Peg

Expected and Unexpected Delights of Ghent

Every travel adventure starts with expectations. Spending a long weekend in Ghent Belgium was no exception. I expected to experience a historic city center with a rich heritage, beautiful architecture and delicious chocolate—and I did! I didn’t expect to discover innovative art installations, comical audio tours and sweet wildlife sightings—but I did!
Located in the province of East Flanders, Ghent is the third largest city in Belgium. But in the Late Middle Ages (AD 1250-1500), this Flemish city was the largest and richest in northern Europe. Its wealth was derived from trading and textiles.
Evidence of those prosperous times is still visible today especially around the site of the city’s medieval harbor. Two marvelously-preserved quays—the Graslei (Grass Quay) and the Korenlei (Corn Quay)—flank the Leie River. It is understandably one of the most photographed sights in the city.

Medieval Ghent was dependent on tradesmen such as boatmen and grain weighers. Powerful associations, called guilds, were formed to manage and oversee the practice of each trade and craft. The guilds built elaborate, ornate buildings to demonstrate their status, conduct their business and house their officers. Here’s a closer look at the splendid façades of a few of those historic buildings. The Renaissance building (below center) was originally the guild house for stonemasons. It is known as Den Enghel (The Angel) for the beautifully carved stone angel on the façade. The building on the right is the Eerste Korenmetershuis (First Corn Measurer’s House) where city officials once weighed and graded corn.

The architectural treasures of Korenlei, along the opposite side of the river, are equally charming especially when reflected in the still waters of early morning.

The area is especially beautiful at night when the buildings are illuminated and the sparkling lights are reflected in the river’s dark waters.

This beautiful stone arch bridge crossing the Leie River is the famous St Michael’s Bridge.
“The neo-Gothic St Michael’s Bridge offers fine views back over the towers and turrets that pierce the Ghent skyline – just as it was meant to: the bridge was built to provide visitors to the Great Exhibition [in 1913] with a vantage point from which to admire the city center.” says Phil Lee in his book Rough Guide Directions Bruges and Ghent. The below photo was taken from St Michael’s Bridge and shows the Former Post Office (on left) and St Nicholas’ Church (center).
Atop a lamppost at the center of the bridge, is a striking bronze sculpture of Saint Michael defeating a dragon.

The Ghent Belfry is another well-known landmark. It is one of 33 belfries in Belgium which have been designated as UNESCO World Heritage Sites. “High towers built in the heart of urban areas, often dominating the principal square, the belfries are essential elements in the organization and representation of the towns to which they belong. … A practical building housing the communal bells, conserving charters and treasures, where city council meetings were held, serving as a watch tower and a prison, the belfry has, over the centuries, become the symbol of power and prosperity of the communes.” says the UNESCO website.

We climbed the 366 steps to the top of the belfry tower for stunning views of the city. Pictured below is the east end of St Nicholas’ Church.

For a different view of Ghent, we participated in a Chocolate Tour of the city. Most chocolate lovers would be aware of Belgium’s excellent reputation for chocolate making. There are, in fact, more than 320 chocolateries in Belgium ranging from world-famous chocolate brands such as Godiva, Leonidas and Neuhaus to local chocolate artisans. I was surprised to learn it all began in Ghent with the buying and selling of chocolate in the 17^th century. Our tour included tastings at several chocolatiers and sweet shops. Pictured below are a violin sculpted from chocolate by Vandenbouhede; Ghentse Neuzen (noses), cone-shaped candies filled with raspberry-flavored jelly which are unique to Ghent; Suikerharten (sugar hearts) from Temmerman; and enticing pralines from Leonidas.

As mentioned at the top of this blog post, we discovered a number of unexpected delights in Ghent. One of those was the flashing streetlights in Sint-Veerleplein square. “In partnership with the Ghent City Council, artist Alberto Garutti conceived of and integrated his work of art entitled Ai Nati Oggi (“For Those Born Today”) directly into the infrastructure of the city. Every time a baby is born in one of Ghent’s maternity wards, the parents are given the option to push a button connected to these street lamps, which in turn causes them to flash. … The surge of light provides a beautiful way of sharing the new parents’ joy with the entire town, a quiet testament to the birth that is seen by everyone filling the popular square and pubs nearby. The lights symbolize hope for the future generation, while also changing the future history of the square the streetlights line, as it had been used for executions throughout the Middle Ages.” reports the Atlas Obscura website. Our chocolate tour guide told us the flashing of the lights is met with great enthusiasm and everyone cheers and claps to welcome the newest citizen to Ghent. What a concept!

The flashing streetlights are located in front of Gravensteen Castle aka the Castle of the Counts.

This imposing stone castle was once a prison known for torturous practices. But there’s so much more to the story of this medieval fortress. And there’s no better way to hear that story than to take the Gravensteen Castle audio tour. The tour is conducted by Wouter Deprez a well-known Flemish comedian. It is, by far, the funniest and most entertaining audio tour I’ve ever heard. As Deprez puts it: “Witchcraft, tournaments, adultery, and hefty religious unrest: the Castle of the Counts brings together all my hobbies. It’s a hugely interesting adventure for me to show the way in this fantastic fortress.”

The audio tour is complemented by a series of humorous banners throughout the castle by illustrator Randall Casaer.

I discovered another delightful surprise while exploring the streets of Ghent—the below art installation called The Birds of Mr Maeterlinck. This artwork was created by David Lesort and Arnaud Giroud of Pitaya design studio. It features a flock of origami-styled, white, metal birds nestled in a tree.

At night, it becomes a striking swarm of blue birds soaring above the water of the canal. The artwork was inspired by the 1908 fairy tale play “L’Oiseau Bleu” (The Blue Bird), written by Belgian playwright and poet Maurice Maeterlink, about two children searching for the blue bird of happiness.

The final unexpected delight I’d like to share in this blog post comes from the Ghent University Botanical Garden. The gardens are lovely with a huge selection of well-maintained plant species from all over the world. We spent several pleasant hours there but, to be honest, I spent most of my time crouched beside a small pond admiring a family of ducks. The birds, Eurasian Coots (Fulica atra), are common in Europe but do not occur in North America. They seemed quite comfortable around people and I was able to get several great shots while the parents fed their babies.

