Edible Flowers Make Lovely Tea

I am stuck in a dilemma--garden or studio? Planting or painting? Oh, and I could use a cup of tea!

Well, who says you can't do it all?

I ended up racing the late afternoon light, so I'll stop for now. I decided to keep the teapot lighter than the actual subject. It just seems to suit the floral mood.

There's an additional photo of the subject with preliminary pencil sketch on my IG at michelecooperart

Boston Cream Pie for Dessert

Thanks for joining me for a Coffee Break Sketch at noon today on Periscope.tv/michelecoopart 

It was lovely, chatting, sketching and visiting with people from all over the world today.

I always have the goal to take only 15 or 20 minutes for these quick sketches, but the conversation is so interesting that I end up slowing down. :) Still, if I missed any of your questions or comments, you can ask me here or on Instagram

See any broadcasts you may have missed on Katch.me/michelecoopart

Sipping Tea by North Light

It was a dark and stormy day......

I wanted to sketch by natural north light, so I took advantage of my remedy for a gloomy afternoon; tea and cookies! After I had heated the water, brewed the tea and had taken a few sips, and ripped the red strip off the package of cookies, I realized that it was already 3:45 and the light was going fast.

So I grabbed my Lamy pen and waterbrush and got to work. No time for a bite of gingerbread cookies just yet!

4:28 pm-These cookies are yummy and the tea is still piping hot. Sip, sip, Ahhh!

4:28 pm.-Sipping tea by north light

Tea-dious

Since I missed out on sketching with the Anacortes sketchers today, I thought I would finish up a sketch from a previous meet up with them. It's one of my longest procrastinations ever! May 18, to be exact!

The occasion was one of my favorites: we met at Aleli's house for sketching and a fabulous tea party. She made lovely tea sandwiches, with the crusts trimmed and everything. We had flower tea, wine, all sorts of treats, and then she said we could take home the cup that we sketched.

Which one would you have chosen?

While sipping, munching and listening to half a dozen conversations, I had been languishing with my pen, sketching the cover of a book about tea by Mary Engelbreit (of "Life is Just a Chair of Bowlies" fame). I dropped THAT project like a hot scone when I realized I didn't even have a sketch of my favorite teacup! I quickly got enough of a sketch done to qualify for the prize of taking my cup home. Whew! But I barely had any color on sketches of anything else except for the sandwiches and three grapes.

I finally finished the color on this one today!

So that's where the "tea-dious" bit comes in. Mary E., I love your work and respect your talent, but all those tiny details, dits, dots, cups, flowers and bees everywhere! That cover for your book about tea must have taken ages! It certainly did for me! And I fudged a bit.....no need to worry about copyright infringement here!

PS Sorry I missed today, sketchers. As you see, I was with you in spirit!

Tea and sketching

Having flower tea and sketching with my 5 year old and 1 year old granddaughters.  Obviously, my sketch is nowhere near as comprehensive of the experience as Leila's. 

Leila's sketch with self portrait. 

Tea

Gaze into the chocolate . . . Chocolaaaaaaaate

How's everything going so far? I come from a large family of eight, so when everyone comes over and the house is full of conversation, food and hugs it all feels perfectly right.  My husband has one older sibling and hasn't quite mastered the art of hopping in and out of multiple conversations...or tuning it all out for a little "me space".  Either way, I've set up a quiet spot in the studio where you and my fluffy little buddy can sip a cup of tea, gaze out the window and let the chocolate do it's thing. 

Don't you just love my tea cosy? Quinn's Crochet Corner made it for me!

I set out the double handled cup for you. It was designed as a bouillon cup. My mother used to make it to build up our strength if we were sick. The two handles were also used for the infirm or elderly to make it easier to hold the cup for tea. I figure it as a safety measure in case there's a heavy slice of lemon and a little dram or two in your second cuppa. Don't want to lose your grip now do you?

Anyway, I trust you enjoy the company of friends and family every time you are together and keep it as a treasured memory. I do. 

Tea with WIsk at One Spirit Garden

I added more sketches as the dishes kept coming

It was the perfect late summer day, between 11am and 1:30pm at One Spirit Garden on Whidbey Island. I am grateful to Whidbey Island sketchers for allowing me to join them for sketching, chatting, laughing and tea. There were 18 or 19 of us. Some found a spot in the garden or at a table on the covered deck, while Glo, the owner and her assistant treated us to a fabulous afternoon of pampering. You two outdid yourselves! Thank you!

Two page spread in my Stillman & Birn Beta Sketchbook-Micron Pen and Watercolor

I chose Glo's homemade crust-less cheesecake for dessert. Hard choice from the other delicacies offered, like hummingbird cake, rich chocolate bundt cake, another one with carrots, pecans and a lemon drizzle, I think!!!!!! By this time, I had to decide between finishing my cheesecake or my sketch of it. I opted for half of  each.