Drawing in the Museum of Natural History

I usually go to Naturalis in Leiden to study and draw animals. Sometimes I go also to the museum in Rotterdam and Tilburg.

In a Museum of Nature History I can easy look and draw animals from all angles and very close. It's also nice to see the differences - for example - of a crow, rook and raven. Buf if you have seen many animals in zoos and in the nature, you can notice a difference anyway. How clever is the work of stuffed animals you can see that they miss somethig. Their colors, for example, are duller.

Last week I went to Naturalis again to draw birds from their back side for a drawing (see please my flickr).
Here a few sketches from my sketchbook (two sketches from last week en others from the last two years):

Naturalis has a good bookshop. This year I bought these two books: “Bird, the definitive visual guide” and “Smithsonian Natural History, the ultimate visual guide to everything on earth”. Both books are published by DK Publishing. These books are not only as reference but also for enjoying the pictures.

Poinsettia

I always wanted to paint a Poinsettia for the beautiful color contrast red and green. By lack of time I could only sometimes draw this plant.

sketch book, 2003

One day, when I went to my work, I found a Poinsettia on the street. The plant was broken and therefore discarded. I took this plant and decided to paint it. Sometimes something from my daily life has touched me, something caught my attention and then I go to work. I do not know why, maybe a bit of the feeling of something to rectify for this plant that is discarded.

sketch book, the discarded Poinsettia, 2006

I made ​​sketches, painted and made a story about a neglected Poinsettia that again flowered because it received attention and care.

acrylic on canvas, 18x13 cm, 2007

acrylic on canvas, 18x13 cm, 2007

leporello book 'Het Kerstplantje' (Poinsettia), 25 ex., 2008

acrylic on canvas, 20x20 cm, 2008

Avifauna

Mr. Van den Brink purchased the property "Huis ter Rijn" (in Alphen a/d Rijn) as a garden for his private collection of birds. His park was in August 1949 one day open to the public. The people were so enthusiastic about his birds, that Van den Brink decided to establish a bird park. Avifauna was opened on 17 May 1950 and it was the first bird park in the world.

My parents went to Avifauna maybe between 1953 en 1955. They had a page in an album made ​​for this trip. My brother fond this page:

For my sketches in Avifauna I use a ball point pen and sometimes color pencils. I draw directly on the paper, this is why sometimes the proportions or details are incorrect. I use these sketches for further works (as paintings and linocuts) and they are also a reminder of a nice day I spent in Avifauna.

Raccoons from Rotterdam Zoo (Diergaarde Blijdorp)

The raccoons from Zoo Blijdorp have a new home since June. The construction was possible by a donation from the Friends of Zoo Blijdorp. Their new house is an American woodcutter's hut surrounded by garden and water.

 

  

Raccoons can wash their food in the water…

… and also swim.  

The racoons came from AAP (Aap=monkey). AAP gives primates and other exotic mammals a better future. Theyrescue animals and make the case for better animal legislation in Europe. These raccoons lived by people at home

and ended up in this Foundation.

Stefan Timmermans told  in a lecture for the Friends of Rotterdam Zoo

(Diergaarde Blijdorp) that raccoons aren’t pets.

They look very cute but they remain predators.

Raccoons are active at night and they chew everything.

The word "raccoon" (ahrah-koon-em) was adopted into English from a native language and it means the one who rubs, scrubs and scratches with its hands. The sense of touch is indeed the most important sense for the raccoons. Raccoons can do everything good: swimming,climbing and running.

Thinking...

Looking for something delicious...

Some sketches in their old home. It’s not easy to draw raccoons 

because they are not stil for one second!

The Raccoon Book, 2010. For a inkt drawing see please my Flickr.

To give something a second life...

This weekend is the Book Art Fair in Leiden. I exhibit my work there for the fourth time.
Also for the fourth time I make collages for packing material for my work (small books, bookmarks and linocuts). I had many scraps of paper from collages and instead of throwing away I wanted to give it a second life. Also discarded envelopes, wrapping papers and acid-free folders get a second chance. It costs nothing, you can recycle anything and people find nice this kind of packing material. If I have a busy day it is nice to craft in the evening to relax.

acid-free folders

envelopes

paper bags

 

Where do all these scraps of paper come from? In 2006 I made collages for a party at my work. It was quick and easy to hang and then discard.

 In 2007 I made collages for the farewell of a Deputy Director (her specialty is portraits).

 

And for Christmas of 2007 I made collages for a wall with posters (at my work).

Then I painted a few sheets of paper with acrylic for a few collages. For more collages see please set collages at my Flickr.