The Teaparty - Original Paintings

Teaparty Series

A little absurd, a little nostalgic, and much more personal than they first appear.

The Teaparty Series began with four ink backgrounds and an idea to paint frogs in teacups. It gradually evolved into a playful collection of animals, familiar objects and tiny flashes of gold, combining humour with memories of home and family.

Two original paintings from the series remain available:

Royal-Tea
A green tree frog perched inside a patterned T2 teacup, complete with a hand-applied gold foil crown.

Cup of Sanity
A small pig nestled into a teacup, inspired by the soft curves and patterns of Maxwell & Williams designs and finished with a gold foil halo.

My affection for frogs goes back to childhood, including a favourite book about a frog named Picasso who changes colour after diving into a jar of jellybeans. Years later I even had pet frogs of my own, Picasso and Filbert, who rather effectively taught me that frogs don't necessarily appreciate company.

But there is a quieter story behind these works too.

I created the series during my mother's illness, and painting became a way of navigating grief while finding comfort in familiar things. Teacups from my family home, alongside others collected over time, became a connection between memory, ritual and play.

That combination of humour and tenderness runs throughout the series. They can simply be enjoyed as slightly ridiculous animals sitting in beautiful teacups, but there is a much more personal story underneath.

Each artwork is an original mixed media painting
Acrylic, Posca marker and hand-applied gold foil
60 × 60 cm
Approximately 63 × 63 cm framed
Natural Tasmanian oak floating frame
Ready to hang

Gold foil details catch and change with the light and may not be fully represented in photographs. Colours may also vary slightly between screens.

Please select your preferred artwork from the available options.