June 27, 2012

Spring Teas at Tao Tea Leaf


With thirteen teas in all it took a little over 2 hours to go through them all.  Tao steeped most of the teas using a Professional Tea Tasting sets. Each set consists of a cup with a lid and a small bowl. This set works similarly to a gaiwan when a fair cup is used with it.  In competitions and for tea merchants this is the set that is used to pick the teas which win or get purchased.
Tao brewed the teas for us using these sets in a certain manner. If you have been part of a Chinese tea ceremony before, you will recall a part where the leaves are added to a warmed vessel and shaken. This releases the aroma of the tea. Tao used the Tasting set in this manner during our tasting. It increased the intensity of the teas aroma for us to determine which teas to purchase in the end.




            After this step Tao then added more water to steep the leaves. After sufficient time the cup set was turned into the bowl to catch the brew. Once all the tea had left the cup some leaves were placed on top of the overturned lid to display the leaves. We then used a Chinese soup spoon to spoon the tea into our cups.  This worked especially well for the lighter teas such as the Silver Needles.
            At this very moment of finishing up this post I am enjoying a cup of Jun Shan Yin Zhen, a yellow tea.  Yellow tea production is just about one step further from white tea, because of this additional time most places do not produce yellow tea. As well the way to create such tea is not being passed down from lack of interest from current generations.
 To explain the extra step required to make this tea, white tea is let to ferment covered which changes the colour of the tea to a “yellow” hue. Te resulting tea when steeped has a bit of a “fermented taste” which comes across as a little spicy as well.  For those of you who want a lighter tea but has a bit more body then certainly try this tea out before this tea disappears.

            Tao has two big tastings a year, spring and for the Anniversary of his shop. Look out for the Anniversary tasting outing in December! Support your local tea shops in your area by checking out this year’s spring teas.
            Here is the list of teas we sampled: Silver needle Top grade, Silver needle old bush,  Jun Shan Yin Zhen, Anji Bai Cha, Bi Luo Chun, Long Jing, Phoenix Dan Cong- Honey Orchid, Tie Guan Yin, Jin Ping, Purple Puerh, and Shui jing gui.  
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June 24, 2012

"Shen Nong"- In process

      After applying a few layers of rice paper I decided to sand part of it away and even get it wet to help with the process. I wore a mask as I had an asthma attack a few days earlier, it helped to an extent. Once I got really into sanding parts of it away I got a little winded.


I left it propped up against the wall over night, and came back after work... the cats had used it as a scratching post!!! I have been cleaning up the studio today and will take some pictures of the result they created.

       Pride is just around the corner I can't wait to see some old friends who have been away for a while. I will be posting about different aspects which relate to my practice and have them linked to the "Studio Research" page which is on the right. I hope to have a collection so I have a better understanding of what I do and like. I have posted a list of ones I want to do at this point in time, but I hope this list will grow. Many of them may help others and I hope they do. This is the second part of my reason for doing this.  Please look forward to these posts~
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June 22, 2012

New books!- The Classic of Tea

       
       These two books just arrived the other week. I am so excited to have them as part of my expanding tea library. From flipping through them quickly , they look like a much better translation of this historical book. The copy I read back in my first few weeks at Teaopia was much MUCH smaller and very short. This is very extensive full translation of the book I have been wanting for quite sometime. Once I get part way into it, I will report back! Keep an eye out!
        As well the LONG wait for the Prosperitea set tasting will be happening this week. I am long overdue for a small multipul tea tasteing. As well I will be posting about my trip to Tao Tea Leaf and a tasting post on some samples I got from Camillia Sinenssis in Montreal! Exciting kick off towards the third year of Tea Journey!
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June 10, 2012

Business cards!

