Janneke Brinkman Birthday calendar Tulips

Mooie fleurige kalender

Browsing through a bookstore during a short visit to the Netherlands ,this past May, I noticed a display of various calendars. And right in front of my eyes was a card that caught my attention immediately. It was a Geboortsdagkalender with the most beautiful coloured illustration on the cover. It was a painting of tulips by Janneke Brinkman. I took the calendar in my hand and turning the pages I found that every single month was similarly decorated both on the top and the bottom of the page by the same artist. I just knew I had to have copy. In fact I bought three copies, one for myself and one each for my two sistrs. They were both more than delighted with the gift. “Oh, you should have bought a few more copies” they both said –for gifts for other members of the family. My own copy hangs on the wall in my bedroom. Each morning when I when I get up the first thing I see is the calendar and it seems to lift my mood. The exquisite, colourful paintings seem to breathe an atmosphere of peace and joy. Janneke Brinkman is an artist of exceptional talent. Her paintings for the Gebootsdagkalender are a thing of beauty. I wish I could have met her to thank her for sharing her gift in such a beautiful yet simple way.