Andrea Mulder-Slater

by Andrea Mulder-Slater I still remember the first time I saw the Easter Bunny. Not that there was ever a second time and to be honest, it wasn’t really the Easter Bunny. It was rather a 6’2” Scotsman with a really big rabbit suit. The accent gave him away. I knew Santa Claus had a Scottish accent, but the Easter Bunny?  No, even at five – I knew better. Our next-door neighbour Philip, was a man of many talents. The most useful was his ability to transform himself into Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny and something that resembled a hedgehog in a two-piece bathing suit.  I still don't understood that holiday. Philip had a deal with the parents on our block. They would leave the doors open on the eve of every major holiday, so he could wander through the houses, nibble on cookies, drink some spiked milk and deposit an egg or two for the children. It was the 1970s . Easter is an occasion of springtime festivals involving yellow marshmallow chicks and ...

by Andrea Mulder-Slater I recently read somewhere that 1 in 11 people worldwide are active on Facebook and of these people, more than 50% log on everyday. Evidently, this translates into more than 700 billion minutes (per month) that human beings are spending on the social network. I am one of the 600 or so million users. This, quite frankly, scares me. I’ve always been somewhat of a non-conformist. As a high school kid, I styled my hair spiky, adorned myself with my father’s old suit vests and wore my jeans frayed at the bottom, so they fell just slightly above my ankles. I prided myself in looking unusual and acting dissimilar to the other kids in the playground. As a college-aged kid, I went to art school. As an adult, I am considering home schooling my daughter. Yet, here I am, swimming amongst the Hoi polloi. What happened? Truth is, I can’t remember the exact moment I joined the masses. So it is with addictions I guess. But I do know this… like a dutiful addict, I recruit...

by Andrea Mulder-Slater DAY 7 Use water as your only medium/inspiration today. Okay, so it's not rocket science but I liked looking at the beach and ocean through the glass water jar with the wiggly rim. And now... a hiatus as we hit the road for several days. Creativity will have to wait until we stand still again. See Jantje's Day 7 Project Here

by Andrea Mulder-Slater DAY 6 Make something using the first fruit(s) or vegetable(s) you see in your kitchen. Voila - Apple Cupcake! See Jantje's Day 6 Project HERE 

by: Andrea Mulder-Slater DAY 5 Work with a collection you have in your home. Make something. Since we are on vacation, we don't really have any collections here. But we do have a lot of spare change... See Jantje's Day 5 Project Here

by Andrea Mulder-Slater DAY 4 Go for a walk. At the end of your walk, create something and leave it behind for others to find. Document what you made. I made two things... The first was inspired by the inner part of a shell which reminded me of a nautilus shell (though I'm sure that's not what it was). Working with the idea of a spiral, I placed the shell in the sand and used a piece of palm frond to poke holes radiating out from the shell. At the end I wrote the words, "LIVE YOUR LIFE" The second creation was made using small shells I found on the beach. I call it, "YES, I CAN HEAR YOU" And the creativity continues... No, really. See Jantje's Day 4 Project HERE

by Andrea Mulder-Slater DAY 3 [PAPER SUNFLOWER] Create something using paper. But, don't use scissors or glue and don't draw or paint on the paper... I folded an 8-1/2" x 11" sheet of paper in half and tore uneven strips. Then I twisted and folded the paper, until it looked like a flower. In the center of the paper flower, I used crumbled bits of paper to create sunflower seeds. No, really. See Jantje's Day 3 creation here

by Andrea Mulder-Slater Lo and behold. day two is here and another work of art has been created... DAY 2 [SHELL FISH] Use your favorite animal as your inspiration today.   Not that I am a huge fan of fish (although I am partial to the greasy flavor of haddock n' fries) but I do find fish aesthetically pleasing. I'm just weird like that.  I like all the bits that make up a fish -- the fins, the tail, the gills... I could go on, but really, I shouldn't. Jantje and I were for a walk on the beach today, and she decided to make her creation of the day right there on the spot. So, of course, I followed her lead and created my "shell fish" using bits and pieces of seashells which had washed up on the shore. That's that. Bring on day three... No, really. See Jantje's Day 2 Project here

