Monday 5 March 2018

Time for Tea!


I love tea. Of course I do, I'm English! But I also love tea bags and have been pondering painting on them for a while. I have seen it around and been very inspired by what Ive seen so I wanted to have a go. 

I wasn't sure how to go about it so I asked for some advice on facebook, and I got lots of lovely useful tips and links. (I know facebook has its negative side but it is also a fabulous resource). So first of all I drank some tea (like I need an excuse, right?) And then I dried the teabag(s) over the radiator till they were completely dry. One the leaves are dry they are very easy to tip out of a small slit in the bag and then you are left with a lovely tea-stained mini canvas to paint on.

I decided to add a small amount of gesso:

And then, because I didn't want solid blocky areas of paint, I used my DecoArt fluid acrylics and watered them down to add as a wash, in Quinacridone Gold and Quinacridone red.


And then the fun really starts ... adding collage elements and buttons. Here they are as works in progress:


I had a go at adding a mini portrait but it is hard! Those eyes are a bit fiddly on this scale. I haven't got them quite right but I'll have another go. I'll just have to drink more tea ;-)


So here they are in close up (don't look TOO close though!), and they probably appear bigger on the screen than they are in real life.

Words from 'All the Gals' by Dina Wakley

House on a downloadable collage sheet by me!


And I put this one in a little tiny box frame. I think it looks so cute in a frame!


Bye for now. I'm off to drink more tea!





16 comments:

  1. Wow Kate!!! I might have expected that your first tea bag art efforts would turn out just as wonderful as the rest of your art. You are definitely one very brilliant artist!!! Thanks for the inspiration, I'm still yet to have a try! Stef x

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  2. Love these Kate! Might have to give it a go xx

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  3. Kate, you excel as usual. What an inspiration to us all. Such a terrific teacher....see you Friday. Love Beverly

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  4. These are wonderful! I love them all. I just emptied 4 teabags yesterday and now you have inspired me to play. Thanks, Kate!

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  5. Gorgous! Makes me want to play with them again, ut I have an essay to write lol

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  6. Too cute!! I've been saving tea bags (the small round ones) but only to die other stuff. This is a much better idea. Although,knowing me, I'll probably rip tea bags. Yours are wonderfully creative😉

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  7. Love this artwork. Brilliant.

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  8. Love these tiny tea bags!! I haven't tried any yet and you have inspired me to do so. :) They are all my favourites.

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  9. Great mini-art canvasses Kate, never painted on a tea-bag but they do look fab ! Thanks for the ideas !

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  10. Wow, these are great. So fun and colorful. I have been saving teabags for some time now so I need to give it a try. Love all of your art.

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  11. Totally in love with this tea bags. It give me inspiration.
    Xx Chantal

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  12. Ha ha! Brilliant as usual. Superb little works of art.

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  13. I'm so inspired by these! They all look wonderful!

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