap aan complimenten maar juist behoefte aan kritische opmerkingen. In het vak van creatief-schrijven moet daarom vooral aan de techniek van het schrijven en dichten aandacht gegeven worden. De vrees jonge leerlingen te vervelen met technische vaardigheden mag niet het ‘Jong geleerd is oud gedaan’ principe overheersen.
Dichten is meer dan je gevoelens op papier zetten en meer dan zelfexpressie. Scholing in het analyseren en maken van de gedichten van de grote dichtmeesters vormt de basis. Leer dat leerlingen op school of thuis maar hou de verwachting laag dat leerlingen in klaslokalen hun beste gedicht schrijven. Een klaslokaal kan te veel een sociale battle-ground zijn of er kan te veel onrust heersen. Het kan een leerling ook aan vertrouwen ontbreken om metaforen te gebruiken. ‘Misschien word ik uitgelachen’. Het creatief aanwenden van taal is één aspect, maar het creatief of diepzinnig kunnen reflecteren op indrukken of ervaringen kan een leerling waarschijnlijk alleen in de rust en beslotenheid van een eigen plek. En het kan een tijdje duren eer een jonge dichter het gedicht durft voor te dragen. ‘Het moet eerst een beetje afsterven’, zei de dichteres Catharine van der Linden eens tegen mij toen ik haar vroeg een recent gedicht van haar te mogen lezen.
Maar ondanks dat er diverse argumenten gegeven kunnen worden voor het leren, memoriseren, en reciteren van gedichten, lijkt het haast te veel gevraagd. In de voorwoorden van de twee delen Poëzie voor Kinderen (samengesteld door W.L. Boldingh-Goeman) uit 1922, putten de inleiders zich ook uit in het bepleiten van gedichten als leerstof. De argumenten van de inleiders doen inmiddels bijna poëtisch aan: ‘ ..zoo zullen zij (de leerlingen die leren declameeren) zich tot harmonische menschen ontwikkelen en reiken naar de schoonheid van het poëtisch leven, wat niet anders beteekent dan reiken naar de hoogste wijsheid en liefde’.
Er zijn ook praktische overwegingen. Het opzeggen van gedichten door jonge kinderen leidt ertoe dat zij hun verlegenheid verliezen, goede uitspraak verwerven en leren voordragen waardoor zij later ook makkelijk voor publiek kunnen spreken. Het leren voordragen van gedichten geeft ‘gepaste vrijmoedigheid’. Moesten jonge kinderen daar vroeger wellicht in aangespoord worden, vandaag de dag zullen gedichten kinderen eerder bescheiden maken.
De dichtkunst is traditioneel een educatief fundament dat kinderen niet ontzegd moet worden. De voordelen van onderwijs in de dichtkunst zijn niet alleen taalkundig maar ook cultureel. Enkele kinderen hebben zelfs emotionele baat bij jeugdige kennismaking met gedichten. Willen de volgende generaties in staat zijn dichters van kaliber voort te brengen, dan moet onderwijs in het dichten weer opgenomen worden in het curriculum, moeten ouders weer gedichten gaan voorlezen en bibliotheken competities voor het beste gedicht uitschrijven.
Paula Kuitenbrouwer
Paula Kuitenbrouwer heeft een decennia lang thuisonderwijs gegeven tot het moment dat haar dochter naar een IB school ging, vervolgens A-Levels deed, en ging studeren aan een universiteit. Na haar thuisonderwijs jaren, pakte Paula weer haar pen en penselen op, en begon met het opzetten van www.mindfuldrawing.com.
“Waardeert u dit essay? Mijn website heeft inmiddels 180.000+ bezoekers gehad waarbij lezers gemiddeld 2-3 pagina’s lazen. Het is mijn wens om ‘www.mindfuldrawing.com’ meer self-supporting te maken. Ik hoop dat u mijn website wilt steunen en dat u vaak zult terugkeren naar deze site waar beeldende kunst, spiritualiteit, en natuurwaardering centraal staat”.
Twee ‘Marvellous’ Mandarijneendjes Kunstkaarten
Mandarijneendjes staan symbool voor liefde en loyaliteit in Azie. Mandarijneendjes zijn zoete eendjes die levenslang bij hun partner blijven. Het mannetje heeft prachtige kleuren en opvallende opstaande veren; het vrouwtje is voor camouflage minder kleurrijk niet minder schattig. Twee kaarten. Geen portokosten.
€15.00
Een kopje koffie voor de auteur
Hartelijk dank!
€3.00
Meer Thuisonderwijs op Mindfuldrawing en meer Nederlandstalige essays geschreven door Paula Kuitenbrouwer
Charlotte Mason en Levende Boeken.
De Mens en de Verbeelding van het Dier.
Or let me send the cards to a good friend. Your friend will have your personalized message included on a small card added by me. (Please communicate the gift-text and address of your friend via the contact form).
Before art became available online, artists relied on galleries and agents to distribute work. Since the internet, artists enjoy their independence selling their art. My art is nature-oriented, classical, professional, and feminine.
I offer a monthly subscription of art cards. All my art cards have artistic value and ignite a passion for letter writing or self-expression.
Despite not knowing what card will arrive in your mailbox, it’s will inspire. This is a great way to discover practical art; art that can be used for communication.
My art cards can be used as a decorative mini print (many frame my cards) or as beautiful stationary. Plus, every time I ship art cards to your there is a little sweet treat squeezed in your subscription too.
Three (3) Month Art Cards Subscription
Buying one card when you need one takes up time. Isn’t it better to have a few at hand for several occasions? I have created art cards which are high in artistic and printed quality. Every month you will receive two different art cards. These art cards are a win-win-win; you have lovely cards, those who will receive a card will feel appreciated, and last-by-not least, you support an artistic intelligent artist (and not an Artificial Intelligence art producing company). Cancelling, pausing, skipping, or switching to gift options are available: email me at mindfuldrawing@gmail.com. Or use the contact form.
€33.00
Should you have questions, please contact me freely.
Paula Kuitenbrouwer, Drs. M.A. Paula holds an MA degree in Philosophy and works as an artist in Utrecht. She is the owner of mindfuldrawing.com, a website with academic essays, short articles, and most of all: artworks. Paula’s 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. Contact Paula freely for commissions.
I am Iphigenia and my father is the charming, powerful Agamemnon. Agamemnon is sailing to the land of Centenarians. Unfortunately we find ourselves drifting on the Aegean Sea; there is hardly any wind on the water. Hunger and aggression increase by the hour; even ship rats are caught and eaten. In their frustration, sailors almost tear asunder their irreplaceable sails. Then, Agamemnon decides to offer me to appease the gods for filling the sails of his trireme. His ambition to reach the land of immortals is relentless.
Seldomly, I have prayed so urgently for divine intervention. Artemis, goddess of hunting and forests, orders the last three remaining ship rats to chew the ropes that tie me to the ship. That night, they work silently as to not wake up the sleeping soldiers. Free at last, I silently slide a cedar oar in the sea and invite the rats to sit on my shoulders. Slowly slipping into the water, I grab the floating oar, -the rats jump on it- and we drift away. I peddle with my feet till I am -hopefully- out of sight of my father’s ship. The sun rises and the sun sets and if it weren’t for the rats that seem remarkably relaxed, I would have given up hope.
Finding myself lying on a sandy beach, I spot my rats sleeping close to me. I am intermittently awake and asleep with exhaustion. When I open my eyes, I see how the rats lose their shape. I fear for their lives. Hours later, I open my eyes again, I see they have grown. Am I delusional with hunger or are they gradually shapeshifting into mouse-deer? By the time the sun goes down and I am able to sit up, I am in the company of three fawns that take another hour to morph into adult deer. They look at me with their amber-onyx eyes, jump up, and head for the forest.
‘I must thank Artemis and her deer’, I whisper when I am on my feet again.
The sea carries voices from far away, out of sight. It might be Agamemnon’s men cheering as the wind picks up.
It takes me one and a half years to return home.
END
P.S. Mouse-deer have existed: see link.
XXX
I am Hestia, goddess of family, home, and the sacred fire; I keep hearths burning and I guard the health of families.
My father is Cronus. Mythology says he has devoured me and all my siblings soon after our birth. He did this out of fear to be overthrown by one of his offspring. Zeus wouldn’t have it and forced the old Titan to disgorge us. I can’t remember this all but what I do know is that Cronus never really lost his fear of losing his power to his children.
My siblings and I grew up and we all fled to different islands. I sailed to Ermioni, a small port town on the Argolid Peninsula and made it my hometown. Looking back, I see my life there was characteristically feminine and motherly; teaching, creating art, and home keeping.
Last week, I went to Pythia. Perhaps you know her better as the Oracle of Delphi. Pythia, in all her mysteriousness, prophesied something that I do not fully understand and neither the temple priests could explain to me. Something about Artificial Intelligence (what is that?) that will push men and women out of work and send them home. When the priest said home, my ears pricked.
Writers, artists, teachers, doctors, all those have me close to their hearts because they do womanly, motherly, homely jobs. To give them self-worth and have future generations (still) interested in education, AI companies will have to be taxed hard which will generate governmental funds to implement an unconditional basic income for those put out of work by AI. This unconditional income is needed for people’s self-determination and self-worth. It is hard for me to fully understand this.
Pythia was deep in trance when she whispered that AI companies will drive humongous changes in societies and that putting massive amounts of people out of work for profit is not something society is inclined to accept. This political stuff went way over my head but I do understand that apart from war and natural disasters, profound changes in society should be democratically driven, not commercially.
Still, it all puzzles me. However, from what I intuitively feel, it will be a matter of time for me -a rather insignificant Olympian goddess- to increase in importance. Home, health, harmony, and hearth will become -once again- the center of our lives.
Epilogue
From all ancient goddesses, Hestia (or Vesta in Roman mythology) is my favourite. In fact, I like her so much that I have drawn her. Have a look here to see how I have put her on a pedestal in an imaginative park.
XXX
I am the nameless Muse of Painting, as painted in oil by Henry Siddons Mowbray (1858–1928). I am rather smitten by this portrait of me.
Anonymity befits me because there have been so many nameless painters in history. We painted for God, or we saw our artwork as a god-gift. We didn’t sign our artwork, because it came from something higher and better than us mere mortals.
In Mowbray’s painting I am at work, holding my paintbrush in one hand and the canvas in the other. My palette holds four colours Mowbray has used as base hues.
This is me at work, both painting and taking some distance to judge my artwork aesthetically and technically. This is the unique quality of being an artist; simultaneously creating and appraising how inspiration manifests itself after its transformation of a fleeting idea to a solid painting on canvas. I am the maker and the viewer, taking turns, and this is a very delicate position. Both qualities are in my portrait, and I think that is one of the strengths of this artwork.
XXX
Paula Kuitenbrouwer
Artist in Utrecht, Netherlands, at Etsy & at Instagram.
Paula Kuitenbrouwer, Drs. M.A. Paula holds an MA degree in Philosophy and works as an artist in Utrecht. She is the owner of mindfuldrawing.com, a website with academic essays, short articles, and most of all: artworks. Paula’s 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. Contact Paula freely for commissions.
