Tea Party Set

Artist's notes on style, materials and inspiration:

Individual pieces like these were made for the Folkeshi 8th anniversary event - this 'tea party' set joins the teapot girl with the scone girl - this particular scone was my 'artist reference' piece that I used to replicate the decoration on further pieces.

The teapot girl is dressed up as her favourite blue and white china pattern, ready to join the tea party. The blue and white 'willow pattern' may look Chinese but was invented as a clever marketing tool by British ceramic manufacturers in the late 18th century. They took the imagery of a bridge, a temple, a boat and a willow tree and later turned the scene into a Chinese themed love story that was used to sell the pattern, and it became one of the most famous ceramic designs.

The 'scone' girls were inspired by the theme of 'cream tea' - which means tea and scones, and can be found on the menu in tearooms all over Britain. The scone also causes huge debate in England - if you are from the county of Devon, you smother the scone in cream before adding the jam, but if from Cornwall, you spread jam and then cream. I will definitely upset some people because I've sided with the people of Cornwall - mainly because I just can't go with spreading jam on top of cream - to me it makes sense to spread the jam on and then dollop fresh cream on top. My scone girls commit a bit of a faux pas - if eaten the way they stand, as it really isn't good form to eat a scone as a sandwich, but one should eat them in two halves.

Turned from American Tulipwood, a sustainably managed hardwood timber, my wood girls are turned by a production wood turner in the UK to my designs, then painted by me, a British artist.

Teapot: approximately 13.5 cm in height, scone approximately 11cm in height.

My pieces are painted in a naïve and simple style, with visible brush strokes and differing paint consistencies. It is important to note that these dolls are made from real wood which will have naturally occurring markings and grain, and sometimes there will be small amount of bleeding along the grain, or knots, which is to be expected when using untreated wood - please make sure you consult the pictures carefully before purchasing. Finished in a top coat of matt acrylic.

PLEASE NOTE: Wood girls should be kept away from water which can damage the wood and painted surface, and also away from direct heat/ sunlight which also can affect the surface colour and the timber itself.