Marjolein Bastin has a love of nature which shines through in her art. She’s a family person, with two grown children and several grandchildren. She was born in Loenen a/d Vecht, near Utrecht, The Netherlands. Though small when they moved, she can still recall the scenery of the garden, nearby fruit trees, the water, chickens and rabbits. She soon began taking home memorabilia of the beautiful things she saw outside and sketching them.

After attending the Arnhem Academy of Arts she found a job in an advertising agency. However it was her next job that would earn her a place in the memory of millions of Dutch people: she became an illustrator at the Libelle women’s magazine in 1974. She soon got her own feature there and added to that the Vera the Mouse cartoon. It was in 1992 that the Bastin’s decided to work with Hallmark to spread the art of Marjolein abroad. And boy, did it. She now sells not just in The Netherlands, Germany, UK and USA, but also as far away as Japan.

4 Puzzles: 750 pieces each

These four puzzles based on Marjolein Bastin art each contain 750 pieces. The amount of detail makes them very doable, while still hard enough to be a challenge.

View From a Sketchbook

Nature Through the Eyes of Marjolein Bastin – Marjolein Bastin art book

The art in this book shows us the wet Dutch lands, the Missouri USA prairie of her second home and the shores of Grand Cayman islands. In her conversations with Tovah Martin we get to know this elusive author and artist a bit more.

Marjolein Bastin doormat

This is the most beautiful doormat I have ever seen. I would hardly dare wipe my dirty feet on it. But I think I can risk it given that it is made with a 100% Polyester face, permanently dye printed and fade resistant, non-skid rubber backing and durable polypropylene web trim.

Check the link to see what Marjolein Bastin doormats are available. 

Nature Diary

Marjolein Bastin’s beautiful, realistic full-color nature scenes, vignettes, and still lifes decorate the months of the year in this diary. Ample space is allowed to note birthdays, anniversaries, personal notes, and remembrances for years to come. Full-color drawings throughout.

Marjolein Bastin weekly planner

The Marjolein Bastin Engagement planner is softcover with wire binding, made to fall flat in use. It is illustrated with the wonderful watercolor art she’s famous for. It has an inside pocket, monthly and weekly overview pages, an anniversary guide and of course room for addresses. Each weekly section includes an overview of the month as well. This makes for easier planning.

Any Marjolein Bastin fan will love the pages facing the weekly planner pages. The combination of nature scenes with fun and informative notes is just cute.

In this planner the monthly overview pages also contain a small Marjolein Bastin scene.

The Marjolein Bastin two year datebook is of course less luxurious, but on the other hand it’s also smaller and handier. Featuring 24 months worth of monthly calendars, Marjolein Bastin’s art is limited to the cover. A pen is included as well as extra pages for notes.

Reader contributions

I would also love to buy her T-shirts. Mine are about 17 years old an fading. Wish she would make more of them.

I have a Hallmark Marjolein Bastin address book that is wearing out and I would love to replace it. It is about 3 ” x 6″, and opens up to reveal a Note pad, a “Shops & Services” address book, and a “Friends & Family” all within.

I love her work! She captures my heart in her paintings. I had checks of her garden design and have a cookie jar of her design. would love to know if she designed wallpaper with her nature images. not border but actual rolls of wallpaper.

I am looking for a white bird house by Marjolein Bastin sold about 10 years ago at hallmark Stores. Also looking for some of the collectible items.

Marjolein Bastin: Vera the mouse

Books, Cards and Collectibles

Marjolein Bastin started painting and drawing for a national Dutch public at the popular ladies magazine ‘Libelle’. She soon got her own nature’s page: a sort of visual column where her nature paintings were combined with her own commentary. In her own lovely handwriting, I might add.

Vera the Mouse (Vera de Muis) soon joined the fray. It’s her most popular character for which a movie has been created and dozens of books, stationary, cards and all kinds of Hallmark collectibles.

The strength of the series is in the illustrations and the characters of Vera and her friends: Dolly (her doll), Saar (her dog), Bianca, Fritzy and Mr. Mole. Together they’re a view on life: what kind of concerns people have comes through. From work, cloths, food and the value of giving.

Vera in the Washtub

To my generation washtubs are the stuff of myths: I know them only from my mother’s and grandmother’s stories of their youth. Heated water was not yet available in the country, so water was heated on a stove and washing was done in the kitchen, or living room, in a tub.

Marjolein Bastin turns this experience into a children’s story with, as usual, great illustrations.

Reader contributions

She’s so cute – I bet my daughter would love these stories.

Marjolein Bastin Christmas

Ornaments and more

What is more suitable than having Marjolein help you create a Christmas atmosphere at home? Here is the The Holly Basket The Nature’s Sketchbook Marjolein Bastin 1996 Hallmark Ornament QK1094.

Find more Marjolein Bastin Christmas Ornaments here.

Marjolein Bastin in real life

Marjolein Bastin is one of the most popular folk artists right now. She’s originally from the Netherlands, so her nature pictures derive mostly from our Dutch birds and plants.

While I would consider her art to be ‘folk art’ she is a trained artist, from the Arnhem academy of arts. She combines water color with digital techniques to create not just planners, date books and calendars, but also merchandise as diverse as you can come up with.

I was visiting the ‘home farm’ my granddad grew up in the other day. It felt unreal how closely the atmosphere mirrored Marjolein Bastin’s style of art. She incorporates the prettiest of the Dutch countryside with the birds and small animals that live there.

I did not see any birds or mice – it takes some real patience and silence to spot them, generally. However, the flowers and the atmosphere was very reminiscent of Marjolein Bastin’s work. Don’t you agree?