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Thursday, January 6, 2011

The Art of Tea

Welcome. I am so glad that you stopped by. My garden gate is always open for you to come in and sit and relax with a cup of hot tea while I share with you the inspirations behind my art. The rain has stopped in Southern California and the sun is peeking through the clouds - in spite of very cold nights a few Inpatients are still blooming - they are getting "leggy" and I really need to trim them back so they will come back in the Spring. I thought it would be fun to post about the "Art of Tea" since so many of my still life paintings have tea sets as subjects and since tea is such an important part of my life and my families life.



Bentley, my Studio Assistant , is in the garden checking on the tea table set up just for you. `


The Art of Taking Tea

Tea just for me - Whether enjoying tea at a tea party or savored alone in the garden, taking time to prepare a cup of tea never fails to provide a few moments of peace and calm. My Mother's family came to this country from Ireland and I grew up in a family where making a cup of tea was a special time of day - a whistling tea kettle in a warm and loving kitchen is one of my special childhood memories. My favorite Christmas gift this year was the blue enamel Le Creuset whistling tea kettle my son gave me.


"Tea for one"



Tea for two in the garden - a pretty cloth on the tray and a vintage table cloth add a touch of elegance.

"Tea for Two"






Tea for three served on a vintage table napkin and a whimsical polka dot tea service make for a fun afternoon tea served in the living room on a cold and rainy day.

"Tea for Three"







A tea party for family and friends does not have to be formal - serving tea on an old vintage table cloth creates a more relaxed and informal setting for an inpromptu tea party.

TEA TIP - My Grandmother always taught us to brew the perfect pot of tea -first empty the tea kettle and refill it with fresh water - while the tea kettle is boiling pour hot water into the teapot to warm it.



" Inpromptu Tea Party"



I bought a bouquet of yellow roses from the grocery store to use for a set up for a painting. I added a few red silk roses as the store did not have any. I like to buy roses that are already open to paint and sometimes the grocery florist saves me older roses that are open to far to sell - they are usually marked down to just a few dollars.

The roses and tea sets were inspirations for a tea painting

Finding inspiration . . . . .Here . . . . There . . . .




" He hath made everything beautiful in His time" Ecclesiastes 3:41



Everywhere . . . .




The Art of Tea






Thank you for stopping by. I love hearing from you and sincerely appreciate your visits, comments and those of you who follow my blog. Please let me know if you have any questions or would like to see me paint something special.

Have a lovely week. Blessings, Erin

9 comments:

My Grama's Soul said...

Beautiful painting Erin.....taking tea is such a civil thing to do in today's trying world....don't you think??

Xo

Jo

marĂ­a cecilia said...

Hola, so much beauty and talent here!! Your paintings are soooo delightful!!!!
hugs from Chile
maria cecilia

Miriam said...

Veeeeeeeeeeeery nice paintings...but...can I have a cup of tea with you???

Miriam

Lady Jane said...

Yes, He hath made everything beautiful... Especially your imagination. You are so creative, I enjoy my visits so much. I love the blue tea service and your flair for painting.

Ruth Welter said...

Hi Erin, Love the paintings and yes, tea is perfect, my favorite beverage for sure. Even in the hottest months here, I prefer hot tea to cold and I do drink it all year long.

Ruth

Penny from Enjoying The Simple Things said...

What lovely tea settings Erin. Your painting is beautiful. I agree with you on your comment, that colorful paintings in my laundry room would be best....
Hugs,
PEnny

Donna said...

Your painting is beautiful, Erin! And your tea settings are just lovely.

Hugs,
Donna

Vicki Boster said...

Erin - No one does color like YOU!my friend. Your tea set vignettes are lovely and of course I can see that they provide such a wonderful inspiration for your paintings. The roses are absolutely beautiful - you can make the most amazing collections and then capture them forever in your beautiful paintings.

Hugs to that Bentley boy!

Thank you for the beautiful card~~
xoxo Vicki

Wendy@Once upon a rose haven said...

Hello Erin, It is nice to meet you.
Beautiful post, Teapots, roses... I love it!!! I invite you to visit my blog for more TEAPOTS...

Hugs & Blessings ~Wendy