Vier kinderen rondom een kerstboom c. 1928 - 1941

Miep de Feijter created this drawing of four children around a Christmas tree with ink and watercolor. Look at the way the composition is built up from so many tiny marks, almost like musical notes on a page. It has a wonderful sense of rhythm, doesn’t it? There’s something so intimate about the handmade quality of this piece. Notice how the wash of color seems to barely graze the surface of the paper. The marks are thin in some places, and in others, they swell and become darker, gathering in the corners of the tree branches. The whole scene is brought to life through these subtle variations in tone, creating a sense of movement and energy. For me, de Feijter's work brings to mind the art of illustrators like Quentin Blake, where it’s all about capturing a feeling or a mood through simple, gestural lines. It reminds me that art isn't about perfection but more about the beauty of imperfection.