We are pleased to present artist Marjolein Bastin, known for her nature artwork and paintings.
Marjolein Bastin’s Lifelong Bond With Nature
Marjolein Bastin’s works were recognized very early in her career after attending the Academy of Arts in Arnhem, The Netherlands when she was asked to illustrate a one-page feature for the popular Dutch women’s weekly “Libelle”. A periodical for which she continues to illustrate today.
Early Inspiration
Still, that doesn’t include her earliest work or inspirations. Marjolein started collecting inspirational images as a toddler when her parents put her in touch with nature by removing her from her baby carriage, placing her in the grass of their home in the Netherlands, and allowing her to feel and see it firsthand. Some of her earliest memories are the sights, sounds, and smells she experienced from this vantage point.
Collecting Nature’s Treasures
That connection to nature stayed with her as she grew into a child and adolescent. She would regularly collect little treasures from nature like flowers, interesting rocks, pine cones, or seeds. She could find pleasure or beauty in the simplest of objects from the outdoors. It didn’t take long before she was also capturing them in drawings and paintings, each time trying to make her work look more exact than the one before, and just trying to present her love of nature in as many ways as possible.
A Career Rooted In Nature
Marjolein Bastin’s work has become known worldwide. Her love for nature endured and is also shared through her works produced for her partnership with Hallmark. Nature is timeless and without physical bounds, as her art created and shared throughout Europe and North America has shown. Her earliest memories of her connection to nature led her also to create children’s books featuring Vera the Mouse, which she writes and illustrates.
A Life Of Inspiration With Family & Home
Marjolein is also very connected to her family. She resides with her husband Gaston, and they spend their lives together between country homes in Holland, Switzerland, and in Missouri, near Hallmark’s headquarters. She also has a tropical retreat in the Cayman Islands, which was the inspiration for her work “Caribbean Blue”. Each place she stays or visits provides inspiration for the artwork she shares with the world. Her greatest works include her son and daughter, Mischa and Sanna, who have gifted her with two grandchildren.
Her parents, though passed, remain another crucial part of her inspiration. She can feel them with her in the sights and smells of life, taking her back to those earliest days when she experienced the soft green grasses overlooking the banks of the Vecht River. As they remain in her heart, she creates art for the world.
A Daily Artistic Journey
Marjolein walks every day to gather inspiration. She often brings natural objects back to her studio, using them, along with her memory and photographs, as the foundation for her intricate work.
Signature Pieces
Her fine art portfolio includes captivating pieces. Each work is detailed and often includes personal reflections woven into the artwork.
Vera And Friends
Autumn Snacks
Meadow Paradise
Whispers of a Hummingbird
Experience Marjolein’s Work in Person
Marjolein Bastin’s art is a perfect match for our gallery walls. We’re proud to feature her work for California residents and visitors to enjoy up close, just as she sees it in the natural world around her. Come in and explore the wonder of the natural world, captured in each brushstroke.