Contact me freely to discuss commissioning your favourite mythological figure.
May I kindly ask, have you appreciated this essay? My website by now tallies 180,000+ visits, with visitors reading an average of 2-3 pages. It is my wish to make my website more self-supporting.
Should you have enjoyed this essay and website, please consider supporting my website that has fine art, spirituality, and nature appreciation at its heart.
Two (2) Marvellous Mandarin Duck Art Cards
Two double folded Mandarin duck art cards with matching envelopes. They have a larger image inside and enough white space for a letter or wish. Professionally printed art cards. Mandarin ducks are known as symbols of friendship, loyalty and love. The cards come with matching envelopes. Free shipping.
€18.00
June 2023 was the hottest June on record according to NASA’s global temperature analysis. Although July was much better for the Netherlands, elsewhere the world was on fire or boiling. It gave me a sense of ending.
We all are in this together. Because your house didn’t burn down, your environment at large (air quality, biodiversity, availability of water) has suffered. Clean air and fresh water have become scarcer and thus at one point these commodities will become a more expensive.
You know why biodiversity matters? One reason is that viruses and bacteria need animals (as hosts) and when there are less animals -in variety relating to numbers- viruses and bacteria jump to humans, and as a result –here we go again– another pandemic.
We need clean air, lots of vegetation (trees are air-cons), plenty of fresh water, and a huge reservoir of animals and insects. Noah was a wise man boarding all animals he possibly could find.
Noah’s Ark is a painting by Cajetan Roos (1690, Rome – 1770, Vienna), was an Italian landscape painter of German descent.
What gave me a sense of beginning was that my daughter -she is an aspiring writer- asked for illustrations for her (future) books. This opened a whole new world. I need to acquaint myself with new knowledge, new techniques, and book publishing related history and fashions to make book illustrations.
Thus, I started with studying standardized sizes relating to different genres. Size, however, is not a make-break; apart from common standard measurements there are options. That said, I like my illustrations to fit into standard measurements (avoiding distortions) and thus had to do some math.
Then there is typeface. My daughter would love to have a personalized letter type, which implies that I must design 26 letters, capitals, lowercase, 10 numbers, ampersands, etc. I will run into 101 challenges that will give me a sense of learning a new trade, thus a sense of beginning. It made me think of William Morris who set up his own Kelmscott Press and designed its hallmark typefaces, decorative borders, letters, and ornaments. How very inspiring!
It is important to have a greater sense of beginning than a sense of ending. Learning new creative skills and setting ambitious creative goals helps. But that won’t be enough to compensate for the excesses of capitalism, global warming, and the ever growing divide between haves and have-nots. Some even refer to the end of the Anthropocene (the time during which humans have had a substantial impact on our planet). We will need to become extremely innovative and creative in minimizing our harmful impact on our planet.
Paula Kuitenbrouwer
at Etsy
at Instagram
Paula Kuitenbrouwer, Drs. M.A. Paula holds an MA degree in Philosophy and works as an artist in Utrecht. She is the owner of mindfuldrawing.com, a website with academic essays, short articles, and most of all: artworks. Paula’s 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. Contact Paula freely for commissions.
HAVE A LOOK AT MY ANGELS’ WING POSTS:
NINE ANGEL WINGS IN YOUR MAILBOX
NINE (9) ANGEL WINGS SMALL CARDS
Free shipping. They arrive in a sturdy envelope, these 9 prayer, note-booking, bookmark, well-wishing cards with nice texts and enough white space for a short personal wish. Size about 7-10 cm.
€30.00
This is a happy, family oriented art piece. It shows a relaxed family. Surrounded by decorative Japanese ancient tree top symbols.
A deer family painted within an Asian folding fan. There is lots of wood element in this painting; the paper is made of wood, the folding fan shows wood, and this deer family lives in a woodland park. There will be metal element as well; lots of rich gold/bronze, silver. You could use a wooden of metal frame. There will be lots of earth element; I will use earth pigments, mainly soft ocher paints.
This is a lovely and very neatly executed painting; enjoy the photos of the graphite underlayer.
For Feng-shui purposes this painting could decorate your dining room in the southeast (wealth) sector. Another great placement for this deer themed artwork is the health (east) sector to improve and protect health.
Size: 31-41 cm that is 12-16 inches.
Arches Paper.
Please, use the contact form should you have any questions or like to discuss a commission.
Paula Kuitenbrouwer
Paula Kuitenbrouwer, Drs. M.A. Paula holds an MA degree in Philosophy and works as an artist in Utrecht. She is the owner of mindfuldrawing.com, a website with academic essays, short articles, and most of all: artworks. Paula’s 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. Contact Paula freely for commissions.
Deer Family Gouache Painting
Art work by Paula Kuitenbrouwer. A deer family resting closely together in a woodland clearing. Depicted on a Asian fan, surrounded by treetops and a golden coloured boarder. The light will play with this painting due to the use of metallic golden touches. Please do not hang it in direct sunlight as that is never good for art. Arrives in an artist tube and protective plastic folio. Price includes all costs of shipping trace & trace.
€127.00
I have an Etsy shop (with over 220 sales and many 5 star reviews), so head over there in case selling through an online platform is preferable. For large and original artwork, please visit my Etsy shop. Etsy offers sellers and buyers protection (for instance against artwork getting lost whilst shipping). Should you see artwork there that you like to buy via Paypal, please use the contact form.
I am Paula Kuitenbrouwer, commission artist living in Utrecht, the Netherlands. I am married with one daughter who studies History both in the Netherlands as well as abroad. (She is a guest writer of my website). I accept commissions and have done several art projects. I have ventured into book illustrating after my daughter asked me to be her future resident book-illustrator. (So happy with that request!)
As from a young age I have been drawing and painting. I have done many things like graduating in Philosophy, studying Prehistory and Celtic history at Oxford ODCE, and working in various jobs. During my time as a university student and later when my daughter was born, I had very little time to draw and paint, but as soon as my sweet daughter could hold a pencil, I was back on track.
After having been a homeschool-teacher for a decade in various countries due to the international job of my lovingly and unwavering supportive husband, our daughter went to an international high-school and later university. It was then that I could seriously grow my portfolio.
I enjoy having contact with my customers. They all are deeply art-loving and kind people. Feel invited to contact me.
All prices are including shipping.
Two (2) Mandarin Ducks Resting Art Card
Mandarin ducks are life long partners. They sit close together to confirm their bond. Inside this double folded art card is a larger image for framing. The professionally printed art cards come with a matching envelopes.
€17.00
Two Mandarin Ducks Standing Art Card
Mandarin ducks are life long partners. They stay very close together to confirm their bond. Inside this double folded art card is a larger image for framing. The professionally printed art cards come with matching envelopes.
€17.00
Prayer or Well Wishing Angel Wing Cards
Eight (8) beautiful angel wing cards with sweet texts on the backside. Size 3-4 inches, about 7 by 10 cm. Sweet gift and well wishing cards for those in need for support. Original and unexpected. Multi religious. Non-denominational. Spiritual and creative support.
€25.00
(2) Two Pumpkin with Butterflies Art Cards
This is a professionally printed double folded art card that is richly illustrated. The cards come with matching envelopes and seal stickers. Perfect for well wishing, vegan friends, celebrating harvest time.
€17.00
Condolance Sympathy Art Card with Mourning Cloak Butterflies
Inside this card -in cursive lettering- there is a text ‘With heartfelt sympathy’ (UK English), ‘Met innige deelneming’ (Dutch) and ‘Toutes mes condoléances’ (French). Mourning cloak butterflies represent the cloak worn by people who mourn the loss of a beloved one. This type of butterfly is a symbol of “mourning” the death of a loved one.
€12.00
Two Tulip Art Cards
This double folded art card is very elegant and easily communicates well wishes. The lush tulips open up and beautifully show their striped petals. The art cards come with matching envelopes.
€17.00
Two Crossed Bison of Lascaux Art Cards
This double folded art card shows my three drawings of the panel of Lascaux’s prehistoric paintings showing two bison with their hind legs crossed, as if they stampede away from each other. The art study of this ancient panel is to be found on mindfuldrawing.com. This is a unique card, full masculine energy and seeks to show how prehistoric painters had a talent for three dimensional painting uneven cave walls. The cards come with matching envelopes.
€17.00
Kindest greetings,
Paula Kuitenbrouwer
Paula Kuitenbrouwer, Drs. M.A. Paula holds an MA degree in Philosophy and works as an artist in Utrecht. She is the owner of mindfuldrawing.com, a website with academic essays, short articles, and most of all: artworks. Paula’s 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. Contact Paula freely for commissions.
Artist Sybille makes her daily walks in mountainous woodlands of Süd-Tirol, which leaves many of her Instagram followers filled with (harmless) envy. Sybille daily records her walks and followers of her account get to see 360 degrees of her views plus what is high up in the air (buzzards) and very low to the ground (the marvelous world of toadstools, fungi and lichen).
When Sybille saw Paula’s Angels’ Wings Project, it didn’t take her long to dream up an angel’s wing. Sybille’s wing is covered with lichen which means covered with many of nature’s wonderful textures. In a Da Vinci and Matisse like act of detailed studying nature and using cut-outs to create layers, Sybille composed this lovely angel’s wing.
Text on the backside is:
This angel’s wing is covered with lichen and draws attention to symbiotic life forms. In symbioses, participants live in an intimate association and close union; they give, take, and share their abilities, strengths, and weaknesses. Lichens are a symbiosis of algae, fungi, and bacteria. To my artist’s eye, their variations in colour, shape, and size are endlessly inspiring.
Copyright and artwork by Sybille Tezzele.
Contact Sybille at sybille@kramer.bz.it
I have a few more angel’s wings in mind and they pose a nice creative challenge. This angel’s wing, covered with Holly & Ivy, I painted during the hottest June on record in the Netherlands. I needed to reassure myself that winter would return despite having the feelings we were cooked. No wonder, on my sketchbook a large midwinter wing appeared. I loved working with lots of reds and greens under a deep blue sky with a bright shining yellow sun.
Text on the back is:
In the dark midwinter months, this angel offers us evergreens such as Holly and Ivy that keep their fresh green colour throughout the winter season.Green leaves and red berries fill us with hope that vegetation shall reappear. Evergreens resonate profoundly with us and provide us with a sense of safety and merriment.On the darkest days of the year, we decorate our homes as we do in spring, reminding us of birth, fertility, food, and beauty. May you consider this midwinter angel wing as the herald of happiness.
Should you feel inspired drawing, painting, embroidering, or sculpturing angel wings and you would like to show your artwork on my website (related to other angel wings), please contact me. Angels’ wings are very inspiring; art-history proves that.
Paula Kuitenbrouwer
All Nine Angels’ Wings
A lovely collection of nine (9) angels’ wings by Paula Kuitenbrouwer. These sweet cards can be used for prayers, well wishing, gifts, meditation. They arrive in small plastic protective folio. (7.5-10.5 cm/3-4 inches).
€30.00
This is part II of my Angels’ Wing Project. For part I, follow the link.