This next shot was my favorite—I love the sweet sentiment of the parent duck caring for the duckling. This was definitely not something I expected to witness in the Belgian city of Ghent!

More Info

My recent trip to the Netherlands and Belgium was packed with fun and inspiration. I’m sharing the experience in a series of blog posts including:
. Come Tiptoe Through the Tulips which is packed with all things tulip including a visit to Noorwijkerhout in the midst of the Bulb Region, the world-famous spring gardens at Keukenhof, and tulip-related highlights from the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam.
. Milling the Water of Kinderdijk in which I share my visits—an afternoon bike ride and a sunrise hike—to the beautiful windmills of the Kinderdijk.
. Painting Delftware in Delft about the charming city of Delft and our experience trying a centuries-old painting tradition at the historic Royal Delft factory.
. Expected and Unexpected Delights of Ghent (this post).
. Artworks as Big as Walls in Amsterdam sharing our experience visiting STRAAT, the graffiti and street art museum, in Amsterdam’s edgy arts community at NDSM.
For information about visiting Ghent Belgium, check out the Visit Gent website.
See the World Heritage Convention United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) website for more information about this organization or to reference the UNESCO listing for the Belfries of Belgium and France.
Check out the Atlas Obscura website for curious and wondrous attractions at your next destination.
See the Historische Huizen Gent (Historic Houses Ghent) website for information about the Castle of the Counts/ Gravensteen Castle.
See the Visit Gent website for more information about the Ghent University Botanical Garden.

Today’s Takeaways

1. Every travel adventure starts with expectations.
2. Research your destination to ensure expectations are realistic.
3. Be on the look out for unexpected delights.

Clay Europe Make Netherlands Travel

Painting Delftware in Delft

The Dutch city of Delft is synonymous with the classic blue and white pottery known as Delftware (aka Delft Blue or Delft pottery). Located in the province of South Holland in the Netherlands, Delft is a charming historic city complete with handsome stone buildings, beautiful old churches, delightful narrow canals, and intriguing hidden alleyways.
This is the Oostpoort (East Gate), Delft’s only surviving city gate, at sunset.

These are the steeples of the Oude Kerk (Old Church) which dates back to 1246.

The Nieuwe Kerk (New Church) is the final resting place for the members of the Dutch Royal House. The most famous grave is that of William of Orange (more about him later).

The arched bridges, white wrought iron rails, cobblestone streets and quiet canals of Delft are quite picturesque…

…especially with the beautiful spring blossoms.

This charming alley was spotted in the historic city center.

Delft was an important city in the 16^th century. William of Orange, “Father of the Nation” and ancestor of the monarchy of the Netherlands, established himself in Delft after defeating Spanish invaders. He is credited with founding “the Netherlands as a parliamentary state based on the principles of freedom of religion and freedom of expression” in 1581. After this, Delft became the de facto capital as the seat of the Prince of Orange. Artisans and craftspeople settled in the city bringing their skills and expertise in printing, beer brewing, tapestry weaving and earthernware making. In 1602, The Dutch East India Company opened an office in Delft and the city was poised for success.
“From the early 17th Century, the Netherlands was introduced to oriental porcelain thanks to the Dutch East India Trading Company”. says the Kunstmuseum Den Haag website. “Gloss, beautiful decorations and exotic forms appealed to the imagination, but only wealthy people could afford to buy these Chinese products. Before long… Delftware factories, such as De Porceleyne Fles, introduced imitation porcelain products made of Dutch clay. They aimed to copy the Chinese product as well as they could. And not without success, because their sophisticated, luxurious earthenware products were widely considered the best alternative to genuine (export) porcelain. That is how Delftware factories became the low-cost warehouses with an enormous impact on the Dutch way of life.”
Only one of those original Delftware factories is still in play. “Established in 1653, Royal Delft/De Koninklijke Porceleyne Fles is the only remaining Delft blue pottery factory from the 17th century. The world-famous Delft blue pottery is still painted entirely by hand according to centuries-old traditions.” says the Royal Delft website.
I was thrilled to learn Royal Delft hosts painting workshops where visitors can give this centuries-old painting tradition a try for themselves. I proposed the idea to Marian and, being the wonderful sister she is, she agreed to participate in this rare experience with me. The minute I saw the pretty front courtyard at Royal Delft, I knew we were in for a treat!

After getting settled, we got acquainted with the Royal Delft tools and materials. A 7¼” round, white plate was ready for each of us to decorate. We used two special brushes—one called a “tracker” to outline the design and the other a full round brush to color in the outlines. These brushes are custom-made at Royal Delft from marten and squirrel hair. We learned to mix the deep black paint with water to create various shades of black. As with most ceramic glazes, the final colors, those beautiful shades of blue, don’t appear until after the final firing.
We spent a few minutes practicing. In contrast, Royal Delft painters must practice for an entire year before any of their pieces are offered for sale! It takes an additional 7-9 years in Royal Delft’s internal training program to become a Royal Delft Master Painter.

Next we chose a design from the wide assortment on offer.

The instructors transferred our chosen designs to our plates using a traditional pouncing method. With this method, a copy of the design is pricked with pinholes and then a small bag of powdered charcoal is pounced over the pattern. The charcoal passes through the pin pricks and the design is transferred to the intended surface.

The transferred design can be seen on my plate below.

Here’s how my plate looked with the painting in progress—not perfect, but OK for a first try!

We left our painted plates with the instructors and went to explore the museum and the factory. It was late in the afternoon and the factory was quiet. It was fascinating, especially for someone who is actively learning to work with clay (see my previous post Still Talking About Tiles!), to peek into the actual production facility.

We were able to trace the process from plaster mold to finished piece.

This photo shows a variety of multi-part plaster molds into which clay is poured.

We saw shelves and shelves of pieces in progress.