  While at Druham Pride I quickly took a picture of these before I forgot. I just adore my Tea Guild of Canada cards I got this week.
      I am debateing makeing simple cards for tea related things, that way for Tea Journey I can have the url on them.
     Art stores these days sell "trading cards" made of different materials. So I may just get a few packs of watercolour paper ones and make them all by hand. Maybe my chop will apear on them.  I do plan to get a square chop similar to my digital one on my banner.  These characters have "wu wei" and "wabi sabi", zen and Daoist terms. Wu wei I am always learning new things about. Although what it means to me is to become so proficient in something it comes easy. Practice and more practice. Wabi sabi is to see beauty in imperfection. Something we all should take to heart as nothing is perfect.
       I am going to continue to enjoy the Queer Stock show out here in Durham Region. More latter on the "Shen Nong" work!

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Tea Shop 168- Matcha Slush with Red Bean

      Strangely good. I am really impressed. Very heavy once you get far into it.  I tried this about a week ago. Real impulse buy on the way out of the Pacific Mall in Markham, Ontario.
    If I get it again I will grab a spoon and share it with someone. It was a little much for just me but made the bad weather earlier that day slip away~
 
$4.51 CDN
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How tea effects art for me - 2 Year Anniversary for Tea Journey!

For my TWO year anniversary post I decided to put together a little montage to visually show my growth with Tea since I began consuming tea regularly. To do this I used my own art work as they both grew together over these years. Please enjoy~

First step towards my ink style.  ukiyo-e  with screen printing  ( Abe no Seimei 2008)
Drinking tea regularly and learning new styles around this time. Stopped drinking coffee due to a seizure around Thanksgiving

One of the few first works I have done in ink  at OCAD U  ( Dream or reality 2009)
Regularly looking for new teas in Toronto and regular customer for Davids Tea.

Began to learn other methods of painting with sumi-e ink.
Bought Matcha for the first time and used a fork. Soon after
purchased a chasen to prepare it right. (Fetus Fear 2009)


Purchased first Yixing from Tao Tea leaf. Bought first porcelain gong fu set and a glass gaiwan. Began to understand more about Oolongs and a little about Puerh. Finally moving FAR away from Japanese sencha and genmaicha! Utilized old watercolour skills with Sumi-e, encouraged by thesis professors to  be bolder and less controlling with future work.( Hold 2010, Thesis at OCAD U

Utilized tea in a work for the first time. Visited Majestes regularly for quality teas. And learned of
the Tea Guild of Canada. Joined Summer 2011!
Attained another Yixing from Majesteas. Working for Teaopia for
over a year! Attained more yixings from work. Began tea antique collection
and began to read The Way of Tea. My second tea book after a tea handbook!
Began to work slowly towards the direction I was told to go by professors. Been graduated for over a year.
Started to take Japanese lessons!
(Lace 2011)
Became a Public Relations rep for The Tea Guild of Canada.  Now has too many teas, extensive knowledge
byond what I need for work. Helps out with "World in Your Tea Cup" Event! Great fun.
Now has too much tea ware (no such thing!) and too much tea (blasphemy!).
Began to experiment more with "tea" as tone. (Hair 2011)

Brings tea where ever I go practically! Creating many entries on tea to Tea Journey!
Reviewed Do Matcha! Made more tea friends at the Guild, two I knew from work. Encouraged a co-worker to join Guild!
Began Tea Sommelier classes, been taking Chanoyu classes when able (I love to learn!). Working on promotional materials for the Guild!
Me working in the back in a Sumi-e workshop at the JCCC in March  2012
Tried some amazing teas at Majesteas and Tao Tea Leaf for Spring!
Learning more about processing of teas in the process outside of class. Been
 supporting The Global Tea Hut since February! Enjoying the large selection of spring teas
 and refined taste of my pickings~ My chop for new work, It says " Guren" Crimson Lotus.
I will have it by next week! I picked these characters as my hair is red and the lotus symbolizes
 growth for me. Growing out of the mud and into the world as a flower.

Been with Teaopia for 2 years (June 10th 2012) and have had Tea Journey for
just as long. Now I work for Teavana, and hope to grow some more as a    (Tea person), Artist and as an individual in
general.  I truely hope to meet more wonderful tea people and have long lasting
 friendships (Tiffany, Grace, Kingkoh,

Brooke  etc <3 Love you all!) I will be meeting with the Guild
board this summer to plan out fall meetings. I can not wait to get things rolling~
  I am on my second tea class

and I am having one more before I start my super summer. After that third class I am
 about half way done the program.

