Tea cup ladies

I toyed with the idea for this series, like a little girl pretending her playthings magically become other objects in an imaginary tea party.

The old tea cups became a dress for the graceful dancer, poised mid-dance. At first the two sections were loosely joined, as if merely a draft of a final work. I later created a mold of one of the tea cups, choosing one that belonged to my late grandmother. In doing so, I created a special bond between the dancer and the dress, the object and the observer.

The tea cup ladies were born. Graceful and delicate, hand painted and decorated with love and careful attention.

The series is well loved around the world – there’s something about this simple magic that enters people’s hearts with such ease. As someone once wrote: Such a simple, yet genius idea! You’re lucky to have thought of it first!