More on my Angels’ Wing Project. I like to show you a few postcards and pictures that have inspired me whilst I was drawing eight angels’ wings. (They are in Angels’ Wings Part I). Let me start with the small angel in the painting by Pieter de Grebber (ca. 1635-1640).
The small (swan) wing is perfectly positioned in the upper left corner of the painting. The perfect wing (anatomically and composition-wise) seems to naturally attach to the shoulder blade of the angel. I find it interesting how a bird element or a spiritual element is attached to the mundane human body. It is not surprising that the shoulder blade is used to attach a wing; aren’t the ‘naturally’ looking a bit wing-like?
Next: Angel Gabriel announcing the birth of Jesus. His wings are fully unfolded to help the viewer to identify him as an angel. Gabriel’s wings are large and very white, almost radiant. Do you see that divine stream radiating into Maria’s head? Enlarge the picture and you will see baby Jesus diving into Maria’s head (symbolizing a virgin birth). Do you also notice the Holy Spirit symbolized as a dove in the same divine stream of golden light? Now have a look at the two angels looking from heaven (architecturally expressed as a balcony). These angels have red wings. This is all highly symbolic. Red is a colour closer to humans than white as red is the colour of our blood. I wrote more extensively on this painting in another essay which is named Painting the Unpaintable.
What I always find so lovely of these paintings is that the painter most likely used family members as models. Look how closely Maria and Angel Gabriel resemble each-other. I would bet on a brother and sister modelling for this painting.
The postcard with the angel inspired me to use soft red-pink-orange-yellow colours. Look at the lovely blushed red cheeks of the angel and the movement of her hair! And her compassionate look with a sweet teardrop running over her blushed cheek. It must be hard to see people suffering and hurting each other. The wings in the background have lovely ocher and red colours.
I decided to dress up my angel wing with tulips in the colour palette of the postcard. My small card (3-4 inches/ 10-7 cm) is for supporting somebody, sending well wishes, for somebody in need for a floral bouquet (but you are unable to send it). Or just creative nourishment for a sweet soul.
Most wings artists have attached to human models representing angels are swan wings. The size of wings in fine art paintings is irrelevant; there is no need for a perfect ratio of wing size to body weight because angels are regarded as weightless. Still artists seem to allude to a perfect ratio: large angels have full grown wings (3/4 of their body size) and cherubs have small wings, often fluffy.
Angels also do not seem to use their wings, like birds do. While the ‘human’ part of the angel is static (standing still), the wings are ‘in flight’, open and depicted as grand as possible. Having no need to follow the laws of aerodynamics or being truthful to ornithological anatomy, angels’ wings allow artists endless freedom. Also, colour-wise.
Archangel Michael is often portrayed with white wings but also with wings in four colours: red, blue, green, and yellow. I have subtly added these colours to my large angel wing. His wings are always large to symbolize his triumph over evil. The original drawing is 30 by 40 cm. The smaller art prints are 7-10cm or 3-4 inches.
Here are my angels’ wings. For more detailed photos, please click here.
With love,
Paula Kuitenbrouwer
Nine Angel’s Wings
Nine lovely angels’ wings. They can be used as prayer’s cards, as well-wishing cards, as diary embellishments, or meditation cards. They are just lovely and the text on the backside leaves enough room for a short well-wish.
$30.00
My angel wing cards are also available at my Etsy (shop).
Video’s and photos are also at Instagram.
Paula Kuitenbrouwer, Drs. M.A. Paula holds an MA degree in Philosophy and works as an artist in Utrecht. She is the owner of mindfuldrawing.com, a website with academic essays, short articles, and artworks. 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. Contact Paula freely for commissions or articles.
I finished a project that has been in the making for years. I started it when I was living in Ireland, a land full nature, pagan and catholic beliefs. After leaving Ireland, this project got shelved but the pandemic made me return to it. Perhaps thanks to a very quiet lockdown time, local Irish angels could reach me all the way in the Netherlands (two seas in between the Netherlands and Ireland) and whispered ‘Paula, finish this project; don’t let it disappear into oblivion’. So, I returned to my collection of angels’ wings. I enjoyed have felt the whisper and aid of the Muses of the Arts, angels, birds, butterflies, trees, shells, and motherhood during the hours of painting angels’ wings.
In art angels have wings. Through the ages, artists have adjoined bird wings for so the public would recognize what they were drawing are angels. Perhaps another reason for painting bird wings as angels’ wings is transportability; wings symbolize the ability to fly to heaven and return to earth.
Different bird wings have been attached to angels in fine arts, although swan wings seem to be favourite. Archangel Michael has been portrayed with strong, large wings, consisting of four colours; red, green, blue, and yellow. Cherubs are often embellished with cygnet or small swan wings.
The size of wings in fine art paintings is irrelevant; there is no need for a perfect ratio of wing size to body weight because angels are regarded as weightless. They also do not seem to use their wings, like birds do. Having no need to follow the laws of aerodynamics or being truthful to ornithological anatomy, angels’ wings allow artists endless freedom.
For reasons unbeknownst to me some angels are well known others are (almost) forgotten. Most of us know Michael and Gabriel because they are recognized as archangels in Judaism, Islam, and by most Christians but there are many more. Should you like to dive into the realms of angels, I highly recommend A Dictionary of Angels by Gustav Davidson.
‘Angels transcend every religion’, says Saint Thomas Aquinas, ‘…every philosophy and every creed. In fact, angels have no religion as we know it. Their existence preceded every religious system that has ever existed on Earth’.
Which angels do you know? And what do their wings look like? During the months I have worked on my Angels’ Wings Project, I haven’t felt the need to restrict myself to angels recognized by world religions. I found angels close to home; a woodland angel, a sea angel, and a breastfeeding and mothers’ hand angel. It is my hope that you will enjoy my angels’ wings with humor, with fond feelings, and use them as prayer cards or as well-wishing messages for your beloved ones.
Now I will present my angels’ wings. I have used monochromatic and coloured pencils to create as many details as possible. I work on Arches art paper. The printed small cards have a crisp white background and are printed on premium paper with a matte finish.
Text:
Often angels’ wings are portrayed as white swan wings. However archangel Michael’s wings sometimes have four primary colours; red, blue, green, and yellow. The shape of his wings is always strong and large to illustrate his triumph over evil.
Text:
Seraphim are ancient celestial beings. They have multiple wings and eyes. Perhaps we should see these eyes symbolically? Do the eyes represent that angels see all things? In the spiritual realm things are different. Having multiple eyes or faces perhaps means that the spiritual realm fills us with majesty and wonder.
Text:
It is believed that this angel crashed and that butterflies repaired his broken feathers with their hind-wings. This is a fallacy because angels seldom have accidents. The truth is that this angel loves butterflies so much that when he finds a lost wing, he carries it up to heaven. Such is the alluring beauty of the fragile Monarch and Malachite butterfly.
Text:
Spending time in nature isn’t possible for everyone. But a walk in a park, admiring spring flowers, or enjoying a bouquet offers joy too. This angel brings you flowers -tulips in various colours- to delight you. All you are invited to do is to look at the angel-wing with its tulip heads, close your eyes, and imagine that you are showered with flower petals.
Text:
‘Let my baby sleep through the night, please’. The first night your baby sleeps for a longer stretch of time is because you prayed -perhaps subconsciously- to this wonderful angel. She has comforted your baby by using her ultra-soft wing that contains a million of lactating breasts for your newborn. You might have heard your baby making sweet drinking noises? Precisely.
Text:
This woodland angel takes care of seed dispersal when birds, wind, and insects have a day off. Seeds of trees and shrubs are the heart, start, and renewal of a forest. This woodland angel stores nuts and forest fruits between his wing feathers and releases them where saplings are needed.
Text:
Losing your mother is a momentous heartbreak. We miss our mother’s love, her voice, her soft cheeks, and her caring hands. When we miss our mother, this angel comforts us. She has millions of mothers’ hands woven into her feathers. At night, she softly wraps her motherly wing around those who grieve.
Text:
Most children and adults collect shells when they saunter along the beach. The more complex and exotic they are in shape and size, the better. Angels love gathering shells too. Of course, angels aren’t geographically restricted. This angel extravagantly has decorated its wing with a wonderful assemblage of shells.
As for good, traditional Midwinter, Christmas, or Happy Holidays, I have painted a large strong angel wing with holly & ivy. The wing shows many green and red hues, the traditional colours we miss so much during the long, dark, and grey winter months. The text on the backside reads:
In the midwinter months, this angel’s wing spreads evergreens such as holly and ivy that keep their fresh green foliage throughout the winter season.
Green leaves and red berries fill us with hope that the vegetation shall reappear. Evergreens provide us with a sense of safety and merriment.
On the darkest days of the year, we decorate our homes as we do in spring, reminding us of fertility, birth, food, and joy.
May you consider this midwinter angel wing as the herald of happiness.
Nine (9) Angel’s Wings
Nine professionally printed Angel Wing Cards to be used as well wishing, prayer or bookmark cards (size 7,5 x 10,5 cm which is about 3 x 4 inches). The text on the back leaves enough space for a small note.
€30.00
With love,
Paula Kuitenbrouwer
at Etsy (shop)
at Instagram (portfolio and videos)
Paula Kuitenbrouwer, Drs. M.A. Paula holds an MA degree in Philosophy and works as an artist in Utrecht. She is the owner of mindfuldrawing.com, a website with academic essays, short articles, and artworks. 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. Contact Paula freely for commissions or articles.
Would you like to order a professionally printed Mandarin Ducks (Aix galericulata) art card or postcard that can be framed? You are at the right place. Over the years I have drawn and painted many Mandarin duck couples as commissions but also free hand.
Two cards are double folded, others are postcards. All come with envelopes. Plus, as long as I have them in stock, I will include an Asian, vintage mandarin duck postal stamp. For large orders I need extra time because large amounts will be printed on demand. Please, contact me for orders of more than 5.
What do I have in stock?
I have this double folded art card with the drake (male duck) on the left side:
Two (2) Mandarin Duck Art Cards. (Standing)
These marvellous mandarin ducks sit closely together to confirm their bond. The drake (male) is dressed up in his brightest colours to show off to his loving female (duck); she is dressed down because soon she will have a nest and ducklings and should therefore blend in as much as possible for safety reasons. This couple stays together for life. It is therefore that they symbolize love, loyalty, and long lasting friendship. Apart from that, they are small ducks and very cute. This is a double folded art card. Professionally printed with a larger image inside that can be framed. Frame it and put it on display; this is suppose to confirm the bonding between partners. Artwork by Paula Kuitenbrouwer
€17.00
And this double folded art card, with the drake on the right side:
Two (2) Mandarin Duck Art Cards (Resting)
These marvellous mandarin ducks sit closely together to confirm their bond. The drake (male) is dressed up in his brightest colours to show off to his loving female (duck); she is dressed down because soon she will have a nest and ducklings and should therefore blend in as much as possible for safety reasons. This couple stays together for life. It is therefore that they symbolize love, loyalty, and long lasting friendship. Apart from that, they are small ducks and very cute. This is a double folded art card. Professionally printed with a larger image inside that can be framed. Frame it and put it on display; this is suppose to confirm the bonding between partners. Artwork by Paula Kuitenbrouwer
€17.00
Plus, I have two postcards. A monochromatic (a romantic 19s century graphite drawing) post card with mandarin ducks resting near a forest stream:
4 Mandarin Duck Postcards (Monochromatic)
These marvellous mandarin ducks sit closely together near a forest brook. They do a last scan for possible dangers but are already in resting position. Overflying birds and a beautiful sunset add to their decision to relax. Notice their reflection in the pure water. This couple stays together for life. It is therefore that they symbolize love, loyalty, and long lasting friendship. Apart from that, they are small ducks. Take away their colours and they still are mesmerizing cute. This is a postcard. Professionally printed. Artwork by Paula Kuitenbrouwer
€18.00
Last, this vintage coloured (watercolour) one with mandarin ducks resting under large, lush lotus leaves. Low in stock!