These beautifully painted dishes appear to be ready for the final firing. The Royal Delft product catalogue listing, shown in the inset photo, describes it as a “Herring Dish”.

We had the pleasure of viewing a variety of Royal Delft products during our visit. It was interesting to compare traditional pieces such as this amazing Tulip Vase Pyramid…

… to more contemporary pieces like the Proud Mary figurines. Royal Delft introduced the Proud Mary series to give the iconic Blue Delft a contemporary look and feel. As stated on the Royal Delft website “With the launch of Proud Mary, Royal Delft puts the pride back into the craftsmanship of Delft Blue. The inspiration Proud Mary is named after Mary II, the wife of Stadholder Willem III. Mary II was a great admirer and collector of Delft Blue in the Dutch Golden Age.”

Another extraordinary piece that caught my eye is the Blow Away Vase pictured below. I’ve since learned this piece was created by the Swedish designers Front for the Dutch design firm Moooi. To create the Blow Away Vase for Moooi “Front digitised a Royal Delft vase and added some parameters to the material in the 3D software. It was then exposed to a simulated gust of wind.” The inset photo shows the vase from Front’s website.

Returning to my own far-less-impressive efforts, the kind folks at Royal Delft (Thank you so much!) were able to rush our plates through glazing, firing, packaging and shipping. My own Delftware plate arrived at our Amsterdam hotel the following week.

More Info

My recent trip to the Netherlands and Belgium was packed with fun and inspiration. I’m sharing the experience in a series of blog posts including:
. Come Tiptoe Through the Tulips which is packed with all things tulip including a visit to Noorwijkerhout in the midst of the Bulb Region, the world-famous spring gardens at Keukenhof, and tulip-related highlights from the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam.
. Milling the Water of Kinderdijk in which I share my visits—an afternoon bike ride and a sunrise hike—to the beautiful windmills of the Kinderdijk.
. Painting Delftware in Delft (this post).
. Expected and Unexpected Delights of Ghent in which I share the rich heritage and beautiful architecture of Ghent Belgium as well as unexpected delights such as innovative art installations and sweet wildlife sightings.
. Artworks as Big as Walls in Amsterdam sharing our experience visiting STRAAT, the graffiti and street art museum, in Amsterdam’s edgy arts community at NDSM.
One of my favorite things to do when traveling is to participate in a hands-on artmaking experience typical of my destination. I’ve shared a few of these experiences here on the blog:
. Making Curls and Swirls with a Filigree Master about my experience making traditional filigree jewelry in a master filigree artist’s studio in Gondomar, Portugal.
. My Sweet Sweetgrass Wreath about my experience making a sweetgrass wreath with an 8th generation sweetgrass basket maker in Hilton Head, South Carolina, USA.
. Learning from the Ancient Masters about my experience learning to make a small stone mosaic in the traditional way from a professional master mosaicist in Rome, Italy.
. My Batik Journey from Singapore to Miami about my experiences learning batik from an Indonesian batik artist while living in Singapore and a Malaysian batik artist while visiting Miami, Florida, USA.
The city of Delft in the Netherlands is a great place to visit. For more information, see the Holland Tourism website or the City of Delft website.
To learn more about visiting Royal Delft or participating in their painting workshops, see the Royal Delft website.
TIP regarding the Royal Delft painting workshop: to avoid costly shipping charges (eg €75,00 to ship to the USA), plan to pick up your finished project later in your trip or have it shipped to an European location.
As noted in this blog post, I’m actively learning to work with clay. Check out my previous blog posts Pinch Pot Bunny and Still Talking About Tiles! for a peek into my progress.
The Kunstmuseum in Den Haag, Netherlands features a permanent exhibition called Delftware WonderWare.

Today’s Takeaways

1. When travelling, seek out hands-on artmaking experiences typical of your destination.
2. Learn how people and events of the past have shaped your destination.
3. Consider including lesser-known destinations, such as the city of Delft, in your travel plans.

Europe Netherlands Travel

Milling the Water of Kinderdijk

Seeing the early morning sun rise behind the windmills of the Kinderdijk was unforgettable! These iconic structures are both beautiful and fascinating.

An individual windmill is an impressive sight…

…and a grouping of windmills is even more striking…

…but most spectacular of all is this iconic view of five identical windmills in a row!

It is, in fact, the concentration of old windmills and the story they tell that make the Kinderdijk area of the Netherlands very special. There are 19 windmills—all nearly 300 years old. They have been carefully preserved with 16 of the windmills still inhabited today.

The Kinderdijk windmills no longer mill water but are kept in good operating order and perform at least 60,000 rounds every year. The windmills are surrounded by a network of waterways, dikes and sluices in the low-lying lands of South Holland.
The below map provides a great overview of the Kinderdijk site and indicates where the windmills, waterways, and other points of interest, are located. Note the land to the right of the main waterway is called “Nederwaard” while the land to the left is “Overwaard”.

The Kinderdijk is so special, in fact, that in 1997 the Mill Network at Kinderdijk-Elshout was officially included as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. As explained on the UNESCO website, “The outstanding contribution made by the people of the Netherlands to the technology of handling water is admirably demonstrated by the installations in the Kinderdijk-Elshout area. Construction of hydraulic works for the drainage of land for agriculture and settlement began in the Middle Ages and have continued uninterruptedly to the present day. The site illustrates all the typical features associated with this technology – dykes, reservoirs, pumping stations, administrative buildings and a series of beautifully preserved windmills.”
My sister and I timed our recent visit to Kinderdijk to allow for an afternoon bike ride as well as a sunrise hike. There are great biking and walking paths throughout the site.

I was thrilled to learn the biking/walking paths are open around the clock (ie not only when the Kinderdijk UNESCO site facilities are open). This meant we could admire the windmills before and after the crowds—the Kinderdijk is, understandably, a very popular destination. The quiet times were especially great for taking photos without random strangers ruining my shots. Of course, with a little luck, other people (like the two cyclists below) can enhance a shot!

More often, though, I find myself patiently (well… maybe not so patiently!) waiting for strangers to move out of the frame. Or I find a way to reframe the view without the strangers. Patience may just be a photographer’s most valuable skill!

