Gijsbert van frankenhuyzen biography channel

Isle Royale Reflection

June 17

"Finally after eight days of blue skies and sunshine, a thunderstorm shook the cabin during the night.

Gijsbert van frankenhuyzen prints But when it comes to painting, van Frankenhuyzen said he prefers to keep his creations in the physical realm. These true stories, taken from their years of caring for wild animals, are filled with his beautiful illustrations. Upon graduating, he was employed as a commercial artist and photographer. Today, Robbyn visits schools, zoos and nature centers sharing with children and adults the value of journaling, the joy of storytelling and the importance of protecting our natural world.

It rained so hard, water leaked through the cabin roof It's nine o'clock and the waves on the lake must be 10 feet tall. It's cold, rainy, and very windy. I asked for it. I got it, but now I don't know if I want it The lake is very impressive now, white caps everywhere, waves crashing into rocks, places where I was standing yesterday are now under water.

I went out and did three paintings during the storm, weighing my easel down with rocks."

June 22

"I canoed to one of the small islands in Tobin Harbor to paint moose antlers.

Gijsbert van frankenhuyzen biography channel 7 It was inspired by the work of Chris Van…. Nature journaling is a part of their daily lives and an enjoyable way to document all the special animals that have been a part of their lives. It was a challenging shift. Nick travels to schools and conferences to share his passion for drawing—encouraging kids to make their hobby their career.

After about an hour of painting, with a quiet breeze blowing through the firs and loons calling in the distance, I heard a noisy munching sound and steps coming from behind. I froze and slowly turned around. Just a few yards from me a cow moose was casually plodding along, munching vegetation. My heart was pounding like crazy!

I watched her for several minutes.

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    • Then the moose looked right at me, twisting and turning her ears like an antennae. She began to stomp her foot, then quickly turned and trotted into the woods. I followed her to the edge of the trees. I could hear her, but couldn't see her anymore, the vegetation was too thick."

    June 26

    "Paintings are hanging everywhere.

    Gijsbert van frankenhuyzen biography channel 6 As stewards of this small piece of land, the van Frankenhuyzens dug ponds, planted thousands of trees and created natural prairies; thus maintaining the balance of many different eco-systems. He is also one of five illustrators for The Birds of Michigan , a large hardbound volume with text and illustrations of the birds of Michigan. The family's nature journals logged 20 years of wild life rehabilitation on the farm and it is through these journals that the popular Hazel Ridge series was created. Hazel Ridge Farm began as a sheep farm, with acres of corn, soy and hay fields.

    At the end of each day, I would take the finished canvases off the stretcher bars and tack them to the cabin wall to dry. In the evening before dark, I'd stretch the next day's canvases, brush them with a base or background paint, lay out paint tubes, and clean and sort my brushes The solitude of this place is the most appealing thing about Isle Royale.

    I have never painted uninterrupted that much in my life. It was an opportunity of a lifetime and a challenge to transfer such overpowering landscapes to canvas."

    -Gijsbert van Frankenhuyzen,

    About the Artist

    Gijsbert "Nick" van Frankenhuyzen was an Isle Royale Artist-in-Residence from June 9th to June 27th, Born in the Netherlands, he studied graphic design at the Royal Academy of the Arts in Arnhem, and immigrated to the United States in In , after 17 years as the art director for Michigan Natural Resources Magazine, he ventured out on his own as an artist working on murals throughout Michigan, including exhibits at Font Mackinac and Fort Michilimackinac.

    He has been widely published as an illustrator and his work can be found in Owls of North America, The Best of Wildlife Art I and II, and The Birds of Michigan, among other books. He also illustrated The Legend of Sleeping Bear, Michigan’s Official State Children’s book, as well as The Legend of Mackinac Island.

    He was the illustrator on Mario Cuomo’s children’s book titled The Blue Spruce.

    He started illustrating children’s books in and has done a total of 34 books.

    Gijsbert van frankenhuyzen biography channel The garden shed shown below was added in , built by Gijsbert from reclaimed materials. You have to be gusty and I got there with this book. We Love the Seasons, celebrates all that makes Michigan uniquely beautiful throughout the year. The family's nature journals logged 20 years of wild life rehabilitation on the farm and it is through these journals that the popular Hazel Ridge series was created.

    He teaches painting classes and travels to schools throughout the state. His painting of wood storks in the Leigh Yawkey Woodson Birds in Art Exhibition marked his twelfth inclusion in the international competition. He retired from book illustration in to spend more time on painting just for himself. When he is not painting, he works on his 40 acres of woods, prairies, wetlands and trails, all of which is protected by a conservation easement with the Mid – Michigan Land Conservancy.

    Learn more about Gijsbert on his personal webpage.

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