I feel like the 16×20" size is much more enjoyable to paint than the 12×16"!
I previously bought a few 12×16" kits; while they were small—meaning I could finish them quickly—they just weren't as comfortable to work on as the larger sizes.
Growing up in Jingdezhen, this flowing, step-by-step tea ritual has become my daily practice to find inner peace. Follow along and immerse yourself in the process:
1️⃣ Select a cup: Choose a teacup that speaks to you today.
2️⃣ Incense: Light some incense to set a tranquil mood.
3️⃣ Warm the Gaiwan: Use boiling water to warm the vessel.
4️⃣ Add leaves: Today I'm brewing the highly fragrant Phoenix Dancong.
5️⃣ Awaken the tea: Gently shake the Gaiwan to release the aroma.
6️⃣ Brew: Pour in hot water and gently skim off the foam with the lid.
7️⃣ Decant: Pour the tea into a fairness pitcher for an even brew.
8️⃣ Enjoy: Pour the clear tea into your cup and savor the moment.
What kind of tea are you drinking today?
Sir William Quiller Orchardson RA was a noted Scottish portraitist and painter of domestic and historical subjects who was knighted in June 1907, at the age of 75.
Orchardson was born in Edinburgh, where his father was engaged in business. "Orchardson" is a variation of "Urquhartson", the name of a Highland sept settled on Loch Ness, from which the painter is descended.
At the age of fifteen, Orchardson was sent to Edinburgh's renowned art school, the Trustees' Academy, then under the mastership of Robert Scott Lauder, where he had as fellow-students most of those who afterwards shed lustre on the Scottish school of the second half of the 19th century. As a student, he was not especially precocious or industrious, but his work was distinguished by a peculiar reserve and an unusual determination that his hand should be subdued to his eye, with the result that his early works reach their own ideal as surely as those of his maturity.