While the windmills make for stunning photos, it’s important not to forget their original purpose.
The Kinderdijk is situated in the Alblasserwaard polder at the confluence of the Lek and Noord rivers. A polder, by the way, is defined as “a piece of low-lying land reclaimed from the sea or a river and protected by dikes”. Amazingly, the entire Kinderdijk site lies 1.5 metres (4 feet) below sea level.
The below photo shows the Kinderdijk area looking down from the dike along the Noord River.

One can’t help but marvel at it all! How is it even possible to live 1.5 meters below sea level? What role do the windmills play? How did this all come about? The Kinderdijk website and audio tours provide a great explanation—here’s a condensed version:
A thousand years ago, the entire area was a big peat bog with little streams naturally carrying water down to the rivers and out to the sea. When the first permanent settlers arrived, they built their homes on the sand dunes and constructed dikes to keep the water away. When rainwater and groundwater continually filled in the enclosed areas, they forcibly removed the water. But as they drained more and more water, the peat bogs started to dry out and the land started to subside. This disrupted the natural balance between ground and water levels making the effort to keep the land dry more and more difficult. It became obvious that a coordinated effort was needed—individual efforts were useless in the fight against the water.
“In the thirteenth century, Count Floris V of Holland ordered the founding of District Water Boards. Water Boards were innovative organisations; cooperative efforts in which all residents contributed to keep these lands dry. Three Water Boards were founded here: Alblasserwaard, Overwaard and Nederwaard.”
The Water Boards constructed a system of ditches, basins and watercourses to direct the water from the polder to the river. At the lowest point, in the area known as Kinderdijk, a set of four sluices was created. A sluice is a waterway controlled at its head by a moveable gate. The sluice gates were opened at low tide to let the water flow into the river.
But the water kept fighting back. A disastrous flood, the St Elisabeth’s flood of 1421, wiped out the poorly maintained dikes causing thousands of people to drown. Soil subsidence and the ever-increasing effort to drain the water from the polders became more and more urgent. The Water Boards tried various techniques to keep the water out. Eventually, they determined that the best way to tackle the water problem was with windmills.

“Over the following centuries, trial and error leads to continued improvement of a system using windmills and pumping stations. The basins serve as buffers to contain the surplus water. The water in the lower basin can be lifted up into the upper basin in the event of excess water, but it can also be redirected back into the polder canals in times of drought. This is how the wind was harnessed in the service of the people, the land, and the water around the Kinderdijk area. Eventually, the Water Boards of Overwaard and Nederwaard had twenty windmills up and running between them, of which nineteen remain for you to admire and experience …today.”
Interestingly, the two Water Boards had different opinions about how to build windmills. The Nederwaard District Water Board started first, using brick to build round windmills (shown on the right below). These structures were very sturdy but also extremely heavy—they tended to sink into the boggy soil. Some even started to lean before construction was finished. Seeing this, the Overwaard District Water Board decided to build eight-sided structures out of wood and thatch (shown on the left below). The structures were lighter but they were very susceptible to fire.

Evidence of the original windmills is still visible today.

Another type of windmill on view at Kinderdijk is the hollow-post mill. The Blokweer Museum Mill, originally built in 1630 and the oldest of the Kinderdijk windmills, is an example.

This windmill and its grounds are set up as a living museum depicting how a miller and his family would have lived in the 1950s. It made for some lovely photos.

The Kinderdijk UNESCO World Heritage Site is a tribute to more than seven centuries of water management. The audio tour wraps up with this thought-provoking conclusion: “And as the rest of the world is struggling with rising sea levels, with flooding becoming a bigger problem all over the planet, we the Dutch, have been living below sea level for centuries. This area is living proof for what water management can achieve. So maybe there is a good reason why that picture of five windmills can be seen all over the world. It’s not just a pretty picture, it’s a true wonder of the world! And it could be an example for the world, as well.”

More Info

My recent trip to the Netherlands and Belgium was packed with fun and inspiration. I’m sharing the experience in a series of blog posts including:
. Come Tiptoe Through the Tulips which is packed with all things tulip including a visit to Noorwijkerhout in the midst of the Bulb Region, the world-famous spring gardens at Keukenhof, and tulip-related highlights from the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam.
. Milling the Water of Kinderdijk (this post).
. Painting Delftware in Delft about the charming city of Delft and our experience trying a centuries-old painting tradition at the historic Royal Delft factory.
. Expected and Unexpected Delights of Ghent in which I share the rich heritage and beautiful architecture of Ghent Belgium as well as unexpected delights such as innovative art installations and sweet wildlife sightings.
. Artworks as Big as Walls in Amsterdam sharing our experience visiting STRAAT, the graffiti and street art museum, in Amsterdam’s edgy arts community at NDSM.
To learn more about the Kinderdijk UNESCO World Heritage Site check out the Kinderdijk website or the Kinderdijk UNESCO Official app.
See the World Heritage Convention United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) website for more information about this organization or to reference the UNESCO listing for the Kinderdijk. As noted on the UNESCO site “What makes the concept of World Heritage exceptional is its universal application. World Heritage sites belong to all the peoples of the world, irrespective of the territory on which they are located.”

Today’s Takeaways

1. Seek out UNESCO World Heritage Sites to visit and explore.
2. If possible, plan to visit a special destination at different times throughout the day.
3. Consider how technological accomplishments of the past can inform today’s challenges.

Europe Gardening Nature Netherlands Plants Travel

Come Tiptoe Through the Tulips

Tulips are one of the best known symbols of the Netherlands. I’ve just returned from two wonderful weeks visiting this charming country, so it seems appropriate to focus on this much-loved flower in today’s blog post. My sister Marian and I timed our trip with the spring flower season hoping to see the tulips in bloom. The timing was perfect, although that was more a matter of luck than good planning—turns out, the tulips are blooming early this year. According to one local expert, they’re about 10 days ahead of their normal blooming time. Hurray! Our trip was packed with all things tulip—and so is this blog post.
We started our tulip extravaganza in Noorwijkerhout in the midst of the Bollenstreek (Bulb Region) in the province of South Holland. I mentioned this beautiful area in my previous post, A Virtual Visit to Lisse, in which I shared a visit to Lisse and the Keukenhof. The Bollenstreek was developed at the end of the 16^th century and into the 17^th century. The area is particularly well suited to the cultivation of flower bulbs due to its sandy soil and ideal climate.
We were thrilled to discover a field of gorgeous tulips directly across the street from our hotel in Noorwijkerhout. The rows of red tulips were particularly beautiful in the soft evening light.

