Floating in Tea

The tea theme rages on! This past week I'll been drying and taking apart used tea bags to reclaim the wonderfully stained paper that the tea leaves create. I find them quite beautiful and varied, depending on the tea type and brand. "Accidents" in the drying process (sunshine, low oven setting "baking") encourage a more refined and experimental approach to how long I brew the bag and what position I lay it in for drying.

Then the collaging process begins, which is where the pure enjoyment of creating really kicks in. I've done several pieces on canvas and look forward to trying some different ways of construction. Here are some of the early pieces:








Now I need to start hosting some massive tea parties! It seems a shame to be pouring perfectly good tea down the drain.