Two full colour ‘Vintage’ Mandarin Ducks Postcards
Two beautiful Mandarin Ducks postcards with golden hearts in all corners. The original painting was done with subtle sparkling graphite water paint which is even visible on the photo as that deep ‘vintage’ atmosphere this painting gives. As long as the stock lasts, this postcards will be accompanied with a small vintage mandarin duck postal stamp. Many have decided to not send this card, to keep it ,and frame it. It is therefore that they come as a set: one to send; one to keep.
€17.00
In case a postcard is not enough, in case a more substantial gift is needed, I have a few mounted mandarin ducks available too. These are coloured pencil/water-colour original artworks. They are mounted with professional Kadinsky mounts (UK). They will arrive at your home in a strong package. They can be framed but there are customers who do not frame them and put them on their shelves on a small painting’s easel (which I have available as well). For more information on these lovely mandarin ducks, click here. This link provides you with the option to add a small painter’s easel for displaying your mandarin ducks without a frame. Take good care: there are mandarin ducks looking left or right. You probably prefer a mandarin couple looking to the directing of the welcoming door of the room where you will put them on display.
Would you like to order my original artwork via Etsy, follow this link.
There are many MANDARIN DUCKS at my ETSY. Sometimes I think my Etsy shop is a duck pond with the most colourful and cute ducks imaginable (including wood ducks, teals and swans)
Paula Kuitenbrouwer
Paula Kuitenbrouwer, Drs. M.A. Paula holds an MA degree in Philosophy and works as an artist in Utrecht. She is the owner of mindfuldrawing.com, a website with academic essays, short articles, and artworks. 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. Contact Paula freely for commissions or articles.
This blog post starts with famous pastel paintings of Carl Larsson’s home studios of him and his wife Karin Bergöö. Such paintings make us long for more, but why? Is it because we want to nail what makes an artist’s studio? We will find out by asking different artists what makes their work place functional and special to them.
Aren’t Carl Larssson and Karin Bergöö’s studios inspiring? For me they are but that is because I can relate to artists’ studios. Whether it is the inevitable messiness or chaos that comes with creating art, or the opposite, the neatness and organization, artist’s studios are fascinating.
Painter, illustrator, and artist Carl Larsson (1853-1919) was a representative of the Arts and Crafts Movement and is best known for his idyllic paintings of family life. He married artist Karin Bergöö (1859-1928) with whom he had eight children. With so many children there was no shortage of models for his family life paintings. Larsson and Bergöö’s creative marriage must have been helpful in setting up their inspiring studios.
Carl Larsson’s studio looks so inviting because of its soft pastel tones that add to a friendly atmosphere. Larsson’s studio juxtaposes Rembrandt’s dark, baroque atelier which makes us want to switch on a light. Larsson’s desk with an ink-pot for sketching, a tool rack for preparing canvases, and a painter’s easel for painting are the eye-catching pieces of his room. On his desk lie various sketches and, in the corner several paintings in process. Larsson might walk in, sit down, and continue with whatever project he has in his mind. There is nice light emanating from the window and the pillows show Swedish folk-art designs, undoubtedly designed by his wife and textile designer Karin Bergöö.
More about Carl Larsson is here.
Here we see Carl and Karin ‘After the Children have gone to bed’ (1901). We see Karin working on her textile art but unluckily we cannot see what she is doing exactly, perhaps embroidery, mending, or upholstery?
There is one painting of Karin inside her textile design room, showing her standing near her loom. Karin, being Carl’s muse and wife, has her work immortalized in many of Carl’s paintings of their home at Sundborn. Their creative and aesthetic partnership was a lucky one and one can tell by how attractive and inviting they proudly show their workplaces.
Let us have a look at some contemporary artists;
‘My atelier has a large table in the middle for my workstation, piles of reference books, boxes full coloured pencils, and pots with pencils and brushes. I need to move these things around during the various processes of art-making. There are painter’s easels in my art room for my work-in-progress and for my finished artwork. My art room has large north-east facing windows for overlooking a residential area with trees and some churches. I love my workroom and should I be imprisoned there (we had 3 lock-downs), I would stoically continue with art-making without being too needy for going out.
I allow messiness during the art making process. After I have finished a drawing or painting, I clean and reorganize my room. I pay attention to my room being artistically pleasing. I have never walked into my art room without feeling eagerness to sit down and make art. A place where an artistic mind opens itself to the mysteries of life, like inspiration, fills itself with a special atmosphere. My room nourished my soul even without me drawing or painting’.
‘My desk must be colourful but not obnoxiously so. It must not be messy but have an absence of an absence; it must have pictures referring to a story that sits in my mind. Pictures of a place, a painting, and books that are like my friends. I need these aesthetics because I need something to produce something. I consider literature as a work of art and art leads to art. Spiritual things are necessary for me too because I regard inspiration coming from God.
An element of ancestral worship is important to me too, but it is not a blood relation that I need. I need pictures and books from the Brontës or Mary Shelley, or William Holman Hunt, because it shows respect to those from whom you draw inspiration from. We aren’t unique, we are part of a tradition, we are always in a way plagiarizing, standing on the shoulders of those before us and therefore we need to venerate and credit them. If Emily Brontë does not inspire anymore, that is the moment that she really is dead. Thus, my work desk is rather busy, yet organized’.
Two articles by Maryse Kluck are here and here. Maryse is one of the two Literary Ladies who published the Gothic Literature Magazine. It is available here.
‘There is no “must look like” in an artist’s studio. An artist’s studio needs to be a place that serves the artist’s creativity. For me, that space must allow me to focus. It needs to be quiet so I can read and write about the ancient art that inspires my embroidery patterns. I need a space where I can be alone. The only time I enjoy someone’s company during my creative process is when I am stitching a new pattern.
I also need adequate light. I live in the northern hemisphere and the room that I use to make my art is in the northwest corner of the building. The room has a west window and a north window, but not enough light comes through these windows. The natural light in the room doesn’t allow me to see the holes in the evenweave fabric that I use to embroider. So, I have adapted to using a task lamp while I stitch. When selecting my colour palette, I don’t choose my thread colours in this room. Instead, I go where there is natural light so I can see the true colours that I am working with.
When I am away from my studio, my favourite places to stitch are wherever I find lots of natural light streaming through a window or where I can sit outside in the shade. It is my dream to one day have a studio with lots of natural light’.
Shazeeda Linktree is here and her online shop is here.
A studio is a place where inspiration and concentration meet, and to achieve that artists create various conditions and aesthetics. A studio can be a boat, a garden shed, a corner in a room. It may contain common objects like a laptop or magnifying lamp but most likely it is instantly recognizable as a studio, as a special place carrying the idiosyncratic signature of an artist. More about inspiring artist’s studios and also about communal cultural kitchens functioning as artist’s studios one finds in Inspiring Artist’s Studios Part II.
Paula Kuitenbrouwer
Inspiring Artist’s Studios Part II is here.
More reading on Larsson and on the studios of two famous artists, William Morris and Mariano Fortuny:
Paula Kuitenbrouwer, Drs. M.A. Paula holds an MA degree in Philosophy and works as an artist in Utrecht. She is the owner of mindfuldrawing.com, a website with academic essays, short articles, and artworks. 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. Contact Paula freely for commissions or articles.
Over the last month, I have designed and worked on a new Mandarin Duck composition. A mandarin duck couple happily swims in their duck pond that is surrounded by five chrysanthemums. The duck pond has a pentagonal ‘Sakura’ shape, sakura referring to Asian cherry blossom. I combined the sakura, chrysanthemums, and mandarin ducks and was delighted and surprised by how harmonious the combination turned out.
At my Etsy art shop, I have several of these compositions available, mounted and not-mounted with a passe-partout, with full colour mandarin ducks or with albino or leucistic ducks. I am going to experiment with another Japanese flower shape: the Yukiwa flower, an equally harmonious shape that will elegantly ‘frame’ the mandarin ducks.
Should you like to commission a larger mandarin duck composition or you like to order a wedding set, feel free to contact me.
Stay healthy, creative, and kind.
Love,
Paula
Paula Kuitenbrouwer ‘s art shop at Etsy, her portfolio at Instagram. Here website at mindfuldrawing.com.
Should you need a mandarin duck display in your home, think about a commissioned painting. Consider real, original art. The benefit of ordering a mandarin ducks commission is that you have a large say in your exhibited artwork: you can order a mandarin duck composition in bright or toned-down colours, the position of the ducks can be discussed, the background (floral, water-plants, or no background), all preferences are cared for. Do you prefer a border, Asian or West-European, gold or blue? We will discuss the possible use of a tiny bit of iridescent paint to highlight the awesome plumage of the mandarin drake too. And so on.
Mandarin ducks come in all sizes, positions, and environments. Some couples sit, others swim. Some rest and hide, whilst others are out there in the open. Look at your room and look at what you favorite quality of your (possible, new or existing) relation is: you like to be depicted synchronized? Lovingly looking at each other? Side by side? Resting or bobbing on high waves? All is possible.
Fengshui says: ‘Mandarin ducks are the most effective remedy for love, devotion, marriage and luck. Since mandarin ducks are clear sources of love and romance, the ideal spot to place them is the couple’s bedroom. Place an artwork -showing a marvelous mandarin duck couple- to cherish their attractiveness. For married couples, the strong vibes given by the mandarin ducks keeps them together and deepens their love for each other’.
I happily work on Wood duck and Albino mandarin duck commissions too as these ducks are as pretty as full colour mandarin ducks.
Contact me freely to discuss your mandarin duck wishes. I might have a painting ready to ship, or otherwise, I welcome your commission.
Paula Kuitenbrouwer
Owner, artist, and writer at Mindfuldrawing.com, a website full artwork, art-musings, art-appreciation, and art-essays.
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.
Paula’s artshop for original artwork is at Etsy. Just go there and have a look. You do not need an account to order art. Or order a few mandarin duck cards through my website.
MANDARIN DUCK ART CARDS
Two (2) Mandarin Ducks Art Card (resting)
Two Mandarin duck art cards: double folded, professionally printed with a larger image inside for framing. Comes with matching envelopes. Mandarin ducks symbolize love and loyalty; they sit closely together to confirm their life long bond.