Nearby rows of yellow tulips were equally entrancing.

A highlight of our trip was a visit to Keukenhof, the world-famous spring garden showcasing Dutch flower bulbs, located in Lisse. The gardens were in full swing again this year after a 2-year hiatus due to the pandemic. They were stunning! Here are a few of my favorite shots of tulips.

The Keukenhof features the very best spring flowering bulbs from 100 flower bulb companies and growers. It provides a great opportunity to learn more about the various types of tulips. From a horticultural perspective, tulips are divided into 15 groups (divisions) based on their form, structure, size and blooming time. I created the below collage to illustrate 10 of these classifications with some of the tulips we saw.

The complete list of classifications includes: 1 Single Early, 2 Double Early, 3 Triumph, 4 Darwin Hybrids, 5 Single Late, 6 Lily-flowered, 7 Fringed, 8 Viridiflora, 9 Rembrandt, 10 Parrot, 11 Double Late, 12 Kaufmanniana, 13 Fosteriana, 14 Greigii and 15 Species. These classifications are managed by the Royal General Bulb Growers’ Association (KAVB) which also gathers and registers all cultivars for the flower bulb industry.
It isn’t easy to discern all the differences between the various classifications but some of the characteristics are easy to identify. For instance, the difference between a single bloom, like this Single late called Blushing Beauty,…

… and a double bloom, like this full, peony-like Double called 60-SW-05-1, is easy to spot.

Other characteristics which are easy to spot are the green stripe, often referred to as a “flame”, which shows on the back of the petals of a Viridiflora tulip. The stripe is quite visible on the Orange Marmalade tulip shown below.

The unusual twisted petals of Parrot tulips are quite distinctive. In combination with the vivid colors of the Rasta Parrot shown below, these blooms do indeed bring to mind a parrot’s plumage.

Fringed tulips have petals with spiked or fringed edges like those shown below on the Orange Passion tulip. The showy petals don’t look real but a quick touch verifies they are.

According to Liz Dobbs, author of the book Tulip, the Rembrandt tulip classification was used to identify “the blooms painted by the Dutch Old Masters (though not particularly by Rembrandt). The petals are streaked with colors caused by a virus.” Exhibits at Keukenhof confirm that, “In early years, the flamed or striped tulips were favoured as the most beautiful. The flamed tulip originated because of a virus which is carried by aphids from the one plant to another, so these popular tulips were actually diseased. Today the tulip grower does everything in order to keep the tulips healthy, and free of viruses. The flamed and striped tulips which still exist are virus free because of today’s improved cultivation methods.”
Below is an example of the tulip paintings mentioned by Liz Dobbs. Painted by Jacob Marrel (1614-1681), who specialized in portraits of blooming tulips, it is called Still Life with a Vase of Flowers and a Dead Frog. As described on the exhibit card at the Rijksmuseum where I saw this painting, “Tulip bulbs were collected fanatically in 17^th century Holland, and astronomical prices were sometimes paid for a single bulb. In this painting as well, tulips play a leading role. The whimsically shaped red-and-white and red-and-yellow striped tulips were especially prized. Although nature creates them, it also lets them wither and die – just like the dead frog at the right.”

We were also able to view a splendid watercolor attributed to Jacob Marrel. It depicts the Semper Augustus Tulip, c. 1635, and was included in a tulip book.

Tulip books were a special art form which surfaced during the height of Tulip Mania, the period of 1634-1637 during the Dutch Golden Age, when exotic tulips were extremely fashionable and rare. Prices reached extraordinarily high levels before the market collapsed in February 1637.
Colorful drawings of different types of tulips were bound together into a tulip book. This tulip book is believed to have been a sort of sales catalog because prices were included. The Semper Augustus tulip is considered the most famous and most expensive tulip in history. According to the Rijksmuseum gallery card, “The sum of 3000 guilders mentioned here was tenfold a carpenter’s annual salary. In February 1637, just before the crash, a record breaking 10,000 guilders was bid for this bulb.”
Thankfully, the price of tulip bulbs is no longer an issue and the average Dutch citizen can easily afford these beautiful flowers.

More Info

My recent trip to the Netherlands and Belgium was packed with fun and inspiration. I’m sharing the experience in a series of blog posts including:
. Come Tiptoe Through the Tulips (this post)
. Milling the Water of Kinderdijk in which I share my visits—an afternoon bike ride and a sunrise hike—to the beautiful windmills of the Kinderdijk.
. Painting Delftware in Delft about the charming city of Delft and our experience trying a centuries-old painting tradition at the historic Royal Delft factory.
. Expected and Unexpected Delights of Ghent in which I share the rich heritage and beautiful architecture of Ghent Belgium as well as unexpected delights such as innovative art installations and sweet wildlife sightings.
. Artworks as Big as Walls in Amsterdam sharing our experience visiting STRAAT, the graffiti and street art museum, in Amsterdam’s edgy arts community at NDSM.
Check out my previous blog post, A Virtual Visit to Lisse, in which I share memories of visiting the Netherlands in the spring.
The Keukenhof website claims “The most beautiful spring garden in the world” and I’m not about to argue. Keukenhof is located in Lisse, the Netherlands. You can learn more on the Keukenhof website. Please note the Keukenhof is only open for a limited time every spring—this year it’s from March 24 to May 15, 2022.
To learn more about the Royal General Bulb Growers’ Association (KAVB) check out their website.
The Rijksmuseum is located in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. It is the national museum of the Netherlands and tells the story of 800 years of Dutch history. Many famous Dutch masterpieces can be seen here. To learn more, check out their website.
Many thanks to my brother-in-law (Thank you Eric!) for recommending Rome2Rio. This online website/ app allows you to search for any city, town, landmark, attraction or address in the world and recommends how to get from A to B. Rome2Rio includes many options and combinations of options including flying by plane, taking a tram, train, subway, bus, taxi or ferry; driving a car, riding a bike or walking. Additionally, the website 9292.nl provides similar information, with a little more detail, specific to the Netherlands. I’d recommend both for a trip to the Netherlands.

