(WINNER OF CONTEST ANNOUNCED BELOW!)
I’m
a big drinker…of tea, that is! Hot, cold, all seasons. I like the big,
family-size bags for making iced tea, and they are perfect for this project.
I
let the used bags dry, and then I carefully take them apart. You can either
discard the leaves or use them as texture by mixing them with gel medium.
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| Not a lovely photo, but you get the idea! |
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| Browns, golds, and greens are my color scheme. |
The
photo at right shows the first layers in my collage. The motif is that of trees and nature.
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| It's still not finished! |
Then
I adhered pieces of dry teabag paper with fluid acrylic medium. Note that the papers are quite transparent and yet they achieve some veiling and unifying, an effect I was after.
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| Finished mixed-media piece by P.Guhin |
I also included die cut letters and stenciled in the number 3. I did a little scribbling to enliven
the surface in a few places.
Last week's giveaway was won by my follower, Gigi, whose name was chosen in a fair and random drawing. My thanks to the others who participated, and please, stay with me! Gigi, kindly message me privately with your mailing address to receive your prize!
Paula, your tea bag collage is lovely! It's beautifully composed and conveys a deep appreciation for nature.
ReplyDeleteI've been collecting tea bags since December to use in my collages. I ordered a Stash tea sampler with 15 different flavors of tea, each of which produces a unique looking paper. As soon as I get enough of them saved I'll be using them in a large collage. The fun part is drinking the tea, knowing the tea bags are going to be used in a positive way rather than ending up in a landfill. I don't use the dried tea leaves for collage texture, instead I use them in my garden to improve the soil and fertilize the plants. All in all, that's getting lots of mileage from a simple little tea bag!
Lynn, you are a wonderful keeper of the earth. I only wish more people were as green as you!
DeleteThanks for the compliment, Paula. But I have to credit my great-grandmother for the idea of using tea leaves and coffee grounds in the garden. She never used chemical fertilizers on her plants -- tea leaves and coffee grounds only. Her flowers were glorious!
ReplyDeleteLove it.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Claudia, and I got a kick out of the old bags reference! Wish I would have thought of it myself!
ReplyDeleteI love how geometric this collage is and anything to do with trees is wonderful to me! A number of years ago I bought some really large unused teabags online and have used them in various projects. They were about 3"x5" or close. Fun to work with! Since they were unused they took all kinds of color well - brights and everything which is what I really liked about them. Now I want to go see if I have any left :)
ReplyDeleteShauna, please make something fantastic with them and then send me a photo or three! Love your enthusiasm.
DeleteHi Paula: I sent you my mailing address via Google+ as well as on your FB page under Messages "Other". I don't know how to private message you from this page. :-(
ReplyDeleteLove your art and your mantras. I have just started using teabags in the artwork I am creating. So far I have completed 3 pieces and will be giving a class to a couple of friends next month. Your work inspires me.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful. I, too have been creating some teabag art. I have combined it with slow stitching. I lose all track of time when I am involved in my art. So glad God gifted me with a creative brain.
ReplyDelete