Try THIS at Home!

Time For Tea

A Mixed Media Workshop

with Karen Izzi, PhD

Conscious Creations Art Studio

Time For Tea

Experimental Dying with Tea

Coffee & Other Random Plants

Karen Izzi, PhD 484-889-8668

#ConsciousCreationsArtStudio

A bit of HISTORY

Tea was first discovered in China around 2700BC when an herbalist had leaves accidentally blow into his pot of boiling water. Loving plants, he decided to taste it. Maybe that is a tale, we might never know, but tonics and teas were first blended to serve as medicinal drinks. Tea evolved and made its way to Europe where it was used for ceremonial purposes, becoming one of England’s special rituals. What is the first kind of tea you ever had? Do you drink tea? Coffee?

Coffee came around about three thousand years later in Yemen. Enjoying tea and coffee beverages migrated to Poland from China and the Middle East around 1650, finally making its way to the United States. Look how far we have come with our coffee and tea!

Aromatic teas are commonly made from naturally grown fresh and dried herbs. There are hundreds of types of tea. A few unblended popular ones are:

Black Oolong Hibiscus Yellow Tea Irish Breakfast

Darjeerling Green Tea White Tea Twig Tea

Green Tea Matcha Sencha Rice Tea

Bancha Roobios Earl Grey Nilgiri

Chai Gun Powder Tea Chamomile Assam

Ginko Ginseng Brown Rice Tea Ceylon

There are many herbalist blending teas for a variety of natural remedies. That’s a different workshop. Here in the southwest, we are fortunate to live in a climate where we can grow herbs throughout the year. Here are some that you can grow for your own tea harvest!

Mint Passion Flower Rosehips Lemon Balm

Chamomile Echinacea Milk Thistle Catnip

Raspberry Leaf Red Clover Dandilion Lemon Grass

Basil Verbena Horsetail Hyssop

Scullcap Yarrow Spearmint Peppermint

Mugwort Elderberry St John’s Wort

Time For Tea

-There are so many combinations that you will enjoy. You can find many online resources for planting, growing, and harvesting herbs. In Arizona, we can harvest and dry our plants OUTDOORS almost any day of the year. (not on a windy day though) If you do not live in a dry climate, you may use a dehydrator or your oven on its lowest temperature.

After years of color theory study and creating with a variety of materials and art supplies, I have learned that all pigments have come directly from nature. The history of pigments dates back thousands of years. We are fortunate to have so many choices of vibrant colors. Natural pigments are extremely popular today. Tea and coffee have become a successful way to obtain a vintage or distressed look to paper and fibers. As artists, we can apply unique treatments to our pages and fabric to make one of kind two- and three-dimensional works of art.

Painting and dying with tea and coffee has led me to experiment with other natural things like vinegar, salt, berries, and even rust. When we set out different surfaces and mix and match a variety of mediums not only do we love what we see in the finished product, but the process is extraordinarily healing. From planting, to growing, harvesting to the finished product, we can create from our heart in partnership with Mother Nature.

Experimental Techniques

-Apply very strong tea or coffee on the following surfaces:

Plexiglass Plastic Wrap Tissue Paper Wood

Deli Sheets Shiny Paper Cotton Fabric Linen

Yupo Bristol Watercolor Paper Cloth Paper

Poster Board Tracing Paper Card Stock …more

-Use a variety of tools and objects to create visual interest and textures:

Rubber Bands Crumpled Waxed Paper Stamps

Stencils Spray Bottle Salt

Sand Tea Bags Paint Brushes

Markers Drawing Pens Crayons

Watercolor Paint Sharpies Calligraphy Pen

Please post and share what you have created with us!

Facebook and Instagram

Conscious Creations Art Studio

Tag a friend or two!

THANK YOU!

My nieces Eva & Jenna enjoying some tea