Today’s Takeaways

1. A springtime visit to the Keukenhof and bulb fields of South Holland is an unforgettable experience.
2. Consider the story behind the subject—even a simple flower can have an intriguing past.
3. Consider setting a theme(s) for your next trip away from home.

Artists Gardening Make Nature Southeast Travel USA

Thank You Anna Hyatt Huntington

Anyone who has visited Murrells Inlet in South Carolina is likely familiar with Brookgreen Gardens. This award-winning, floral jewel is renowned for its botanical gardens and sculpture collection. Brookgreen Gardens is, in fact, an outdoor museum containing the largest and most comprehensive collection of American figurative sculpture in the USA. The collection contains over 2,700 works by 425 artists! Here are a few of my favorites from a recent visit.
This beautiful bronze sculpture, Forest Idyl, is by Albin Polasek.

Triton on Dolphin, a charming limestone sculpture, is by Benjamin Franklin Hawkins.

This dramatic Samson and the Lion limestone sculpture was carved by Gleb Derujinsky.
This majestic bull, Toro Bravo, is by Charlotte Dunwiddie.

I’ve had the pleasure of wandering these spectacular gardens more than once. But it wasn’t until recently when I visited nearby Atalaya that Brookgreen Gardens became a whole lot more than just a beautiful garden full of splendid sculptures. Turns out, we owe our thanks to a remarkable woman named Anna Hyatt Huntington.
In 1930, Archer and Anna Hyatt Huntington purchased 4 adjoining plantations along the South Carolina coast to form a 9,000-acre estate. “Drawing on her artistic talents as a sculptress, Anna Huntington formulated, designed and executed the twofold, original garden plan. The first, and most important, aspect of the plan was to preserve and protect the wonderful natural treasures. Her plan was to enhance the already beautiful native flora with additional plantings suitable to the area. The second part of the plan was designed to showcase her massive pieces of sculpture. This part of the plan evolved to include the work of other American sculptors in the garden displays.” writes Cindy Spicer in her book Carolina Edens.
Pictured below is the quintessential Lowcountry scene with live oaks draped in Spanish moss along a quiet creek. This charming scene was spotted near the boat dock in Brookgreen Gardens.

Half of the Huntington’s property was used to build Brookgreen Gardens which opened in 1932. Sixty years later, another 2,500 acres, including Atalaya (the Huntington’s winter home), was leased for free to the state of South Carolina. This area became beautiful Huntington Beach State Park.
Atalaya is a pleasant surprise; it’s unassuming, casual and surrounded by nature. It’s built in an unexpected style—being designed after the Moorish architecture of the Spanish Mediterranean Coast. There are inner courtyards filled with palm trees,…

… covered walkways of open brickwork,…

… and beautiful wrought iron grillwork.

The home was custom-designed by Anna Hyatt Huntington’s husband, Archer M. Huntington, an industrialist, philanthropist and noted authority on Spanish culture. Interestingly, it was this passion for Spanish culture that brought them together.
“After several years of casual acquaintance with Archer Huntington, she came into frequent association with him while serving on the planning committee for an exhibition of sculpture at the Hispanic Society of America, an institution that Huntington had founded. After a very brief courtship, they were married [in 1923] on their common birthdate, March 10, …. At the time of her marriage, she was forty-seven years old; her husband, fifty-three.” reports author Janis C Conner in her book Rediscoveries in American Sculpture.
Seeing the grandeur of Brookgreen Gardens, it might be tempting to assume Anna Hyatt Huntington walked into a successful artist’s career. But that’s not the case at all! By the time she married, she’d already spent 25 years developing her skills, building her career and earning a living—all despite the challenges of being a woman sculptor.
Anna Vaughn Hyatt was born in Cambridge, Massachusetts in 1876. Wikipedia says “At a time when very few women were successful artists, she had a thriving career. Hyatt Huntington exhibited often, traveled widely, received critical acclaim at home and abroad, and won multiple awards and commissions.”
Here’s a stunning example of her work from Brookgreen Gardens. This spectacular piece, called Fillies Playing, was originally cast in 1956.

Viewing this piece, it’s apparent why Anna Hyatt Huntington became “known as one of the finest American animal sculptors of the twentieth century … Her knowledge of animal anatomy, the basis for her sculpture, was the result of a keen power of observation developed through childhood field trips with her father” says the US Dept of State website.
Nearly every account I’ve read of Anna Hyatt Huntington’s life credits her father, Alpheus Hyatt, with seeding her love of animals. He was a zoologist and paleontologist with an impressive academic/scientific career. Anna Hyatt’s sculpting career began in a collaboration with her older sister Harriett. Together they created a sculpture of the family dog which they exhibited at the National Sculpture Society in New York. Two years later, Anna Hyatt was working independently, exhibiting and selling her own animal sculptures. She held her first solo exhibition including 25 sculptures at the Boston Art Club when she was only 26!
Anna Hyatt often studied the animals at the Bronx Zoo while she lived in New York. Several of her works depicting tigers, lions and jaguars were influenced by these studies. Anna Hyatt’s skillful realism was soon recognized. In 1914, the New York Tribune reported “She knows not only their forms but their movements, the way they carry their heads, the way in which their feet grip the ground. There is something immediately convincing about these creatures of hers”.
Her sculpture Brown Bears, which is exhibited at Brookgreen Gardens, is a great case in point.