by Andrea Mulder-Slater Jantje and I have decided to get more creative. Hard to imagine that this is possible (I know) but there you have it... We are following a "plan" which will result in 365 works of art being created in a 365 day period. These works will range in size, subject, style and media. Will we succeed? Who knows. I haven't set my hopes too high since it has taken exactly 3.5 days for me to create and blog about my Day 1 project. Either way, this experiment will no doubt result in some material (fantastic or otherwise) for future blogs. DAY 1 Create something that fits in the palm of your hand using materials within your immediate enviroment. I had a small (2 1/2" x 3 1/2") watercolor trading card sized pieces of paper, some coffee, a paintbrush and some markers handy, and this is the result. Until tomorrow (or whenever Day 2 comes along...) No, really.

By Andrea Mulder-Slater My daughter has become rather proficient with the paintbrush, having created countless watercolor and acrylic masterpieces with her dad and I. So, on this day, I thought she might enjoy painting of a different kind. We had a few unfinished wooden bird feeders that we had picked up from a dollar store last summer. I asked the girl if she wanted to paint one and without hesitation (while grabbing her apron), she replied, “okay”. Garbage bag taped onto the table. Check. Plastic apron on the girl. Check. Three paintbrushes. Check, check. Warm water to rinse the brushes and paper towel to clean the inevitable. Check, check. An assortment of paints – (some acrylic, some watercolor out of a tube). Check. Empty egg carton (priceless for this kind of activity). Checkerooni. With the paints squeezed nicely into the egg cartons, we began… Turquoise, white, navy blue, ruby red red and forest green were the colors of choice and my 2 year old dove in with...

by Andrea Mulder-Slater It's New Year's Eve and I just can't help but string through a long list of resolutions in my head. It's a sickness. I don't drink or smoke -- so quitting those vices is not an option. I eat pretty well and don't pack many extra pounds -- so dieting is not on my list. I'm really very nice to most everyone I meet and I volunteer for lots of good causes -- I just can't get any better. And, I'm modest and extremely humble (to a fault). Yet, every year end, I find myself thinking the same thoughts. Next year I will [fill in the blank] and I will definitely make sure I [fill in the blank] before next new year's eve. But alas, time marches on and things happen as they happen. So, this year, instead of the usual list of unattainable goals, I have come up with a doable set of resolutions. Feel free to steal it.  If I'm happy and I know it, I will clap my hands. If I'm happy and I know it, I will clap my hands....

by Andrea Mulder-Slater In a previous post , I talked about the importance of teaching art to children (of all ages). Now, I will talk about how you (as a parent or teacher) can help the young people in your life, learn about the arts... Take Field Trips Visiting a museum or art gallery is imperative when teaching about art and art history. Looking at art in a book, magazine or on the Internet is a good start, but it just isn't the same as seeing the work up close and personal. Most museums and galleries offer tours - specifically for school-aged children, especially if there is a special exhibit on display. Contact the educational department of the museum or gallery and ask if they have any resource materials you can share with your students prior to the trip. Once there, take time to look at works of art that interest all of your students.If it is impossible for you to visit a museum or gallery, do look through art books or view works online. Encourage students to pick ...

by Andrea Mulder-Slater As one of the creators of KinderArt.com , I often receive letters from teachers who work in public school systems where the arts are not a priority. Faced with dilemmas like how to raise test scores and how to stretch budgets as far as they can go, school board officials need to make tough decisions. It is always disturbing to hear of yet another set of district policy makers doing away with arts education in the schools. Trouble is, many hold the misconception that art is a superfluous, isolated subject when, in fact, nothing could be further from the truth... Art helps children understand other subjects much more clearly - from math and science to language arts and geography. Art nurtures inventiveness as it engages children in a process that develops self esteem, self-discipline, cooperation and self-motivation. Participating in art activities helps children develop the tools necessary for understanding human experience, adapt to ...