The T2 Tea House in North Ryde, Sydney

This is the famous T2 Tea House in Sydney - scene of many a pen and ink and watercolour sketch by Liz and Borromini

Liz knows how I love drawing interiors - particularly ones where eating and drinking are involved and I was tickled pink to get a sketch of the interior of her favourite tea house in Sydney.

Liz has impeccable perspective as always - even when it comes to shelves of tea and a counter of other goodies. I am so impressed by the writing on the blackboard and I'm hoping there was a little trick involved there with resist maybe?

The T2 Teahouse, North Ryde, Sydney

It was raining when Liz did her sketch so on the reverse I got another of my favourite Liz sketches - what she was eating and drinking.  It looks to me as if Liz was sharing a virtual cream tea with me! :)

I have to apologise to Liz for being extremely late in posting this - it dates from before her recent trips to the Dominican Republic and the USA.  I've got very behind with posting cards received and getting cards sent and am in the middle of a big catch up!

Where to find the T2 Teahouse: Macquarie Shopping Centre, Level 4, Shop 440, Cnr Herring Rd & Waterloo Rd, North Ryde, Sydney, NSW 2113 Australia

Tea and Victorian Filigree from Australia

I apologise for being so late to show this beautiful final card that I received from Liz Steel already at the beginning of February. The stylish building fits very well to the scent of the High Mountain Oolong tea from Taiwan, served in the most precious cup you can imagine, a real Shelley. It is worth while to check out the Victorian filigree in Sidney, which I never heard of before.

 Thank you Liz for this stylish card!

Five things which are important to Liz Steel

Architecture, her religious belief and a cup of tea!

I love this card because it tells me it's been painted by Liz Steel - even if I didn't recognise her very characteristic sketching.

There are three things which are important to Liz Steel.

Liz loves sketching architecture (see Sketching Architecture).  This is the church of St Francis of Assisi in the Paddington area of Sydney.  (The link in the name tells the interesting story of the architecture of this church - just in case Liz doesn't already know it.)

Not a very Australian subject...  Most parish churches in Sydney are simplified English Gothic...so of course the dramatic morning shadow of the main arch caught my eye.

Liz's religious belief is very important to her - and I regard the church as symbolic of that

Liz also believes in the vital importance of a cup of tea - I do love the fact that her cups of tea appear all the time in her sketches and now I've got one of my own!

Finished the card off with a cup of tea - Taylors of Harrogate Earl Grey in a Royal Albert Regency Blue cup + using a surprise gift teapot from Cris in Malaga Spain who I met in Lisbon

Actually - make that four things most important to Liz Steel.  Sketching with friends is also high on her list of very important activities - and it's nice to see this also reflected in her card.  Lisbon was the venue for the 2nd Urban Sketchers Symposium and the link goes to all Liz' posts about sketching in that city.

Borromini looks after this sketch - as per usual

I also loved the Borromini Bear stamp on the rear!  As if any sketch by Liz could be produced without his presence! :)

Duh!  Make that five things which are important to Liz Steel - architecture, her religious belief, a cup of tea, sketching with friends and little Borromini - who's a very well travelled little bear!

PS  Now I've got it I want to know what Liz used for her postcard.  It looks like the ideal surface and weight for painting postcards.

The October card from Down Under safely arrived

Today I received one of those beautiful postcards from Liz.
I love them because they are drawn in such a spontaneous way and I like the combination of lines and watercolours. At the front of the card there are three terrace houses in Globe. Liz thinks their colour combinations are sometimes rather odd but Liz made the best of it! At the back of the card there is an extra image of a tarte she had bought in a suburb of Petersham. She enjoyed it at home with a nice cup of Earl Grey. Both, the cup and the tarte look extremely three-dimensional. And here again Liz has put some lovely stamps on it. Great! Thanks a lot Liz!

From Liz in Australia to Pat in USA

I received Liz and Borromini Bear's postcard a few days ago and have been trying to figure out the best way of posting the image.  My camera just hasn't done it justice so I am posting it anyway with a disclaimer that...In real life it is much much better.  You will have to come to my house for tea and a rest in the garden to see the real thing though.  It felt so special when my husband handed me the mail saying you will be happy about the mail today.  Sure enough Liz's postcard has put a smile on my face for days.




Having a Cuppa in Nanna's China

Watercolor, ink postcard



  

I love the back of the card with all the wonderful
stamps and of course Liz's perfect handwriting. 





These areas were so wonderful I wanted to highlight them.
Especially the tea cozy keeping Liz's
 tea warm and ready for the second cuppa.



I want to thank you, Liz, for this wonderful addition to my growing collection of precious art from around the world.