At the age of 31, Anna Hyatt moved from New York to France to work and exhibit. Two years later, she began work on a large equestrian statue featuring Joan of Arc. This effort led to one of her most famous works—a monument commemorating the 500^th anniversary of Joan of Arc’s birth which is now located in New York City.
She continued to create and exhibit, winning awards and gaining recognition. When decorative outdoor sculpture started to gain popularity, Anna Hyatt shifted focus to this genre. She created another of her most famous works, Diana of the Chase, in 1922.

As described on the gallery sign at Brookgreen Gardens, “The Roman goddess of the hunt has just released her arrow as a hound leaps at her feet. Considered among Huntington’s finest works, and one of the few where the human figure is primary, Diana of the Chase was so popular Huntington eventually created a second version some twenty years later to satisfy public demand.”

Anna Hyatt Huntington was a prolific artist sculpting animal and garden sculptures well into her 90s. “She succeeded in every way against every odd,” says Art History Professor, Anne Higgonet “And that’s a lesson for women and a lesson for anyone who thinks they can’t become an artist.”

More Info

Brookgreen Gardens are located in Murrells Inlet, South Carolina, USA. You can learn more about these beautiful sculpture gardens on the Brookgreen Gardens website.
You can learn more about Atalaya and Brookgreen Gardens on the National Park Service website.
Carolina Edens, by author Cindy Spicer, is a photographic tour of gardens, arboretums and nature preserves in North and South Carolina, USA. Brookgreen Gardens are included.
Janis C Conner’s book, Rediscoveries in American Sculpture, includes a fascinating description of Anna Vaughn Hyatt Huntington’s life and career.
The Art in Embassies – US Dept of State website mentions Anna Hyatt Huntington here.
You may also enjoy these FanningSparks blog posts:
. Sculpture Parks: Crafted Art + Crafted Nature
. Sculpture for the Home Garden.

Today’s Takeaways

1. Consider the story behind a beautiful garden, park or museum.
2. A keen power of observation can lead to success in art… and life.
3. Take a minute to appreciate the hard work, determination and generosity of others.

Make Other Media Tutorials Wood

Make Your Own Tiny Door – DIY Tutorial Part 2

In my last post, I introduced the idea of making your own tiny door and shared a tutorial to create the design (Part 1 of this DIY Tutorial). In this blog post, we’ll finish the project with a tutorial to construct the actual tiny door. Get out your tweezers—we’re going to work in miniature!
Although all doors can be described as “a swinging or sliding barrier by which an entry is closed and opened”, the specifics of a door vary greatly. Doors have different sizes, materials, configurations, designs, colors and accessories. The following instructions will describe building a replica of my own front door (shown below) which has a standard-size door with an oval glass window, two sidelights with glass windows and two light fixtures. I chose not to include the porch, porch posts or railings.

It would be impossible to write instructions for all variations of doors so please adapt this tutorial to meet your specific situation.
Supplies Needed
Before selecting your materials, you’ll want to determine where your finished tiny door will be placed. If you decide to place your tiny door outside, for instance, you’ll want to select exterior grade materials and finishes.
. Photo(s): As described in Part 1 of this DIY Tutorial
. Line Drawing: As described in Part 1 of this DIY Tutorial
. Basic Shapes Diagram: As described in Part 1 of this DIY Tutorial
. TWO ⅜” thick x 5 ½” wide x 4’ long Pine Project Boards
. ⅛” thick x 3” wide x 3’ long Balsa Board
. Wood Glue
. Sandpaper in fine grit
. E6000 Glue or similar adhesive
. Sheet of Frosted Plastic (optional): Use for any window “glass”. I used a plastic divider intended to separate sections in a 3-ring binder.
. Sheet of Adhesive Vinyl (optional): Use for any designs in window glass.
. Polymer Clay: In relevant colors for any accessories such as door knobs, light fixtures, house numbers, planters, etc. I used a small amount of Premo Sculpey in black. If you’re unfamiliar with polymer clay, please reference my previous post, I Only Have Eyes For You with DIY Tutorial, for a rundown of the materials, tools and process.
. Marker: A fine tip marker with permanent black ink.
. Paint: In relevant colors. Select interior or exterior grade paint depending on where you plan to place your tiny door. Include black paint if your tiny door has any window glass.
. Wire Brads in ½“ x 19 size
. Tape: Use to paint straight edges and hold paper patterns in place. I used blue painter’s tape in two widths: 1” and ¼“.
. Paper
Equipment and Tools Needed
. Bar Clamps (optional): To glue wood boards edge-to-edge for a wider panel, if needed for your tiny door.
. Jigsaw (or saw of your choice)
. Drill with drill bit large enough for jigsaw blade
. X-Acto Knife
. Self-Healing Mat
. Ruler
. Electronic Cutting Machine (optional): To cut designs for window “glass”. I used a Cricut Explorer electronic cutting machine but you could use an X-Acto knife instead.
. Polymer Clay Tools (optional): To make accessories such as door knobs, light fixtures, house numbers and planters. I used a polymer clay slicing knife, a small ceramic tile, a round hole cutter and my Amaco polymer clay/craft oven. If you’re unfamiliar with polymer clay, please reference my previous post, I Only Have Eyes For You with DIY Tutorial, for a rundown of the materials, tools and process.
. Computer with Rapid Resizer Software (see Part 1 of this DIY Tutorial for an explanation)
. V Groove Chisel (optional): To carve design lines in the wood for siding, bricks, and other exterior wall treatments.
. Clamps: To hold glued wood parts.
. Small Hammer
. Pencil
. Scissors
. Tweezers
Instructions
Step 1 – DIY Tutorial Part 1 Please begin with Part 1 of this DIY Tutorial which explains the scale for this project. Our tiny door will be 1/12 the size of an actual door which means 1 foot equals 1 inch. My actual front door is a standard size of 80 inches high by 36 inches wide—my tiny replica is about 6⅝” high x 3” wide. Part 1 also explains how to take a photo of your door and transform that photo into a line drawing and basic shapes diagram using Rapid Resizer software.