€17.00
Two (2) Mandarin Duck Art Cards
These marvellous mandarin ducks sit closely together to confirm their bond. The drake (male) is dressed up in his brightest colours to show off to his loving female (duck); she is dressed down because soon she will have a nest and ducklings and should therefore blend in as much as possible for safety reasons. This couple stays together for life. It is therefore that they symbolize love, loyalty, and long lasting friendship. Apart from that, they are small ducks and very cute. This is a double folded art card. Professionally printed with a larger image inside that can be framed. Frame it and put it on display; this is suppose to confirm the bonding between partners. Artwork by Paula Kuitenbrouwer
€17.00
Paula at Instagram. I use my Instagram as a portfolio for pictures and videos. Mainly, for videos that that show me working on a drawing or painting.
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Once upon a time there was a man named Felix, and goodness, did he live up to the meaning of his name happy and lucky. Felix rode the waves of the economic boom following the Second World War which meant that he could afford the life he had in mind. He loved his life. In fact, he loved no one or nothing more than his life. This wasn’t surprising after all; he had been able to turn disadvantages into advantages. Felix was the embodiment of the principle that effective egoism is best achieved by calculated altruism. Thus his life was long and fortunate. Health-wise he was lucky too. Not only had his deceased wife helped him through all the minor health troubles he had had during their time together, Felix was also blessed with a strong immune system. He survived a war and two pandemics brilliantly. In fact, so blessed was he that it was hard to glow in his shadow.
Felix set out to become a centenarian, which he did with ease and in good health. It slowly became obvious that he stood a good chance to become 120, even 122, which scientists regard as the limit of a human life. When Felix turned 100, a few remaining children attended his birthday but when Felix turned 118 it was a lonely business. His last children had expired in their eighties due to a combination of fragile health and the four year lasting nuclear winter following North Korea’s bomb.
The mayor of Felix’s town paid his annual obligatory visit to his city’s oldest man, Felix. Cheerfully the major advised to all that were in the room, a medium sized cooled cell, to enjoy each other ‘whilst they were still alive together’. The director of the retirement home quickly whispered to the mayor that there was no family present. Later, after Felix was hauled to bed by his robotic nurse, the mayor and director walked to the exit exchanging some facts and figures.
‘Any children left?’ the mayor inquired.
‘No, only a few grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Rumor has it that they all moved north’. The mayor was well aware of the ‘moving north’ phrase; it meant escaping global warming by moving closer to the arctic circle.
‘Who pays for his Aircocoon and assisting robot then?’ asked the mayor.
‘He himself’ said the director, ‘Felix is a man of great self-preservation’.
The director and mayor continued their walk to the exit passing tens of cocoons. Soft neon lights and whooshing sounds of bleeping assistive nurses emanated from the cabins.
Outside a scorching sun burned down on the roof of the former warehouse.
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.
OTHER BLOG POSTS AND LINKS:
When your elderly parent hurts you.
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P.S. My wood duck composition is ready and available at Etsy.
My shop is at ETSY. Please, feel invited to contact me directly should you be interested in my art.
I am currently very inspired by our recent stay in the Cotswolds. Expect some lovely medieval paintings before the end of this year!
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.
At Etsy
At Instagram
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
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
Obviously, I was in one of my Celtic, shapeshifting moods when I drew these mandarin ducks morphing into koi fish. The mandarin drake shapeshift into a blue Asagi koi carp and the duck keeps her camouflage colours by shapeshifting into a regular orange koi. I used a graphite under-layer and various colours of ink to make the ducks and fish stand out: gold, black, blue, silver, and glittery grey.
What I like about Celtic art is its deliberately illusion. One is guided into a realm where one might see faces or animals but the next thing is doubting yourself. Did I see a duck or a fish? A deer or an owl? Perhaps both? It is a world of shapeshifting faces and animals inviting stories and poems, bearing testimonies to ancestral knowledge.
In an oral culture there is a need for imagery that has double, perhaps triple the amount of illustrations than prima facie noticeable. This makes Celtic art often clever art. It is practical art but it is also mysterious, enchanting, and engaging. But most of all, it is cunning and imaginative, a testimony of a time of great artists and craftsmen that were extraordinarily mathematically, psychologically, and mythological skillful.
Shapeshift with me and notice the mandarin ducks and koi carps in their fluid realm. I have blended the koi carp and mandarin ducks, but in order to qualify for ‘Celtic’ art, I should push this concept to a higher geometrical and abstract level and add more illusions along the way. Till the moment the viewer sees and not-sees ducks, fishes, or faces, and questions his/her own perception. Then and there a Celtic shaman would step in to guide you to new levels of observing and understanding, aiming for healing, passing on knowledge, and bonding between tribal members. Like a nowadays art teacher or museum guides does. Isn’t viewing art not always an enriching experience?
Paula Kuitenbrouwer
At Etsy
At Instagram
At Linktree
Isn’t the purpose of an eraser to take away supporting lines and unwanted spots? Yes, of course, an eraser comes in handy when you make a mistake. However, you can also draw with an eraser. Imagine you want to create a texture. You can do this by drawing lines of dots that show the fabric of a pattern, for instance the nerves of a tree leaf. But you can also first fill a leaf with a dark tone and use the eraser to draw nerves. And you know what is very beautiful? Doing both, drawing highlighting lines and adding lighter areas in otherwise shaded sections. This creates beautiful illusions. Have a few different shaped erasers to help you: one that has a round top, one that is thinner and can be used to draw lines. Next to pencils and a drawing pad, invest in a few erasers as well. It will help you to create beautiful details.
Drawing is not a mathematical exercise, unless of course you are working on an architectural or archaeological drawing which is about facts, measurements, and right angles. It is often charming when you are making the same mistakes again and again because this is your signature. Viewers start to recognize your style not only by your style but also by identifying (consciously or subconsciously) your mistakes. It is not that I say stop teaching and correcting yourself, stop improving your skills. It is just that tiny mistakes can be your truly charming style and why erase them? Your drawing or artwork is not made by a robot nor by Da Vinci.
How to learn without having Botticelli around? How to improve your drawing skills? Listen to feedback by fellow artists and copy artists you admire. Make studies of artwork that you admire. By copying these, you are pushed out of your comfort zone and you will learn so much. Remember that apprentices in Renaissance workshops of respectable masters received training of several years. They started taking care of tools, moved on to doing handyman work. Later they were allowed to mix pigments, or trace artwork. Only a few and the very best worked closely to the master. How can we copy this classical training? By copying masterpieces and seeing what trouble we run into. You will notice improvements straight away.
Are you in need for advice? Feel free to contact me via the contact form. Perhaps I am able to give advice.
Paula Kuitenbrouwer
At Etsy
At Instagram
Welcome to my website, my blog and this page that offers two mandarin duck art cards. Should you have questions, free invited to use the contact form.
Kindest greetings from Paula Kuitenbrouwer
I am at Etsy too and I have my portfolio at Instagram.
Two (2) Mandarin Duck art cards (Resting)
Two double folded and professionally printed art cards by Paula Kuitenbrouwer. They come with matching envelopes. One for you and one to send to a friend.
€17.00
Two (2) Mandarin Duck Art Cards (Standing)
Two double folded and professionally printed art cards by Paula Kuitenbrouwer. They come with matching envelopes. One for you and one to send to a friend.
€17.00
In Ancient Greek religion, Hestia is the goddess of the hearth and of harmony within the family. She is the goddess that many mothers identify with. Perhaps women identify with Aphrodite when they are young, with Athena when they are -for instance- battling for a better education for their children, but certainly they might often feel in the role as Hestia when they work around the clock to create harmony (and health) for their family. Even fathers or home keeping men are allowed to identify with Hestia’s harmonizing and health promoting qualities.
This drawing of Hestia, however, is an ode to my beloved, late mother (who, at times, was a political active Athena as well). She was a nurse and teacher of young nurses, and she knew how to keep a person, a whole family, even a larger social circle in harmony and in good health.
I placed Hestia’s statute in a classical and elegant park. This park does not exists in real life. It is designed by me by putting together elements and thus creating an imitate and elegant scenery. Behind the fence one notices Demeter (Ceres) with her beautiful daughter Persephone (Proserpina). I placed the three women in the same garden but Hestia is on the other side of the water, slightly distanced from Demeter and Persephone, referring to two different realms, that of those alive and the other side. This is a family portrait although few will know or notice.
Should you like this classical , monochromatic work, and should you consider a family portrait, or a narrative drawn or painted in a symbolic way, contact me freely to discuss your wishes. I also accept commissions for book plates (Ex Libris), PhD graduation gifts, birthday or birth-name commissions, wedding, and mourning drawings.
Paula Kuitenbrouwer
Utrecht
at Etsy
At Instagram
There she was, a sparrow hawk, majestically sitting in a high tree top in the late evening sun. It eyed me wearily. I apologized for being in her woodlands and for disturbing her. I told her she had nothing to fear from me; I was no hunter. In fact, I apologized for being human, being a perpetual intruder. Sparrowhawk told me that humans were suffering from their noise filled brains.
‘You,’ she said, ‘…go through great lengths to be like me. You work to go on holiday. You go on holiday in order to relax and you need this relaxation to feel happy. You even travel half the world to do spiritual retreats to feel like me, free.’
‘Can you take me with you?’ I asked Sparrowhawk.
I sat down in the long grass in the middle of the clearing and relaxing took me a good 25 minutes. When the sun was about to disappear behind the trees Sparrowhawk opened her wings and swooped over me, lifting my soul from my body. I could imagine sitting on her back, but I was equally beside her, under her, in front of her, and behind her. I soared with her over treetops. I noticed creeks under us and two hikers on a footpath. They did not seem to notice me so I flew right through one of them. Flying through a human body caused a nice, subtle electric shock-wave. I climbed the skies again only to notice that it was time to return to my human body. I felt extreme fear to land in my body, and I never understood why this is so because I enjoyed being out of it.
’Sparrowhawk, do you ever experience anxiety when landing on a tree top?’ I asked Sparrowhawk to stay with me for a bit longer. Sparrowhawk looked at me and although she had no facial expression she held my attention for a while. I could see compassion in her eyes. When I felt grounded again, she flew away.
I have no recollection of how much time passed before I became aware of a teal couple crossing the duck pond that lay in front of me.
‘Good day,’ I spoke to them. The couple seemed to be absorbed with each other but they changed their course and paddled in to my direction.
Soon they sat down near me and looked at me. I became aware they were communicating with me.
‘Do you know we are your fraternal ancestors from long ago?’ Teal Drake asked me.
I felt embarrassed not knowing this.
‘I know my grandparents and I also know the names of their grandparents but despite knowing all the ancestral names back to Medieval times, I have no idea who you are!’ I said apologetically. ‘Who are you then?’ I eagerly asked.
‘We do not have human minds any more; we reincarnated from a more cerebral to a more intuitive level’, Teal Duck said, and I understood that; their minds didn’t remember names and dates recorded through time.
‘Be us and you will know’ the Teal couple invited me.
