Andrea Mulder-Slater

by Andrea Mulder-Slater We had just picked up a "new puppy pack" from our veterinarian. Included was a chew toy, some flea medication, dog treats and a tiny sample bag of dog food. Anytime I am presented with a container - the contents of which cannot be seen - I must open it.  And so, I did. Inside the little foil bag was a handful of teeny dog food pieces, just the right size for a little puppy mouth. I grabbed a scoop to gave Max (the Westie/Papillon cross) a taste. He sniffed and then laid his head back down on my lap. We were in the car - Jan was driving and Max and I were passengers, as was the toddler  who sat, cheerfully singing, in the backseat. Heading home, I swallowed another mouthful of my ever present coffee. Several kilometers later, I was tilting my head back, sucking back the last of my drink when something hit my lip. My stomach did a flip as my brain began working overtime.  What was in that cup? Did someone from th...

by Andrea Mulder-Slater Anyone who knows me knows how much I love coffee. In fact, I love it so much I once ended up with a holter monitor strapped to my body for several days to find out the source of my "heart problems." My symptoms were frightening -  and entirely preventable. I had palpitations, a buzzy vibrating feeling in my arms, full body jitters and an impending sense of doom. "You really should cut down on the coffee," was the medical advice I received. My doctor was right. Fortunately, I became pregnant not much later and my coffee addiction was brought under control as I made a pact with myself not to imbibe any caffeine while with child. That's when my coffee painting really gained momentum. I had already been painting with coffee, literally, for a number of years but as I weaned myself off the stuff, I started not only painting with coffee, but also painting images of coffee. I also painted pictures of sweet, gooey cupcakes - b...

by Andrea Mulder-Slater Just found out... one of my abstracts was featured in Kelly Market ! Have a look here: http://www.kellymarket.com/2011/06/must-haves.html So excited!  No, really.

by Andrea Mulder-Slater Well this is neat... My artwork was featured in the Zuniga Interiors blog. Zuniga is an Interior Design Studio located in Southern California. Have a peek: ZUNIGA INTERIORS: Summer {Colours} No, really.

by Andrea Mulder-Slater My daughter loves ice cream. Unfortunately, ice cream does not feel the same way about her. When she was a baby, we were told (based on some recurring symptoms) my girl likely had a milk protein allergy. This is different from being lactose intolerant. Folks who have a lactose issue can still eat  lactose-free milk products (including some aged hard cheese, yogurt that's been fermented for 24hrs, etc.) but those with a protein issue have an allergic reaction when they ingest milk products (lactose-free or not). This is something that she may outgrow. This is likely, considering she can now eat small amounts of cheese, yogurt and even gulps of milk, with no trouble. However, there is a threshold - and when she crosses it - whammo... hives. Back to the ice cream. Her first big taste was this summer, in the form of a scoop of vanilla on a cone. I had grown complacent and really I should have known better than to give her such a bi...

by Andrea Mulder-Slater I've loved etsy since I first discovered it a number of years ago. The concept of an online marketplace for people who made things by hand, really appealed to me.  I joined the site when I was pregnant, back in 2008. Shortly after, I set up an online shop for our studio . That was when I thought I'd have some time to sit back, relax and build up a decent site (you know, while the baby slept). Reality struck when the girl was born and I really didn't have much time to do much of anything - let alone create an online etsy empire. However -  recently, I've made a concerted effort to go "back to school" and learn all that I can about etsy. And I am having a lot of fun with it - especially since I just had one of my items featured on an etsy Treasury list (this is a good thing - I've come to discover). I'm sharing with you now, photos of some of the products I've been adding to etsy. They are (of course) inspired by ...

Life is a whirlwind at the moment and between the sale of our house, the epic move, family visits and art show openings, I haven't had many days available for painting. However, I have been working on a new series of abstracts when time allows and I'm really excited to share them with you. These new pieces range in size from 4" x 4" to 12" x 12" and - as with all my abstracts - they are inspired by the land and sea. Hope you like them! ~Andrea

by: Andrea Mulder-Slater A bunch of years ago, I contributed to a book called GirlWise: How to Be Confident, Capable, Cool, and in Control.  My chapter was all about how to appreciate art, without looking like a fool. I was feeling rather nostalgic this evening and so thought I would post that bit of writing here.  Enjoy! In order to appreciate art, you don't need a degree in the stuff. All you need are your eyes - and some time. Really. In fact, you don't even have to like what you see. The more time you spend looking at art, the more you will notice. It’s really just that simple. Looking at art is no different than listening to music, reading a book, going to a movie, or even eating - the more you involve yourself in any of these activities, the more you will "pick up". Sometimes, what you "pick up", isn't pretty. When looking at art, accept the fact your gut can tell you a lot about what you are looking at. If a painting, drawing...

by Andrea Mulder-Slater Desperate times call for desperate measures. Our house sold, five days after it went up for sale, and the closing date is closing in on us. T minus twenty-two days. The studio is open for the season, websites need to be coddled and my daughter has developed a mystery rash (could it be hives, maybe eczema? what the hell is that above her ear?) The cause of  the itchy mess remains unknown, although we have narrowed it down to a number of culprits including but not limited to: dogs, eggs, cheese, strawberries, oranges, air and my anxiety levels. So, I have made a decision. I need a personal assistant. Soon. Very soon. Trouble is, no one is responding to my personal ad. Perhaps it needs a little work... Wanted: Personal Assistant Successful applicant must be able to: Do all my work (if at all possible, better than me). Screen all my telephone calls. Organize my life (preferably using IKEA shelving units an...

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