Step 2 – Cut Wood Base This project uses multiple layers of materials to replicate the depth of the actual door and its frame. The layers are built up from the bottom to the top and include: ⅜” thick wood base layer, plastic glass in door and sidelights, ⅛” thick balsa wood door and sidelights, ⅜” thick wood top layer, and accessories. The below photo illustrates the depth and dimensionality gained from layering.
Start by preparing 2 rectangles of wood for the base and top layers. I used ⅜” thick x 5 ½” wide pine project boards. Since the overall size of my piece was to be 7.9” high x 8.7” wide, I first had to glue the 2 pieces of wood together edge to edge.

Step 3 – Cut Rectangles for Base and Top Layers Measure and mark the outside dimensions of your rectangles. Use a jigsaw (or your saw of choice) to cut out 2 identical rectangles. One of these rectangles will remain intact and serve as the base layer. The other rectangle will have windows and sidelights removed and serve as the top layer.
Step 4 – Cut Window and Sidelights into Top Layer Use your basic shapes diagram to mark the areas to be cut out for the door and sidelight frames from the top layer rectangle.

It’s helpful to start by boring holes inside the cutout areas. Then insert the jigsaw blade into these holes to carefully cut out the openings.

Step 5 – Sand Use sandpaper to sand and smooth the cut edges as needed.

Step 6 – Make Door and Sidelights Using the basic shapes diagram, prepare paper pattern pieces for the door and sidelights. Check that the paper pattern pieces slip easily inside the cutout areas of the top layer. Make any necessary adjustments. I prepared an oval for the door and 2 rectangles for the sidelight sections of my tiny door.

The door and sidelights will be made from thin balsa wood. I used a ⅛” thick x 3” wide x 3’ long board which I cut into three sections to cover the entire base layer. Use a sharp X-Acto knife with a ruler to cut the balsa wood. Take care to hide any seams under the top layer. In my case, the seams fell under the vertical bars of the door frame.

Use the paper pattern pieces to make the door and sidelights. Cut out the openings with an X-Acto knife and ruler.

At this stage, you should have prepared 3 layers: the base layer, the top layer with cutouts, and the door and sidelights (as shown below).

Step 7 – Prepare Window Glass The next step is to make the “glass” windows for the door and sidelights. I considered a number of options for this layer including glass and plastic. In the end, I settled on a thin sheet of frosted plastic. It is actually a plastic divider—the kind used to separate sections in a 3-ring binder. With a solid black surface behind it, the plastic is a reasonable imitation of the glass in our front door.

After selecting the glass for your window and sidelights, prepare to transfer any design markings using your line drawing. Our front door has a pretty diamond design in the window glass. I used a black marker in my first attempt to replicate this design element but wasn’t satisfied with the results… perhaps I should have used a marker with a finer tip.

In my second attempt, I used my Cricut electronic cutting machine to cut the design elements from adhesive vinyl. It was a considerable amount of work to build the pattern as a Cricut cutting pattern, but I’m very pleased with the results. Alternatively, you could cut adhesive vinyl with an X-Acto knife.

Step 8 – Make Accessories Elements such as door knobs, locks, light fixtures, planters and house numbers can be made in miniature from materials such as polymer clay. Premo Sculpey polymer clay was ideal for making my light fixtures. If you’re new to polymer clay, check out my previous blog post, I Only Have Eyes For You with DIY Tutorial, for a rundown of the materials, tools and process.
I cut a small piece of frosted plastic, scored it, decorated it a with marker, and folded it into a cylinder to replicate the glass on my light fixtures.

The key to making these accessories is to keep them in proportion to the rest of the piece. Use the same 12:1 scale used for the door design to calculate the size of these elements. I found it easiest to make a line drawing to the correct scale using a photo of the light fixture and the Rapid Resizer software (see Part 1 of this Tutorial for details).

I used the same approach to make a miniature door handle and lock.

Step 9 – Add Details to Top Layer Add any additional details to your top layer, door frame, door and sidelights. Our exterior house walls, for instance, are vinyl siding. I replicated the horizontal lines of the siding with a V groove chisel.

Step 10 – Paint Parts Paint the various parts of your tiny door to match your actual door. If your tiny door includes plastic glass, paint the sections behind the glass black.

Step 11 – Assemble Tiny Door As described in Step 2, this project uses multiple layers of materials to replicate the depth of the actual door and its frame. In this step, we use glue and small wire brads to attach the layers. The layers are built up from the bottom and include: ⅜” thick wood base layer, plastic glass in door and sidelights, ⅛” thick balsa wood door and sidelights, ⅜” thick wood top layer, and accessories.
Start by gluing the plastic glass to the back of the balsa wood door and sidelights.

Then glue and nail the balsa wood door and sidelights to the base layer.
Next, glue on the top layer and clamp it in place to dry.

Finally, glue polymer clay accessories, such as light fixtures, door handle and lock, into place with E6000 glue.

Voilà! Your tiny door is ready to be placed in its new home!

More Info

The first part of this tutorial, Make Your Own Tiny Door – DIY Tutorial Part 1 explains the scale for this project as well as how to create the design for your own tiny door.
Check out my previous blog post, Tiny Adventure in the Big City, to see art installations by Karen Anderson Singer, aka Tiny Doors ATL, which inspired this tiny door project.
Please pin the below image to share or save for future reference.

This tutorial references a previous post, I Only Have Eyes For You with DIY Tutorial, for a rundown of the materials, tools and process of using polymer clay.

Today’s Takeaways

1. Successful miniatures start with a good design and a specific scale.
2. A variety of materials and techniques can be used to create miniatures.
3. Making miniatures is a great creative challenge.

Expected and Unexpected Delights of Ghent

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Painting Delftware in Delft

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Milling the Water of Kinderdijk

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Come Tiptoe Through the Tulips

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Thank You Anna Hyatt Huntington

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Make Your Own Tiny Door – DIY Tutorial Part 2

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Jim Gibbs Dreams Big

Roses are Red, Violets are Rarely Blue

FanningSparks Completes 7th Lap

Frigorific and Other Cool Wintry Words

Unfolding a World of Paper Folding

Kumiko: Precision and Beauty