I watched how they foraged for food. The sun caused a lovely reflection on the water behind them. I could see how wise and harmonious they were. I identified them as European teals, but as I observed them in relation to the lake, to the calm way they accepted the elements, without further judgements, I sensed how they were in acceptance with their surroundings. This stood in contrast to how I was feeling; ambitious to relax or favouring one element (the sun) over another (the cold wind). I also couldn’t let go trying to capture the moment in order to paint it later inside my studio. Was there ever not a plan, not an ambition, no clinging to something?
The teals were about to leave me.
‘Is there something you like to say or ask us maybe?’ they asked kindly.
‘Yes,’ I said, ‘I want to be like you.’
Ducks lack facial expression, at least I couldn’t detect a smile, but in their eyes, I noticed compassion. They plunged in the water and swam away from me. I said farewell to them as respectfully as I would do to my ancestors.
I told the Collared Dove couple whilst feeding them, that they symbolize love to humans and they should behave accordingly instead of pecking each other. That stopped them for a moment.
‘Love?’ they asked me. ‘What do you know about bird love? You have been taught at school that we experience seasonal love, hormonal induced for reproductive reasons. Humans think very low of animal love.’
‘Sit down,’ I said, after which I gave a long lecture on the dove symbolizing the Holy Spirit, Peace, and Love. I told them how I loved Picasso’s Paloma but no matter how much art history and theological knowledge I poured into my arguments, I could not accept the dove couple accepting doves symbolizing love.
‘We do not symbolize love, we show love,’ said she-dove. ‘Love is there when we are together but also when we are alone. I will show you.’
She flew up and shortly after she approached my balcony. He-Dove instructed me right before her landing; ‘Watch carefully now!’
She-Dove landed and, in that moment, I saw it. I saw the Holy Spirit, I saw Peace, I saw Love in the space surrounding the wings of she-dove. I had visited many churches and I had seen so many doves represent Spiritus Sanctus with outstretched wings right above altars. But it showed in the landing; the landing was the magical moment. Maybe because at that moment the sky touches earth? Divine touches our world?
‘Thank you,’ I said, ‘Thank you very much.’
‘You saw it’, She-Dove concluded while she proudly walked up to my outstretched hand to pick sun seeds.
I thought how powerful the observation of a landing dove was and how it -in history- became a symbol of love and peace, of goodness manifesting on earth. As if divinity touches our worldly dimension.
The doves calmly ate their seeds and then said goodbye and flew off.
End
Paula Kuitenbrouwer, artist living in Utrecht, Netherlands.
Should you like to discuss a commission, for instance your national bird, a local favourite bird or your pet bird, contact me freely via the contact form (scroll down, please).
Paula Kuitenbrouwer holds an MA degree in Philosophy (UvA) and 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.
Portfolio and shop at Etsy & Portfolio at Instagram
May I kindly ask, have you appreciated this essay? My website by now tallies 180,000+ visits, with visitors reading an average of 2-3 pages. It is my wish to make my website more self-supporting.
Should you have enjoyed this essay and website, please consider supporting my website that has fine art, spirituality, and nature appreciation at its heart.
Two Mandarin Ducks Art Card (standing)
Two (2) mandarin duck art cards showing a couple standing closely to each other to confirm their bond. They are life long partners. Inside is a larger image because many customers like to frame the duck card. One for keeping; one for sending. Professionally printed and free shipping.
€18.00
Two (2) Crossed Bison of Lascaux Art Cards by Paula Kuitenbrouwer
Richly illustrated Crossed Bison, a famous panel if the Lascaux cave in France. The cards come with matching envelopes. Free shipping.
€18.00
For more cards see my shop or Etsy.
Small snapshots of my bird commissions and bird drawings.
Have you come across mini libraries in your area? I came across one and found this highly inspiring book ‘The Floating World’ on Japanese hanging scrolls from Kumamoto’ published by Rijksmuseum/Waanders. I took it home and next day dropped off two books because that is how these street libraries work. These free, mini libraries are particularly important now that we are in a lockdown and most libraries, galleries, and museums are closed.
I was so grateful; I learned so much from the book. It was such an aesthetically pleasure to study its many colourful illustrations. Consequently, I decided to design a hanging-scroll with traditional Sashiko wave patterns and floral designs. For the floral patterns I use the cute ‘Japanese Style Labels, Stickers & Tapes’ by Pepin Press. I do not copy; I do not enjoy spending time copying. By just leafing through these books I sense a reservoir of inspiration that will last for ages.
I will post regular updates of my work on my hanging scroll. What I aim for is a perfect composition of the painting within the Ichimonji (border), Chûmawashi (another decorative border), and for Tenchi (the background border). I am glad to know these names now. What I do not know is the name of the previous owner of my book. A huge thank-you to the anonymous person who left this book on a table in Utrecht’s shopping mall Hoog Catharijne. You made my day (well weeks, most likely years). May you enjoy the books that I left on the table. To all: put a table outside with books that have to make room for new ones. But take care; I read funny column named ‘Ikje’ in our Dutch @nrcnl newspaper that one person didn’t grab the concept of street libraries; he/she took the bookcase and left behind stack of vintage books.
Return here so now and then and enjoy new updates photos of my work in progress. I will add many fine details in the borders. I am undecided yet about the main painting. Perhaps this could become your commission and you like me to add doves, mandarin ducks, trees or fruits in the main section?
Paula Kuitenbrouwer
P.S. I checked the book-table two days later and my donated books were gone.
Commissions for your Kumamoto inspired Hanging Scroll with symbols of your family are open.
At Etsy
In my hometown of Utrecht, on two Rococo houses alongside the ‘Nieuwe Gracht’, stands Hercules holding the sky onto his shoulders.
The ancient story goes that Hercules has taken up the firmament for Atlas allowing the old Titan a brief moment of respite to take up one of his labours.
I had to correct Hercules’ legs because all reference photos are taken from street level, and Hercules stands on top of a four story house, and it therefore the statute showed too short legs. I’ve elongated Hercules’ legs to create a level frontal view.
Hercules looks strong, but he is a demigod and demigods can do things we mortals can not. Yet, the maker of this statute, the Dutch sculptor Ton Mooy, has given Hercules a tormented expression.
I kept wondering why I like this Hercules. When I was about to draw his hair and face, I remembered. I had seen this kind of hair and facial expression before. Hercules has the same hair as Vercingetorix (see photo) and a similar tormented expression as the statute of the Dying Gaul (see photo), an Ancient Roman Hellenistic sculpture. There is beauty in showing that extraordinary strength and bravery often comes with pain.
Paula Kuitenbrouwer
My ‘Gate to Heaven’, a lovely gate is located not too far away from my home, at Bruntenhof, Museumkwartier in Utrecht.
In real, there is no flower vase, just pavement in front of this gate. I received some feedback, stating: ‘There is a great difference between a photo of this gate and your drawing. A photo shows beautiful stonework but you have drawn something dreamy and poetic. The gate has become a portal to another world. You can walk through it and find yourself in a Medieval landscape with knights and dryads‘. I think the feedback itself is rather poetical, don’t you think? Such sensitive feedback stimulates me to make even more progress.
This gate can be found at Bruntenhof, Museumkwartier in Utrecht, in the centre of the Netherlands. It dates back to 1620. But it could be any gate, a dream gate, a portal to heaven, to another world. Gates are symbolic and often stand for a transformation or travelling between worlds. Gardens are set apart from manor houses by a gate. People drive through gates to enter an estate. Gates impress, transform, and show style; Roman, Art Nouveau, Classical, Medieval or gates are used for defence purposes. Drawings of gates can mean so much and are open to your interpretation.
Commissions are welcome for drawing a favourite place be it a gate home, residence, manor house, hotel, garden, holiday-home, estate, or apartment. Contact me for discussing your preferences.
Paula Kuitenbrouwer
Contact me for questions:
To deepen my understanding of female prehistoric figurines, I have set out to draw a few of them.
Clockwise starting with the middle-lower sitting woman, you find Courbet Venus, carved in a seated position, about 14.900 years old. Followed by the Venus of Polichinelle, carved in green steatite, 27.000 years old, found at Grimaldi. The strictly stylized engraved Lalinde Venus (there are more than one) found in Gönnersdorf in Germany, in Abri Murat and Gare de Couze in France, Pekárna in the Czech Republic, and Wilczyce in Poland. Stone Age. Further clockwise; Venus figures from Wilczyce, followed by another Gönnersdorf figurine. Then, Petersfels Venus that is made of jet, circa 15. 000 BP- 2.000 BP. Another Gönnersdorf engraving and last, Venus from Nebra, 15.000 years old, animal bone.
It makes you wonder, doesn’t it? So much body diversity. But why the concentration on bellies and buttons, and why are heads and feet missing? Most women look either emaciated, nursing, or pregnant. Are some suffering from chronic diseases?
Did it matter how a female looked like, or was a piece of bone or stone vaguely resembling a woman and therefore symbolizing a (perhaps departed) woman suitable for whatever ritual? Some look crudely abstract, others are enchantingly elegant, as if they are the first sketched outlines of ballerinas in action.
I have chosen an ocher background as this pigment was hugely important to prehistoric peoples.
Here are my study-sheets from various sources. One being an old Dutch book ‘Mensen uit de Oertijd’ with texts by Prof. Dr. J. Augusta and illustrations by Z. Burian. Publishers Atria-Praag/Pegasus Amsterdam 1963.
Aren’t they fascinating in their similarities and differences?
Paula Kuitenbrouwer
Should you have enjoyed this article, please support the artist and her website:
Small art cards by Paula Kuitenbrouwer with text on the backside and some white space for a message, a note, or prayer. Size: 7.4 by 19.5 cm, that is about 3 by 4 inches. Very nice for to use as a bookmark, personal altar piece, a gift for a prehistoric enthusiast, or as a small art cards gift.
Two (2) Venus of Willendorf & Lionman Art Cards
The original drawing is 31-41 cm but here is its smaller version: a professionally printed small card, on premium paper, with ocher colours and interesting details. Two cards: including shipping.
€12.00
Artist at Etsy
At @mindfuldrawing on Instagram
Commissions welcome: contact me at mindfuldrawing@gmailc.om
I drew an engaging Ex Libris is for those who study, love, writes or owning a private library.
I enjoyed it so much adding books on Prehistoric peoples, Celts, Anglo Saxons, Viking, Medieval or Renaissance books. It shows many areas of interest starting at the Prehistory (top), following anti-clockwise with Saxon-Viking, Medieval, and Renaissance border. The inside patterned border is in style with the outer border; upper part shows an Celtic interlace pattern, followed by a Saxon pattern in the Saxon-Viking area, a Medieval, and elegant Renaissance pattern.
The bookshelves show special areas of interest too: the top book shelf shows history books on Prehistory. They are all in soft red ochre, the colour that shows up on many prehistoric cave paintings. The book cover embellishments are based on research done by Genevieve von Petzinger, a scientist who identified pictographs used by prehistoric peoples in cave art. You see aviform, circle, cardiform, cruciform, negative and positive hands, serpentiform and so on. The next bookshelf is reserved for Celtic books, showing book-cover embellishments that are typical Celtic. Following is a shelf reserved for Saxon books, (notice ‘Saxon’ written in Saxon letters), and Viking books, showing ‘Viking’ as a transliteration (not as a translation). One bookshelf lower, the books get more colour as they contain Medieval books; the embellishments show a castle, a medieval ‘M’, a crown, flowers, etc. The lowest bookshelf proudly shows Renaissance books that have more bright colours and more floral and decorative embellishments.
