Black Coffee, by Lois Keller
Oil on cotton paper, 9"x12", 2020
Painting Series: CUPPA TEA
"When You Don't Know What to Do, Make Tea," Sarah Todd.
People make tea when they are bored, tired, are waiting, or are anxious. Making tea is in itself a gracious act of self-care, which becomes an act of kindness when you extend it to others.
Tea (or any hot beverage) also helps us conjure warm and fuzzy feelings. A 2008 study found that participants who had recently held a cup of hot coffee were more likely to think of others as generous and caring compared to participants who had held a cup of iced coffee. Our association between physical and emotional warmth may go back to early childhood: subconscious memories of our closest caregivers' body heat trigger warm feelings towards others later in life.
Kristen Surak, a professor of Japanese politics and author of Making Tea, Making Japan, says that at the heart of the Japanese tea ceremony is the idea that "if everybody sat around and had a bowl of tea, we could create world peace."
With that spirit, we painted still lives of cups holding a hot liquid so we can find our center, stay focused, and remain calm during these chaotic times.
- Signed by artist
- Unframed.
- This painting is in Los Angeles.
- Buyer covers packing and shipping fees: $15 if it ships within the US. $25 if it ships internationally.
