On Painting "Tea"

At the opening of the Free Hand School's Spring show last week in Toronto, several people asked me about the inspiration behind my painting "Tea".

When I went to a tea ceremony a few years ago, my Japanese friends translated what the Zen Master was saying. What intrigued me was the emphasis on the grace of each movement, and the relishing of each moment.

Samurai warriors, we were told, held a tea ceremony before going into battle, savouring what could be the last moments of their life.