Tagged: animals

Stone sculpture of a lion on Delft Gate in Rotterdam

4. October 2024

Bronze and Stone Animals in Rotterdam

The animal kingdom has always been a source of inspiration for art. Anyone who looks around in a city like Rotterdam will see countless animals immortalized in statues, reliefs, and murals. World Animal Day, October 4th, is a good time to take a little tour of these beastly artworks. A photo blog with the theme: Rotterdam’s animals made of bronze and stone. And paint and other materials, but that would make the titlea bit long. Delft Lion Perhaps lions are the most frequently portrayed animals in art, so you can regularly encounter them in Rotterdam. And that’s remarkable when you… Read More

Close-up of a bee hovering near a purple phacelia flower on a balcony in Rotterdam, Holland

Various

19. July 2019

Bee Bistro in Downtown Rotterdam

We have to support the bees, because these are hard times for them. Whatever the reasons are, it’s a fact that their numbers are decreasing; some species are threatened with extinction or are already extinct. And that’s not only sad for the bees, it has the potential to turn out pretty sad for ourselves too, since many crops need bees for pollination. Hotels Fortunately, in recent times bees can count on a lot of support. Bee hotels are popping up everywhere: structures with a lot of wood, reeds and other natural materials in which the little creatures can make their… Read More

A world map like a dolphin would make it: a network of oceans en seas with some terra incognita in between

Cartography

23. August 2018

A Dolphin’s World Map

Once again I have tried to imagine the point of view of one of the other species we humans share this planet with. After the penguins and the moles this time it’s the turn of the dolphins. How does a dolphin mapmaker see the world? Sympathetic and intelligent Dolphins are known as friendly animals. Are they really as sympathetic as they look or are we somewhat misled because their mouths are permanently in the smiley position? I would not dare to make any firm statements about that. Dolphins are also known as intelligent beings. But how intelligent are they exactly?… Read More

A mole's world view: a world map seen from below, mirrored, made in digital bronze

Cartography

26. July 2017

A Mole’s View: a Mirrored World Map in Digital Bronze

A few months ago I published a world map based on the perception of a penguin. A polar projection with Antarctica in the middle and the other continents grouped around it, some of them severely distorted. I do not intend to make a tour of the entire animal kingdom, but there was another species that asked for a cartographic interpretation: the mole. Talpa The mole (Talpa europaea) is a small subterraneously living mammal of the family of Talpidae. So now we know where media tycoon John de Mol, creator of The Voice, got the name for his company Talpa (you… Read More

A world map according to the Antarctic or Penguin projection, with the southpole in the middle and increasingly dramatic distortions towards the north

Cartography

11. April 2017

The Antarctic Projection: a Penguin’s World Map

For us humans, a world map centered around the South Pole doesn’t make much sense. But for a penguin cartographer, such an Antarctic projection is the only way to go. It shows how much a world map tells about the person who has made it, or about the market it is made for. Europe in the middle Here in Europe, we think it’s only logical to place the edge of the map in the Bering Strait and the Pacific. After all, there is almost nobody living there and besides: this way we put ourselves nicely in the middle. The Amero-centric… Read More

A white kitten with blue eyes is looking at the camera with a look that seems to balance between curiosity and uncertainty

Photography

10. January 2016

Cat Photography: Capturing Cuteness

Cat photography is not an official activity of 3Develop (to avoid the word core business for a change). But always when I see such a cocky creature I tend to quickly grab my camera. In that sense I step in the footsteps of my father (Willem Blok, 1921-2006) for whom cats, and animals in general, were also a favorite photo subject. And as we all know cats rule the Internet, so I decided to write a blog post about photographing cats. With useful tips which, by the way, also apply to photographing small children. Camera settings Nikon has already given thought to the correct settings. On my… Read More

Van Kregtentunnel in Wierden, with on the walls tiling based on paintings by Fedor van Kregten, seen from the north

Photography / Various

20. July 2015

Cow Tunnel in Wierden Still Free of Graffiti

Two and a half years after the opening of the Van Kregtentunnel I went back to take a look at the project. The underpass, close to the station in Wierden, was still in good shape. Tunnels like this usually get covered with tags, pieces and other graffiti fairly quickly after opening. But in this case there’s no trace of that. Respect It could be that the municipality of Wierden has a very strict cleaning policy regarding this underpass. But it’s more likely that the graffitists have respect for the work of another artist. Master of the Beasts That other artist… Read More