Drinking culture

I have picked my illustration of the tea set and the glass of tea to develop further (adding colour and background basically). I like the idea of comparing two culture by using the still life because these things involve in our daily life. Thus, I think it could reflect the character of a person, and from here study the culture they living in.

I want to use the tea set to symbolise the English culture. Even though the American coffee shop has taken over, tea room is still welcomed. Tea room like Bettys located in York, has been the tourist and local favourite spot to experience the English tea culture.

I use the same colour for this tea set, just like the display sample in the store, to represent my observation towards English through what available around me. I've pick some wallpaper pattern from the internet, which match my impression towards English, maybe from the English drama I have watched or the story book I read when I was little. I have also used the pattern from the English brand Cath Kidston, which I think is very popular among local and also foreigner.

vintage background (retrieve from internet)

flora background (my Jack Wills pencil bag) 

flora background (Cath Kidston) 

I use the glass of tea to represent the afternoon tea culture in Malaysia. Since my first attempt was to compare two different culture, this picture is also present with a sense of tradition. The pattern of the table is from the PVC flooring that is used to cover the wooden table before; background is the wall decorated with white tile that mostly used by restaurant.

Then I thought about how I influence by the tea culture in England. I went to Bettys in York and couple of tea room in England, to enjoy the afternoon tea with friend, but the question is, is every English have their afternoon tea in this way? I bet not everybody, at least I won't prepare my cup of tea in that way. So I draw this picture to show the possible modern tea culture. These still life objects are all possessed of mine, try to reveal my way of handle the culture.

Working on the tea culture remind me the beer culture in England. I have refurbished the painting A Bar at the Folies-Bergère by Edouard Manet into the scene of bar I see in England. I've changed the clothes into blouse that most waitress wear, the background into cupboard full of alcohol, added the cash machine, the bar table and the beer dispenser.