Upcycled Tea Bags Make Canvas For Bird Paintings by Erin Linton

Erin M Linton grew up in Lincoln, a small Oregon community. She creates beautiful paintings of birds with gouache on used teabags. From the age of 11 she was intrigued by wildlife around her, she rescued all sorts of birds and animals, and released them back into the woods. 

Her back yard is a seventy-five acres of towering pines and firs, which gives her a chance to interact with the creatures that inhabit it. Over the years she has familiarized with "those acres and their animal inhabitants: I knew where a particular wildflower would appear, where the Tree Swallow would likely nest, and where to find petrified wood after the first heavy spring rains." Now, she works as a volunteer with Badger Run Wildlife Rehabilitation in Keno, Oregon. 

In her art she combines her love for wildlife, her passion for art and her taste for tea. There is a labor intensive process behind getting her tea bags ready to be used as canvas for painting. 

She lets the tea bags dry and then removes tea from each one carefully making sure the bags are not torn. The bags are then soaked overnight and flattened to be dried again. The dried bags are then applied on the canvas board. 

The naturally muted color and texture of the bags enhances the furs and feathers of the creatures in her paintings. 

Her art can be found as art prints, greeting cards, and ornaments in her online store.