Marjolein Bastin, whose earliest memories involve lying in the grass near her family home in The Netherlands, developed a deep connection with nature that would define her artistic career. As a child, she collected natural treasures and began capturing their beauty through art, later formalizing her training at the Academy of Arts in Arnhem. Her career took off when she was asked to illustrate for the Dutch women's weekly Libelle, and her work has since gained worldwide recognition through her partnership with Hallmark and numerous product lines featuring her nature illustrations. Bastin, who writes and illustrates children's books starring her character Vera the Mouse, works diligently from her various homes in Holland, Switzerland, Missouri, and the Cayman Islands, each providing unique natural inspiration. Through her detailed snapshots of nature—sometimes accompanied by personal observations or showing nature touched by human hands—she encourages others to pause and find healing in the natural world, continuing a passion that began when her mother first placed her "into the hands of nature" and inadvertently placed "nature into the hands of Marjolein."