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One of the challenges an artist regularly faces is deciding what, exactly, to paint.  Most artists have a range of favorite subjects that they go back to time after time, and it is interesting to notice which subjects inspire an artist and influence their art.  Monet had his garden and his water lilies; Degas painted ballerinas; Picasso was fond of painting women and musical instruments; Georgia O’Keeffe painted New Mexico landscapes and flowers.  Some of my friends love to paint the ocean.  For me, I love to paint teapots.

 

Many years ago, my mother gave me a lovely hand-painted teapot which became the start of my teapot collection.  Over the years, my collection has grown to nearly 100 teapots of various sizes, shapes, colors, ages and styles.  I have teapots in every color of the rainbow, in sizes ranging from large to very tiny mini teapots.  Some are American, many are from other countries like China, Japan, England, and Russia.  They feature various subjects - frogs, cats, flowers, birds.  One even has a corn-on-the-cob motif.  I have one teapot with a swimsuit-clad lady on top, another one shaped like a golf bag.  Two of my teapots are musical, and play a little tune when the pot is picked up.  Some are probably antiques, many are just old.  Some are plain, everyday styles, others are very ornate.  Many were given to me as gifts by loved ones, and others I have picked up on my travels or in second-hand stores. 

 

 

There is just something so welcoming, comforting and cheery about a teapot, whether or not you are a tea drinker.  I love tea and I am a daily tea drinker.  Although I own a lot of different teapots, I use the same, plain-and-simple little two-cup teapot every day.

 

Needless to say, many of my beloved teapots have ended up in my paintings over the years.  I have combined them with strawberries, tangerines, roses, and various other items to fill out a composition.  My latest still life, “Roses and Tea”, includes a Marie Antoinette musical teapot from England that I picked up in a second hand store. Teapots are clearly one of my favorite subjects to paint - not just because they are interesting to look at, but as a symbol of hospitality and friendship.

 

My teapot collection is now bursting at the seams.  I have filled shelves all over my house with my collection and still cannot display them all, so I have become much more selective about purchasing more.  Although I can’t continue to acquire them, I plan to keep using my teapots in my still life paintings for many years to come.  Fortunately, I have a lot to choose from!