This is a special little teacup my brother gave me awhile ago. I always had intentions of using it as subject matter and finally got around to painting it. I was drawn to its cheerful motifs and funnel shape.
It evokes an emotional response as I recall soothing cups of tea in relaxation or social events. The kettle boils frequently at our house as we prepare our ritualistic tea! It is a common thread that brings people together over conversation or to just sit quietly in thought.
Even when I go out en plein air, I always take my thermos of tea. After I finish painting I sit back with my cup of tea and begin writing my reflection that accompanies my work. The tea cup I take is often one that has special meaning for me and I call it my location cup. It is a personal time I relish and while there I often gain insights to life’s ever changing journey.
There is much history that surrounds the making of tea. Did you know tea was discovered accidentally in 2737BC by Chinese Emperor Shen Nung? He discovered tea leaves that had fallen in a pot of boiling water presented a pleasing aroma. Hence, the beginning of brewed tea!
Are you a tea drinker? Does tea drinking evoke any memories or emotional responses in you? I would love to hear your stories!
Tea is steeping; off to have a cuppa!
P.S. You can find more tea facts at: http://www.crazyfortea.com/strangeteafacts.html
6 Comments
Wonderful and charming. I know just how you feel about certain tea cups…they can make you smile all over!
Great little painting!
~Melody
Thanks for your kind words Melody! That is so true. Some cups just seem to make the tea that much more enjoyable. I love china cups. My tea always seems to stay hotter in them. Cheers to a cuppa!
This is beautiful!! And I love the info on the tea…
After our Tweets – I am amused to find a butterfly on the teacup… I was meant to see this post today!
Thanks so much Michelle!The synchronicity of you seeing the butterfly today, us tweeting about it and then for you to see the butterfly on my teacup was just so cool. It really shows how we are all interrelated in ways unknown to us. I love butterflies and their expression of freedom. Hope we see lots more soon as that will mean summer is here!:D
Hey Debbie, I am blown away by your work! As a Cape Bretoner, I think tea is a sacred brew! This painting makes me miss being home and having tea in my mother’s kitchen. Also, it is high time you and I got together again for a cuppa, don’t you think? Darlene
What a wonderful surprise Darlene! So great to hear from you! I am really glad this post resonated with you. If you are a tea drinker there is a sense of home and community that often accompanies that little cup of hot brew. Yes, we will definitely have to get together for a cuppa for sure! We’ll talk soon.
Love Deb