"Olive Sits Demurely"
Dreaming of what could have been
The Grand Finale of the “Abstract Ladies With Stories” Series
Behind the Making of “Olive ”
As you will soon surmise, the painting this week has nothing to do with tea from a visual standpoint. It is the story in Olive’s eyes that take the viewer in to her world, as she ponders her life choices. It’s about types of people and the choices they make, or don’t make.
Pivotal to her story are two pieces of information that I purposely wove into her painted mindset. Specifically, dialogue from Alice and Wonderland between the March Hare and Alice, as well as a unique piece of trivia on the types of tea drinkers.
The Alice and March Hare Question
“ 'Take some more tea,’ the March Hare said to Alice, very earnestly.
‘I’ve had nothing yet,’ Alice replied in an offended tone, ‘so I can’t take more.’
‘You mean you can’t take less,’ said the Hatter: ‘it’s very easy to take more than nothing.’
‘Nobody asked your opinion,’ said Alice.”
Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland (1865) – Lewis Carroll (1832-1898)Tea Trivia
Did you know that there are two types of tea drinkers? The ones who choose to put the milk in the cup first, and those who choose to splash it in after the tea is poured. I am sure it’s an age-old question, but it does have some history behind it. The fine porcelain cups of the early 18th and 19th century England needed the coolness of the milk waiting in the saucer to prevent it from shattering as the hot tea was poured. So, if you are quick to make a judgment on your fellow tea companion, ask them if they know the origin.
The Story
“Olive”
“Olive sits demurely by her garden window, pouring tea into the time-worn porcelain cup. Lost in her distant thoughts and dreams. What could have been, what was not said, and the aloneness that has consumed her lifelong narrative.
‘Nobody asked your opinion’ Olive retorts to the empty room. Adrift in her dreams of the choices she once made and the ones she left to hang in the shadows like a stifled whisper.
If only she could turn back the hands of time knowing now who she has become. You can’t spend your whole life searching for perfection and expect it to have just been a dress rehearsal. Looking back through all the chapters that lie behind her now, it could have been so easy to take more, than to have taken nothing. “
Painting size 9x12
Matted to fit a 16x20 frame
Frame not included
“Olive” is one in a series called "Abstract Ladies with Stories". This 9x12, original painting, on 115# acrylic paper, comes packaged for protection in a 16x20, white, single mat, with backing and sleeve. My paints and embellishments are of the highest archival quality to ensure the longevity of this work of art for years to come.
The palette includes a selection of bright greens, sky blue, pinks, magenta, golden yellows, and a darkened background with a whimsical touch of random embellishments and marks. This abstract series involves a collage process, borrowing pieces, and parts of a variety of painted faces and reassembling them to bring out these ladies and their vibrant stories.
Each creation that I present to the world is a labor of love with a unique story that evolved with many studio hours and underlayers of paint. Building it, shaping it, and embellishing it with a variety of mediums.
“Olive” is for sale with a story that she will proudly whisper to anyone who admires from afar.
Celebration!!
I am celebrating my 5th story here on Substack. Let me know your thoughts. Do not be shy. I would love to hear from you. See you next Sunday…with a whole new story and amazing series of unique art.
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Absolutely stunning!
Omg what a fabulous post!! So beautifully written and your details on Olive and her story drew me right in! I actually do wonder on the order of milk in Tea. It seems smarter to put in first, I am a weird duck and like to shake my milk so it fizzles as it hits the warm water! 🙃💗