'Drawn to Birds': Holland art teacher publishing nature-based watercolor book

HOLLAND — When West Michigan native Jenny deFouw Geuder was a first grader, she wrote on a school assignment that she wanted to be an illustrator when she grew up. 

Decades later and 16 years as Holland Christian Middle School’s art teacher under her belt, Geuder is about to make that dream a reality. 

At the end of this month, Geuder’s first book, “Drawn to Birds: A Naturalist’s Sketchbook” will hit the shelves. Geuder wrote and illustrated the book, which features her watercolor paintings of birds, butterflies, flowers and other wildlife — all of which are native to Michigan.  

The book features information on identifying birds from robins to falcons, along with tips on pollinator-friendly gardening and drawing the natural world.  

"My mother was an art teacher, and my father went to Michigan State for horticulture,” Geuder told The Sentinel. “It’s always been a natural thing to be outdoors."

While Geuder really considers herself an oil painter, she switched to watercolor painting once her children were born.

“I didn’t like watercolor when I was in school,” she said. “And then I had kids, so I had 20 minutes in between naps to paint and I got into watercolor because it was much faster.”  

On average, Geuder said she spent two to three weeks illustrating each page of “Drawn to Birds” over the last two years.  

For months, Geuder quietly painted stacks of birds she saw outside her home, thinking it would be a good way to hone her watercolor skills and marry her love of bird-watching with her artistic talents. Then, she realized her paintings could become the basis for a sketchbook-like guide for fellow birdwatchers.  

After striking out at a few Michigan-based publishers, Geuder found a home for her book with AdventureKEEN Publications in Minnesota.  

“I almost gave up on it about three times,” Geuder said. “It took me about a month to get the cover letter and everything all together and submit it. I heard back the next day and I literally screamed.” 

At the suggestion of her publisher and editor, Geuder expanded her illustrations to include insects, butterflies, native plants and gardening tips. The book also includes instructions on becoming a naturalist, diagrams of bird anatomy and how-to guides on drawing and painting wildlife.  

“A science teacher at school, Michelle Styf, is my very good friend and I would ask her if plants were invasive, so to bounce ideas off her was wonderful,” Geuder said of the process.  

The official launch party for “Drawn to Birds” will be held from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Saturday, April 30, at Readers World, 194 S. River Ave. in Holland. Geuder will be painting live at the book release, as well as signing copies of her book.

Geuder said she can’t wait to see her book on the shelves of bookstores and is especially excited Frederik Meijer Gardens has agreed to sell her book at its store.

“I’ll be incredibly unchill about this whole thing,” she said. “I can’t wait to sign the books and put them back on the shelf. It’s going to be surreal.”  

Throughout the process of writing and illustrating her book, Geuder has shared her work with her students at Holland Christian.  

“I tell my students everything about it,” she said. “This is a huge thing I’m crossing off my bucket list and I want them to know you can achieve some of those things.”  

That sense of inspiration is something Geuder hopes she can also pass along to the readers of “Drawn to Birds.”  

“I want readers to see birds in a different way,” she said. “That this may just be a backyard bird, but it’s beautiful. I want them to be inspired to maybe try drawing that first robin that shows up in your yard. Even if it’s not birds for you, be inspired.”  

“Drawn to Birds: A Naturalist’s Sketchbook” is 144 pages long and will be available for $29.95. It features over 100 watercolor paintings and extra pages for journaling and sketching. Geuder lives in Hamilton with her husband Mark and their sons Evan, 7, and Henry, 4. She holds a master’s degree in art education from Calvin University. 

— Contact editor Audra Gamble at audra.gamble@hollandsentinel.com. Follow her on Twitter @Audra_Gamble.