Winter by the sea

by Andrea Mulder-Slater

There's something truly mystical about winter by the sea. Whether watching the sun rise or set, or wandering along the seashore, the colours in winter range from vibrant to pastel as familiar scenes go through constant change.  Wind, rain, snow, sleet, ice and sunshine take turns working their magic on the land and sea - like paintbrushes on a canvas.

Here are a few photographs of the winter scenery outside the studio...

 

Nature Walk: The Beach in December

by Andrea Mulder-Slater

This morning, the tide was low and the air was mild and still. It was the perfect time of day for Jantje, the littlest one and I to get outside and collect driftwood for Jantje's sculptures.

Of course, we also picked up a few rocks and seashells along the way as we searched for signs of life at the water's edge.

There's something special about the seashore in late fall. The trees are gray and the seagrass is brown, yet bits of crimson and emerald stand out amongst the neutral colours.

And although we know the snow and ice - not long away - will soon turn the colours to white, we will still wander near the sea and hear the lapping of the waves, because the ocean will never freeze...

Visiting The Netherlands, Public Art

by Andrea Mulder-Slater

We are on a trip to Holland to visit family, explore small towns and visit museums and art galleries.

We've been here for just over a week, and now (as with previous visits to this country), we are struck by the absolute abundance of public art.

Whether walking through a community, driving on a roadway or passing through a park, art - mostly sculpture - can be found at almost every turn. Some pieces are controversial, others are widely loved. But whatever your opinion, there's no denying that in The Netherlands, art is not an afterthought, it is simply part of everyday life.

Below is a compilation of snapshots of public art we've seen while traveling in and around Harderwijk, Zeewolde, Swifterbant and Biddinghuizen.

More to come...

What the tide brought in...

by Andrea Mulder-Slater

A lot of items wash up on our beach --- bottles, nets, aquaculture pipe and buoys, to name a few. But not so long ago, we started to see some large chunks of driftwood that looked to be broken bits of weir posts, or perhaps logs from a pulp mill.

Whatever they were, once Jantje set her eyes on them, all she could see was critters - bright, folk art creatures just waiting to come alive.

And so began a process of dragging the posts up the hill (thanks Geoff!), drying them out, carving them with chainsaws, adding bits of metal and cork and finally... paint.

Here's the journey from beach, to studio to Kingsbrae Garden (where these friendly fellows will be living until the fall).

Beach walk: collecting driftwood

by Andrea Mulder-Slater


Jantje's sculptures require a LOT of driftwood and her stockpile has been getting kind of low. So... she, the littlest one and I went for a walk to the beach to see what the waves had carried in. Once we filled our bags, we took the opportunity to wander towards the water's edge to see what treasures were lurking in the tidal pools. It's always a great day when we can walk at the beach.