Certification exam to follow there after and my N5 exam for Japanese Proficiency as well!

"Sheng Nong" in progress for 2012!


  










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June 3, 2012

On its way~

Carved chop
  I ended up wining the auction. So after talking to the artist most of the day it is cut and will be shipped when he gets the chance.
Sheng Nong studies
    Right now I am slowly working on the "Sheng Nong" work. I hope to do more studies before going back to it. I have some pictures from distressing the rice paper I had on the wooden support.  I have my business cards for my work and will have The Tea Guild of Canada ones latter this week. SOOO... I will post a picture to show them off~ I am still debating making a small amount of cards to Tea Journey. We will see. Perhaps once I go through all ..300 cards I have the tea aspect may end up on new cards. Why do I have 300 cards? I originally ordered 150, and there was some cut off on the one side. To fix it Moo sent me 150 more that they had fixed.
       I just picked up a bunch of movies to help inspire me.  Two weeks ago I also acquired Marlene Dumas' book "Measuring your own Grave". Such an inspiring book to have along side with my Lisa Yuskuvage one.    I am off to watch more of Chinese Paladin and work on more studies. Till next time, Ja ne~


Koi- I hope to do a work with the next few images
Beautiful mini garden in the mall
Little turtle hiding at the mall
 


 
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June 2, 2012

Working towards the dream

  Just a bit ago I bid on an Agate chop, which the shop will then carve for me. I have been looking at many different places to purchase one and even considered taking on the carving task myself.  In the end I could not wait any longer and found this shop on e-bay.
   The characters I have chosen are for "Crimson Lotus",  紅蓮. After many months of debating I decided these will be the best for my work and me.
   Why these characters? As I hope you know I have coppery red hair and I am still an emerging artist. The lotus grows up from the mud into a beautiful flower. I hope this image will push me further to where I want to go.
    On another note I was just about to get some sanding paper to attack my current work with. I seem to have added way too much rice paper to the wooden support and I have made Sheng Nung too big!
      Hopefully the rain and some sanding paper will do the trick to help things along again. So far though I like the idea of having rice paper on a wooden support. It's not the same as adhering it to canvas.
   Anyhow I am off to grab the sanding paper, mask (I aggravated my Asthma on Tuesday and had an attack, much better but safety first) and perhaps a snack to go with a bowl of matcha.

New tea bowl from a reader over at Tea Journey (My Tea Blog)

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Surprise at my door!

Thursday, I went outside to get some fresh air after watching a lot of Chinese dramas, I set up The Sorcerer and the White of Snake(白蛇传说) to load and went out the door. Upon opening it I found a box at my door which the customs label stated there was a tea cup inside. At first I thought I had forgotten about an e-bay or Yuuki-cha purchase I had made perhaps over my vacation. 
    Once I finally opened the box I came to realize this was the package from KingKoh who also sent me incense.
    This tea cup is a beautiful chawan. I am still in shock that I have this piece of art. Strangely enough I had just purchased a cast iron pot to use for chanoyu practice this very same day. Since opening it I have been starring at the bowl, picking it up and feeling the unique textures it has. 
     Koh left me a note inside of it, " I put this tea bowl in that I made as a suprise. It has a white Shino glaze with a white oak ash on the outside that turned green. The inside has crawled and stayed white. I also infuse my bowls with reiki energy. I hope you enjoy it."
 On a smaller green note says" Shinorei", which I believe is this bowls name. I am curious as to which kanji is used to write it's name. On another note, I am glad that this came when it did. I have been working on an assignment for Tea classes which I am to create a Problem-free-contemporary tea service. I choose Chanoyu to use as a basis, which I am slowly studying. The tea bowl, I am sure, will inspire such assignment. This gift made my week much better after having an Asthma attack on the way to work Tuesday, I am fine now though as I am taking various medications. I am off to grab a few things so I may work on an art piece this afternoon (after going to Tao Tea Leaf~). 
   I can not thank my friend King Koh enough for this amazeing surprise!








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