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| Jennifer Coyne Qudeen, Water Dreams 1 & Water Dreams 2 |
JenniferCoyne Qudeen is an artist who explores the metaphorical aspects of tea bag
papers as keepers of marks and memories. She was one of the artists included in
the Alchemy of Tea exhibit organized by Jen Crickenberger. In her current work,
Jennifer combines memory-laden tea bags with iconic silhouettes of houses to
create images almost archetypal in their impact.
I
have reached out to Jennifer to learn more about the role of tea in her work
and in her life.
JENNIFER: My journey with tea – it’s funny to think of it as a
journey. I grew up drinking tea, mostly Lipton. We lived near my dad’s parents
and my grandmother was the tea brewer. She’d put water on to boil and get out a
big metal mixing bowl that she’d add Lipton tea bags to along with sliced
lemons or oranges and mint fresh from the garden. And sugar. It’s got to be
sweet tea. Once the water boiled and was poured over everything, the mingled
scents filled their small house. It was heavenly.
For most of my life, I drank only black teas – black pekoe, Earl
Grey, Irish Breakfast. I discovered Lady Grey in Scotland where I’d traveled to
to take a workshop with Canadian artist Sandra Brownlee at Big Cat Textiles in
Newburgh. Lady Grey is a smoother, more floral (to me) version of Earl Grey.
Its lighter notes fit the mood of the week and, happily, is available at our
local grocery.
These days my favorites are Stash Jasmine Green, Yogi Sweet
Tangerine Positive Energy (black), Harney & Sons Rose Scented and Paris
(both black) as well as their Organic Bangkok, which is a green tea with hints
of coconut and lemongrass.
LYNN: I
understand that you, as an artist, have been working with stained teabags for a
number of years now. How did this idea of working with teabags as an art
material come to you originally? In what ways have you used teabags in
your art and how has your use of teabags as an art material transformed over
the years?
JENNIFER: My exploration of recycled tea bags as an art material
came about quite by accident. After brewing a cup of tea one day, I set the tea
bag aside and forgot about it. When I noticed it the next day, the tea had
settled into the folds and dried which resulted in the paper being darker
there. My curiosity was peaked so I went through the process of emptying and
unfolding the tea bag. The tea marks were beautiful. And that was the beginning
of my tea bag collection.
It was a year or so later before I began incorporating the tea
bags themselves in my art. Before that, I had been using tea to aid in rusting
cloth and paper. After researching just what type of paper tea bags are and
discovering that most are abaca paper, I decided that if it was strong enough
to survive being submerged in boiling water, the bags could survive being
marked on or stitched on…or being run through an inkjet printer. And they have.
They are also wonderful in printmaking. I have printed on them
using a gel plate as well as running them through a press. The bags are thin
enough that the ink/paint soaks in rather than simply setting on the surface.
Their translucency is an added bonus and is perfect for layering.
I definitely enjoy the versatility of the tea bags – they’re
paper so you can do just about anything that you would do with paper, yet they
also remind me of organza with their thinness and translucent qualities.
LYNN: Imagine that we are in your home. The water is
getting hot and you are about to prepare your favorite tea. What tea will we be
drinking?
JENNIFER: Today we would be drinking Harney and Sons Rose
Scented black tea. The rose scent transports me to a summer garden filled with
rose bushes in bloom. And the rose taste mixed with the black tea is wonderful.
As I write this, it is grey and threatening to rain…again. I’m
ready to bypass spring (and COVID 19) and go straight into summer when it’s
nice to sit outside and visit with friends.
~~~
To
learn more about artist Jennifer Coyne Qudeen and her work, visit her website
at jennifercoynequdeen.blogspot.com.
You
can also find up to date information from Jennifer on Instagram
@jennifercoynequdeen.
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