Tea on Thursday 23

stash of  tea bags-   drying 

Tea bags are now firmly established as one of my favourite materials to work with. In the past, they have appeared as small embroideries, collaged materials, and even used in art dolls' clothing,
In the last few weeks, I have been very privileged to take classes with  amazing talented artists.
At the Contemporary Craft Retreat earlier in the month , I participated in Susie McMahon's  "Expressive Bust" . Susie taught us some wonderful techniques and I  thoroughly enjoyed the workshop and the process of creating a small sculpture . It was a happy accident that I had included a few tea bags in my workshop box.  The timber base looked ok, but it just looked better with a few tea bags applied to create a more aged look. Susie discussed the need to try to connect the elements, so they appear to be part of a whole, rather than disparate additions. I think the applied tea bags helped to achieve the integrated look.

I called this "Sunflowers on the Inside" 

 Last weekend and Monday, it was a great privilege to attend a workshop with Dutch artist, Els van Baarle. The workshop was entitled "Walking the Creative Path' and it was a journey in manipulating wax, dye and print.  It was fun to create so many different pieces of  surface decorated cloth and paper - layer upon layer. One of the special touches that Els did was to present us each with a small memory book at the beginning of the workshop, and we were to have it completed by Monday, filling it with samples of the work we did in the workshop. The cover of my book is a small piece of waxed rayon, with a printed tea bag applied with a rubber stamp over the top.  This little book  is based on the poem,
Slowly I close the chamber door 
Alone I sit and wait 
You did not come 
Disappointed, I drink solitary tea.

Workshop Memory book cover

Memory book - samples of workshop techniques. 

There are also other benefits to using tea in art works ....  One just has to drink it ...

 There are few hours in life more agreeable than the hour dedicated to the ceremony known as afternoon tea.

My most recent find in the local supermarket - tea in silk bags and lovely tea, too.