Tea in Art

by Cassandra Vincent

As I sip a ginseng infused maté I reflect on all of the tea and art I have had the privilege of encountering this week. I love encountering art that incorporates tea whether as paint or as subject. This week I discovered two wonderful pieces. The first also incorporates cats so I love it even more! It is called Teacup Ride by the artist Shanghee Shin, who has a definitive style capturing cats in very human forms of play. A colorful piece inspiring the feeling of fun as cats enjoy a teacup amusement ride while some sip from cups. As much as I appreciate the gothic and dark, I am also drawn to pieces that celebrate fanciful worlds and fun that touches the child in me and I can’t help but smile when I look at this piece. http://www.flower-pepper.com/shop/drawing/teacup-ride-by-shanghee-shin/

Teacup Ride by the artist Shanghee Shin

The second piece was a wild one to describe: monkeys having tea in the middle of a flower with a human face and mouths growing from it. Trippy! It is called High Tea and is by Edith Waddell. Check out the image – I don’t know what is in that tea but those monkeys look like they are having a serious good time. Give me some of that!
(Note: since first seeing this wonderful piece it has been sold, but by all means appreciate it and the artist anyway!)   http://www.flower-pepper.com/shop/original-art/high-tea-by-edith-waddell/

High Tea by Edith Waddell

Both of these pieces are on display at the Flower Pepper Gallery (www.flower-pepper.com)  for this month’s ‘Here Comes Summer’ show through July 5th. If you want to spice up your walls with some tea centric art joy, Shanghee’s piece may still be available. I see that Edith’s has sold.  Someone is going to have a happy wall! Shanghee also has prints available.
 
Here is one more piece from a previous show. I love the artist’s style blending the real and the imagined with touches that look luminescent. It is called The Pot Of Earl Grey by Leila Ataya. Teacup/pot and a sleeping kitty fairy with horns – I want to enter that world.
http://www.flower-pepper.com/shop/original-art/the-pot-of-earl-grey-by-leila-ataya/

Wishing you the ongoing joy of great tea and beautiful art.

All mentions are from my sincere enjoyment of them. I was not paid for this post.

The Pot Of Earl Grey by Leila Ataya