The name box is for your name. Might I suggest you do that with sepia-brown ink?
The book plates make a lovely, special and unexpected gift as they are engaging and full details. In fact, one can sit down and take in all details for a long time. ‘Find the Dolmens…’ (in the Celtic border), ‘Admire Oxford’s Bridge of Sighs (in the Medieval border section), ‘Can you locate Florence?’ (Renaissance section), ‘How many Viking shields do you spot?’ (Viking section). One could imagine that the Celtic roundhouses are located in an Irish-British landscape. The Saxon houses could be imagined in Germany. The Viking houses are located near a fjord. The Medieval houses are showing a busy town with less green, buildings are cramped together for defence. The Renaissance buildings are full pride and glory. It must have been dazzling living in a Renaissance city.
This Ex Libris shows West European history. It could, however, show another cultural aspect, for instance, a different time-line, a different history related to another part of the world, another religion, history or cultural aspect, a mathematical border, geographical, philosophical, musical, botanical, zoological one.
I can draw any Ex Libris that shows personal preferences. Contact me to discuss your commission.
Contact me freely to discuss your commission.
Paula Kuitenbrouwer
At Etsy
Some countries offer self designed postage stamps. These stamps are fun and handy for personalizing your enveloped or package.
Most of us upload a nice photo (of our pet or wedding) and buy online these personalized photo-stamps. Perhaps a personalized or commissioned drawing or painting to upload for an artistic postal stamp might even be more impressive, I thought.
Over the years, I have regularly designed postal stamp and I like to show them to you.
My Swan Couple Postage Stamp
TWO SWANS
Two swans, in love, show their synchronized ‘dance’ in their lotus filled pond. A dragonfly seems to agree with their display of love. I have added a thin frame and the typical postal stamp milled edge, plus Art decor lettering.
Should you fancy a personalized and commissioned postage stamp, do contact me freely.
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.
Paula’s Etsy shop
Two Mandarin Duck art Cards (Standing Ducks)
Two lovely and professionally printed art cards that hold a larger image inside for framing. There is enough room for a message. They comes with matching envelopes. Free shipping.
€18.00
I am much impressed by Celtic art and as a result of being so inspired I have summarized the Celts from the West Theory in a ‘Celtic’ artistic style, as a way of Bardic story-telling, in which we aren’t sure what is fact and what is story-telling.
(Reconstruction of the Lady of Vix’s face based on her skeleton)
Allow me to present lady Vix, a highly gifted and deformed woman, born in the ancient Portuguese city Tartessos, in the first millennium BC. She inspires a local artist to chisel her in stone, riding a horse, side-saddled because of her deformities. Later this statute, identified by archaeologists as that of a Celtic Goddess, is found in San Bartolomeu de Messines along with Tartessian letters[1]. About 97 other Tartessian inscriptions on stone convince Koch that Tartassian was a Paleohispanic Celtic language.[2]
Tartessos isn’t big enough for Lady Vix and soon she is on her way to spread her metalworking skills. She, and other traders, use Tartassian as a trading and metal-work related vocational language. Phylogenetic work (Gray and Atkinson, 2003) offers a date of the development of Celtic language, which is about the 4th millennium BC.[3]’[4]
Lady Vix travels extensively, using Atlantic sea-ways to visit Brittany and the British Isles. Along with spreading metal working fashion, increasing artistic awareness is responsible for establishing ‘a high degree of cultural similarities displayed by maritime communities’ (Cunliffe, 1999)[5] along the Atlantic coast. Such as upstanding angular stones, Cliff Castles along the entire Atlantic façade, and circularity in domestic architecture. We can’t be sure this is Lady Vix’s and her apprentices influence exclusively but with many women written out of history, one should be mindful of missing women when stumbling upon gaps in our knowledge.
The bards’ story-telling about the influence of Lady Vix inspire local village heads to adopt Celtic place names. Later linguistic research, by Patrick Simms-Williams (2006), offers maps with high density of Celtic places, resulting in linguistic geographical evidence for the ‘Celtic from the West’ model. It is also thought that Celtic language spreads further ‘as a supra-regional language of Bell Beaker groups[6], as maps of Bell Beaker burials and Celtic language Bronze age maps show remarkable similarities.[7]
The last successor of Lady of Vix is found in a burial mount in Burgundy, France (dating from 500 BC). Next to her remains stands an extraordinary Greek wine mixing vessel that tells us that trade, charisma and metalworking skills have been interrelated for a long time.
(CGI of Lady Vix’s burial chamber)
The last known Lady in the Vix tradition is buried away from the Atlantic Celtic language zones as the long line of successors have used thousands of years of trading coastal, riverine and migratory networks from Portugal to the British Isles, from the Atlantic coast to the east of Europe. The Roman Herodotus was right after all that the Celts lived near the Pyrenees, ‘beyond the Pillars of Hercules’[8]’[9]. Lady Vix and contemporaries have brought their DNA to the British Isles which leads in 2006 to Oppenheimer stating that the ancestors of today’s British and Irish populations arrived from Spain about 16,000 years ago.[10]
From Tartessos, like Lady Vix.
Paula Kuitenbrouwer
2017
P.S. I wrote this story being inspired by my course ‘Who are the Celts’, at Department for Continuing Education University of Oxford. I tried to bring knowledge together on Celtic sea-way trading, Celtic metallurgy, Celtic DNA, and Female Druidism. I hope you have enjoyed my story. Should you feel the ambition to unravel what is fact and what is fiction, I highly recommend the course at Oxford’s Department for Continuing Education. Having said that, the footnotes might be helpful too.
FOOTNOTES
[1] Koch, J. Tartessian, Europe’s newest and oldest Celtic language. Published in Celts: Issue II (Mar/Apr 2009), Prehistory/Archaeology, Vol.17.
[2] More on Celtic inscriptions and identification of Celtic place names: Koch. J. An atlas for Celtic studies (Oxford, 2008).
[3] Gibson, C. & Wodtko D, The background of the Celtic languages: theories from archaeology and linguistics, p. 5
[4] Others suggest it goes back to the 2nd-3rd millennium BC.
[5] Cunliffe, B. Atlantic Sea-ways. Revista de Guimaraes, Volumne Espeiual, I. Guimaraes, 1999, pp. 93-105.
[6] Gibson, C. & Wodtko D, The background of the Celtic languages: theories from archaeology and linguistics, p. 7
[7] Harrison, R.J., Jackson, R. and Napthan, M., 1999 A rich Bell Beaker burial from Wellington Quarry, Marden, Herefordshire, Oxford Journal of Archaeology, vol. 18, no. 1, pp 1–16.
[8] Beyond the ‘Pillars of Hercules’ refers to the Straits of Gibraltar, what is now southern Portugal, were the ancient city Tartassos was located.
[9] Cunliffe, B. 2003. The Celts, a Very Short Introduction. Oxford; OUP. Chapter 2.
[10] Oppenheimer, S., 2006 Origins of the British: A genetic detective story, Constable & Robinson Ltd.
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Two (2) Venus of Willendorf & Lionman small art cards
Two (2) Venus of Willendorf & Lionman small art cards by Paula Kuitenbrouwer. Venus of Willendorf and Lionman are projected against a few panels of Lascaux cave showing some animal and shamanic scenes with hand stencils. Free shipping.
€10.00
I like to present an idea about prehistoric positive and negative hand-prints that are found all over the world and dating from circa 40.000 to 1.000 BCE. There is a remarkable difference between red and white hand-prints. The message, to my understanding, is that both hand-prints testify of successful communication with deceased souls. Why I have come to this thesis, I will explain.
How to read on? There are two ways. I hope that by asking either to support my work (art & writing) or by asking 2 Euros for downloading my essay that this website remains online not only initiated and maintained by me buy also supported by its loyal public.
1. Should you buy one of my art cards, email me at mindfuldrawing@gmail.com, and I will send my essay as a PdF for free.
2. My essay can be downloaded here: https://www.etsy.com/listing/1614633965/essay-prehistoric-hands-invite-and
Paula Kuitenbrouwer
Artist/Philosophy M.A.
N.B. Inevitably I am, as a lay person, simplifying and generalizing archaeological research. I hold a degree in Philosophy, studied ‘Religion and Rituals in Prehistory’ at Oxford Department of Continuing Education, and have read many books on prehistoric art. However, my essay is presenting an idea (only), unpretentiously, and it welcomes criticism.
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.
Paula’s shop at Etsy
Paula’s portfolio at Instagram
May I kindly ask, have you appreciated this essay? My website by now tallies 180,000+ visits, with visitors reading an average of 2-3 pages. It is my wish to make my website self-supportive. Please, feel invited to support and to return to my website that has fine art, spirituality, and nature appreciation at its heart.
Three (3) Venus of Willendorf & Lionmen Art Cards
Three (3) art cards size 7-10 cm or 3-4 inches. Free shipping. Showing a composition of the Venus of Willendorf from 3 sides, Lionman and several hand-stencils and scenes from the famous Lascaux cave. Painting by Paula Kuitenbrouwer
€10.00
Two Lascaux Crossed Bison Art Cards
Artwork by Paula Kuitenbrouwer. Two are cards with Lascaux’s famous Crossed Bison. As if they appear from a crack in the cave wall and thunder in your direction. (Essay on this artwork and the bison of Lascaux are on this website). Comes with matching envelopes. Free Shipping. One for sending: one for keeping. Professionally printed.
€18.00
A cup of coffee for the author!
Thank you very much!
€3.00
Stonehenge is like a church in a big city. Most likely this church has been built before Roman times but currently will house modern apartments, or a movie-theater, a concert venue, an art gallery or will still be in function as a church. In other words, the building shows how adaptable it is to different social needs. Stonehenge has a much longer but equally varied succession of functions.
I take the freedom to bring artistic interpretations to the scene, alongside with archaeological references, because Stonehenge is such powerful visual icon. Visiting Stonehenge offers a different experience compared to overgrown Neolithic hill-forts like Tara Hill in Ireland. Stonehenge’s visual impact has, since it first days, not lost any of its appeal. It has inspired artists, writers, and photographers and it is therefore justifiable to include artworks in this assignment. Next to art resources, ‘Researching Stonehenge; Theories Past and Present’, by Mike Parker Pearson has providing me with an overview of research done at Stonehenge as well as evolving insights into rituals functions of Stonehenge.
A 14th Century Print with Merlin Building Stonehenge
In this 14th century print we see Merlin, as an unshaven giant, helping humans building Stonehenge. Geoffrey of Monmouth (1100-1155) thought that Stonehenge was originally built in Ireland by giants and was later relocated to Britain to function as a temple for ancient druids. The temple function of Stonehenge was confirmed in Roman times by Hecateus who assumed Stonehenge to be a temple for honouring Apollo. John Aubrey/William Stukeley, both mid-17th century, proposed a likewise theory. Aubrey and Stukeley thought Stonehenge was built before the Romans. Stukeley, a member of Freemasonry, even took druidry up himself and attempted to date Stonehenge for the first time. He wrongly ascribed the building of Stonehenge to druids. Later, Lieutenant-Colonel William Hawley (1851–1941), a British archaeologist undertaking pioneering excavations at Stonehenge, followed Stukeley’s theory Stonehenge was indeed a temple, for priests and for nobles.
Despite archaeologists disapproving with Stonehenge as a ‘temple of the Druids’ as modern dating methods indicate that Stonehenge was built long before the time of the Druids, up to today druid-style dressed up visitors celebrate the summer solstice at Stonehenge.
Stonehenge as imagined in Francis Grose
Returning to the suggested relation between druids and Stonehenge, I present this engraving which shows a druid holding mistletoe and a sickle. The druid obviously has collected mistletoe and is now turning towards Stonehenge. What connects druids, mistletoe and Stonehenge? Mistletoe was regarded a sacred herb as it grows without soils between heaven and earth. Mistletoe growing on oak tree is rare, which has been noticed and utilized in the Celtic world. Gaius Plinius Secundus (23-79 AD), a Roman author also known as Pliny the Elder, describes a Celtic ritual sacrifice at which a druid, dressed in white, climbs an oak tree collecting mistletoe with the help of a sickle. This was done with great ceremony on the sixth day of the moon, by using a golden coloured sickle. Mistletoe, according to druids, as recorded by Pliny the Elder, increased fertility of cattle. This could have been important to Salisbury farming communities. Old theories, by Geoff Wainwright and Francis Grose both connecting Stonehenge to Druidic practices, stressing healing properties, re-emerge in 2006 when Tim Darvill uses the studies of Wainwright where he theorizes that Merlin collects the blue-stones from Ireland because of their healing properties. There is no archaeological evidence that Stonehenge blue stones were relocated from Ireland. They come from West-Wales’ Preseli Hills. Thus the theory changes but keeps Stonehenge associated with healing rituals because Preseli’s holy wells were believed by Medieval people to offer healing water. Water throw against the blue stones of Stonehenge likewise resulted in to empowering water with healing properties. Up till the 18th century visitors of Stonehenge chiselled off pieces of blue stones believing these pieces to have curative powers. Stonehenge’s healing hypothesis has survived the test of time despite that its focus changed from mistletoe utilizing healing rituals to healing properties of Stonehenge’s blue stones.
Wiltshire, a stylized 1700s look at Stonehenge
The artist of this etching or drawing, shows two groups of people as such expressing two different ritual functions of Stonehenge. There is a clear distinction in fashion between the men standing within Stonehenge circular structure and those who are working at the front. The artist shows neatly dressed men as researches, noblemen or landowners within Stonehenge. More importantly, brought to the front, are (probably) grave robbers. They have just unearthed a skull and three large bones. Hence, Stonehenge is depicted in its function as a place of (elite) interest, as well in its sepulchral function as it is surrounded by interesting burials that are worth robbing. It doesn’t comes as a surprise that only a skull and some large (human?) bones are found in Stonehenge’s ditch as in Neolithic times human and animal bones were offered or buried in ditches or under buildings. It was William Flinders Petrie, working on Stonehenge between 1874-1880, who suggested that Stonehenge’s function was ‘sepulchral, religious, astronomical and monumental’.
In the 1920s Lieutenant-Colonel William Hawley (1851–1941), a British archaeologist digs up nearly 60 cremated and uncremated human remains inside Stonehenge; the remains are reburied in 1935. Hawley’s excavations confirm Stonehenge’s funerary function. In 2002 of the grave of the Amesbury Archer, 3 miles from Stonehenge, is found by archaeologists from Wessex Archaeology. The grave dates back to 2,300 BC and is richest array of items ever found from this period thus leading to the believe that the archer possibly was the King of Stonehenge.
In 2007 the Stonehenge Riverside Project and the Beaker People Project radiocarbon date surviving skeletal remains. This results in establishing Stonehenge’s cemetery function as from the early third millennium BC. Interpreting Stonehenge’s ritual function, as far back as the 1700s, as a burial place that has seen different funerary rituals and mortuary practices has thus been supported by past and recent (2007) archaeological research.
Avebury, Stonehenge and The Rollright Stones 1806
As far back as in 1806, somebody with drawing skills, connects Avebury, Stonehenge and the Rollright stones in Oxfordshire. Later, long-term multidisciplinary research discovers that Stonehenge stands at the heart of a vast Neolithic landscape with temples, burial mounds, pits and ritual shrines. As one of the most rewarding archaeological research being done on Stonehenge, the Stonehenge Riverside Project, lasting over 10 years, connects Stonehenge to other Neolithic monuments, i.e. Durrington Wall, the Cursus, Amesbury, Woodhenge and the Preseli Hills in Wales. The person who drew Avebury, Stonehenge and the Rollright stones in1806 similarly tries to connect Neolithic monuments, by drawing them with similar compositional perspective and thus trying to see resemblances in appearance and character. However, there have been long interludes in which theorizing about the function of Stonehenge was done in isolation, not relating Stonehenge to its prehistoric landscape features, that are ‘teeming with previously unseen archaeology’ (Vince Gaffney, 2014).
A pen drawing and watercolour by George Heywood Maunoir Sumner (1853–1940) c. 1920.
Visible in this pen drawing of Stonehenge, seen from the north west, are the upright positioned Aubrey Holes, a ring of fifty-six (56) chalk pits, named after the seventeenth-century John Aubrey who identified them. Although the Aubrey Holes date back to the earliest phases of Stonehenge (4th millennium BC), their purpose is still discussed.
Before Pearson’s Stonehenge Riverside Project, Stonehenge has been proposed to a monument to honour Apollo (Hecates of Abdera, 4th century BC), a religious monument for Druids (John Audrey), a monument for the dead (Sir Arthur Evans 1851-1941), an astronomical centre (Sir Norman Lockyer 1836-1920), and an astronomical observatory (Gerald S. Hawkins (1982-2003). Also, Stonehenge has been identified as a Neolithic Lourdes, a place were people with illnesses travelled to, even as far as from Switzerland, as the Amesbury Arches shows, in hope for a cure. Trepanation probably took place at Stonehenge (R. Atkinson, 1920-1994). Despite research and restorations, Stonehenge remains ‘a terra incognita, an icon, occupying one of the richest archaeological landscapes in the world’ (Vince Gaffney).
CONCLUSION
Artworks dating back as far as the 14th century show a varied succession of theories about Stonehenge. Putting all research together holistically and evaluating Stonehenge in relation to neighbouring monuments, offers hope we will succeed in understanding Stonehenge in its different functions. Interpretations of the ritual nature of Stonehenge have changed, expanded, have been refuted and have been upgraded. Having concluded that, is safe to state that Stonehenge has seen a long succession of varied rituals, many of them being related to health, burial and ancestral honouring.
Paula Kuitenbrouwer
This assignment was written for ‘Ritual and Religion in Prehistory’, Oxford Department for Continuing Education, a course Paula thoroughly enjoyed and highly recommends. Copyright 2017.
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.
Paula Kuitenbrouwer, artist at Utrecht and also at: Etsy and Instagram.
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PREHISTORIC ART CARDS BY PAULA KUITENBROUWER
Two (2) Venus of Willendorf and Lionman small art cards with text
Two art cards with text on the back about Venus of Willendorf and Lionman, projected against a background with hand stencils and scenes of Lascaux cave. Lovely as a gift, an altar piece, a bookmark for prehistoric books, a wish card (small space left for adding a short wish). Free shipping.
€10.00
Two (2) Crossed Bison of Lascaux Art Cards
Two large double folded and richly illustrated, professionally printed art cards: one for keeping (framing) and one for sending. Crossed Bison is a famous panel in Lascaux’s prehistoric cave. The awesome beast seem to emerge from a crack in the wall, stampeding toward the viewer with great urgency. Read more about this artwork on my website.
€18.00
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I’d like to show three paintings in which I have incorporated Ma, a Japanese aesthetic principle. Ma is described as ‘an interval in time and/or space’, thus referring to empty spaces, vagueness or abstraction. Empty spaces, in which nothing seems to happen, are full of possibilities. How do my three birds deal with Ma in their portraits?
For my portrait of Magpie, Korea’s national bird, I added orange colour to compensate for a magpie’s black and white plumage. To stay close to her Korean habitat, I decided to position Magpie on a colourful and fruit-bearing persimmon branch, heavily laden with pumpkin-shaped kaki. Magpie is content with her portrait, and so am I.
Setting up a composition for a portrait of Carrion Crow was a little harder. Negotiations with this proud and cheeky bird were tough. I talked him into sitting on a mountain ash branch, but initially he didn’t agree with my decision of pushing him a little to the back.
‘You are an indigo blue-ivory black bird’, I explained by pointing out that humans don’t like black things. I explained that I could trick humans in loving his plumage by adding the rich palette of colours of an autumn Mountain Ash.
‘This branch has fresh green, bright orange and deep red, and will charm viewers in loving your monotonous black feathers. And if I use a diagonal composition, I can guide the viewer along the branch, climbing up from deep red, through the bright orange to sap green. After such a colourful journey, people don’t mind a bit of solid black. But to do that, I told Carrion Crow, I have to push you a little to one side, but that is okay. Reluctantly, Carrion Crow agreed.
My sparrow-hawk demanded to sit high and mighty on the top branch of a proud pine tree. The world of humans doesn’t interest him. He soars above it, looking down on our wars over oil, mass migration and our overheated, overpopulated world.
Sparrow-hawk knows he has this intricately textured and awesome coat of feathers, which makes fashion designers drool. Not much is needed next to such an eye-catching bird; two almost evenly-coloured pine cones complete the portrait. Sparrowhawk sat down just long enough for me to make a portrait, and, without so much as a ‘thank-you’, flew off to his own world, soaring high above ours.
Back to Ma.. In all three bird portraits you’ll notice considerable emptiness. My birds seem to look into this emptiness. What do they see? A suitable partner? Prey? Are they guarding their hidden nests? Are they exploring new horizons?
Ma is for you to fill in with your imagination, with your story-telling, your ornithological knowledge or poetry. But Ma can also be left open. We don’t need to fill in empty spaces with projections, trauma, words or sounds. Ma offers a thinking pause or escape from our train of thoughts.
Magpie, Carrion Crow and Sparrow-hawk understand Ma naturally. We are enchanted when we see a bird resting on a tree branch and we long to be like them: resting in Ma, accepting the here and now.
Paula Kuitenbrouwer
Commissions for other themed Ma drawings are open.
Commissions your Kumamoto inspired Hanging Scroll with your family (symbolized by flowers, patterns and animals).
I invite you to have a look at my portfolio on Etsy and Instagram. You might like to watch the videos of me drawing in Etsy and Instagram too.
Paula Kuitenbrouwer 
[…] A related post on prehistoric female figurines is here. […]