Michael Nobbs

Tag: tea-tray drawings

Tea-tray drawings are a recurring part of my drawing practice — small, everyday observations made while I sit with my tea, usually from the familiar collection of objects gathered around me. Over time they have become a kind of visual diary, recording ordinary mornings, changing materials, and small shifts in how I look at and draw the world close at hand.

  • It does seem to help me feel better

    An open, homemade sketchbook resting on the bottom edge of a tea tray covered with a yellow cloth patterned with black and white hens. A loose black ink drawing stretches across both pages, showing a carton of Oatly oat milk, a teapot and a mug, with handwritten notes woven around the objects. On the left, the text reads, “Making drawing something the first thing I do today.” On the right, “Just make some marks! (it does seem to help me feel better).” The drawing is dated 9.11.26. Above the sketchbook are two pens, a small glowing light and part of an orange mug

    Making drawing something the first thing I do today.

    Just make some marks!

    (it does seem to help me feel better)

    An overhead photograph of a morning tea tray resting on a red, grey and cream checked duvet. The tray is covered with a mustard-yellow cloth patterned with hens and holds a carton of Oatly Barista oat milk, a lime-green teapot, an orange Stanley mug with a metal tea strainer, two pens and a small glowing light. At the front of the tray lies an open handmade sketchbook containing a loose black ink drawing of the oat milk carton, teapot and mug, surrounded by handwritten reflections about making drawing the first activity of the day and how making marks helps.

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  • Drawing without glasses

    I think I’m probably overstimulated. After quite a long period of not venturing far from my bed, yesterday G drove me to see the Mary Lloyd Jones exhibition at the National Library. So many paintings, such beautiful colours — probably too much for one visit.

    I met up with a couple of dear friends who I haven’t seen in a very long time, and we sat in the café chatting after looking at the exhibition. Seeing my rather diminished self through their eyes is something new and a little unsettling.

    Tonight I’m grateful for Ounce’s company whilst I’m not sleeping, and for the familiarity of drawing my tea tray. I don’t feel able to cope with too much sharp focus just now, so I’ve taken my glasses off and am embracing the blurriness.

    Ounce, a silver-grey tabby and white cat, curled up on green and grey checked pyjama-clad legs beside an open sketchbook on a bed. The sketchbook contains a loose black ink drawing of my tea tray, with handwritten notes about drawing without glasses, being awake in the small hours and visiting an exhibition the previous day. Beside it are a Mary Lloyd Jones exhibition booklet, a striped earthenware milk jug with a spoon, and a tall metal flask. The bed is covered with a red, grey and cream checked duvet, and the scene is softly lit.
    A close-up of an open, homemade sketchbook containing a black ink drawing of a tea tray and its contents. A tall flask, striped milk jug, teapot and large mug are drawn in loose, overlapping lines, with the patterned hen-covered cloth filling much of the background. Handwritten notes describe being awake at 2:10 am, Ounce's company and a visit to an exhibition at the National Library. Behind the sketchbook is a Mary Lloyd Jones exhibition booklet, with a striped ceramic jug partly visible at the top.
    An open, homemade sketchbook resting by a tea tray covered with a brown cloth decorated with black illustrations of hens. The pages contain a loose black ink drawing of the tea tray, including a striped milk jug, a teapot coloured with green pencil and a large mug with the letter M on it. Handwritten notes across the top read “Drawing without my glasses (Not sleeping)” and describe Ounce keeping me company in the small hours, and yesterday's visit to the Mary Lloyd Jones exhibition at the National Library. A small note says “I feel the need of blurriness.” The drawing is dated 3 November 2026 and timed at 2:10 am. Three pens and pencil together with the foot of a small reading lamp casting a warm orange glow are visible above the sketchbook.

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  • Enough?

    A photograph of an open, homemade pocket sketchbook resting on a tea tray on a bed covered with a red, grey and cream checked duvet. The sketchbook contains a bold black ink drawing of a white milk jug with a spoon and an orange Stanley mug, viewed from above, surrounded by a pattern of hens copied from the mustard-yellow tray cloth beneath it. The handwritten words “5:20am” and “Enough?” appear above the drawing, with the date 28/10/26 in a small box. Behind the sketchbook are the objects that inspired the drawing, including the white milk jug with its spoon and the orange Stanley mug filled with tea. A bright green teapot, two black pens and a small yellow drawing tool are also arranged on the hen-patterned cloth. The tray rests across the artist's lap, with the checked duvet visible around it.
    A close-up photograph of an open, homemade pocket sketchbook resting on a mustard-yellow tray cloth decorated with black and white hens. A bold black ink drawing stretches across both pages, showing a white milk jug with a spoon sticking out of it on the left and a large orange Stanley mug, seen from above, on the right. The pattern of hens on the tray cloth has been drawn around and between the objects, filling the background of the drawing. Handwritten text at the top reads “5:20am” and “Enough?”, with the date 28/10/26 written in a small box. Two black pens lie above the sketchbook, and part of the real orange Stanley mug is visible at the top of the photograph, illuminated by warm light.

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  • Out of sorts

    A photograph of an open homemade pocket sketchbook resting on a larger red and white patterned sketchbook at the edge of a tea tray. The sketchbook contains a black ink drawing of a teapot, mug and milk jug, with little hens on a blue background. Handwritten notes reflect on the clocks going back, an extra-long night and feeling “out of sorts”, alongside a reminder to enjoy the cosiness of dark mornings. Beyond the drawing, the objects that inspired it sit on a blue hen-patterned tray cloth: a green teapot, an earthenware mug containing tea and a white milk jug holding a spoon. Several pens and pencils lie between them and the sketchbook, with a small reading light illuminating the scene. The sketchbook and tray are lying on a grey, red and cream duvet cover.

    3.45 am

    The clocks have gone back an hour for the winter. This is an extra long night (but I’m reminding myself that I enjoy the cosiness of the dark mornings).

    A photograph of an open homemade pocket sketchbook resting on a larger red and white patterned sketchbook. A black ink drawing stretches across both pages, showing a teapot on the left, a tall mug in the centre and a milk jug and spoon on the right, surrounded by little hens against a blue background. Handwritten text reads: “3:45 GMT. The clocks have gone back an hour for the winter. This is an extra long night.” On the opposite page, green lettering reads “Out of sorts”, followed by “(but reminding myself that I enjoy the cosiness of the dark mornings)”. The date, 25/10/26, appears on the right. Pens and pencils lie on the blue hen-patterned tray cloth above the sketchbook, the spout of a green teapot just visible in the upper left corner.

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  • Trying

    A wider photograph of an open sketchbook and tea tray resting on a colourful crocheted blanket in the warm light of an early morning. The sketchbook contains a black ink and coloured crayon drawing of the tea tray and surrounding blanket, with handwritten reflections about finding a way forward, step by step and drawing by drawing. Above it sits a white tray covered with a blue cloth patterned with white hens. On the tray are an orange Stanley mug, another mug, a green teapot, a striped earthenware milk jug with a spoon, and an earthenware mug decorated with a hen, along with pens and coloured pencils. A small reading light casts a warm yellow glow across the tray. The two mugs nearest the left of the tray have been added since the drawing was made. The bright blues, pinks and greys of the drawing echo the crocheted blanket beneath it.
    An open sketchbook resting on a colourful crocheted blanket beside a tea tray covered with a blue hen-patterned cloth. A black ink drawing spreads across both pages, showing a teapot, mug, milk jug and reading light. The shapes of the crocheted blanket fill the background in blocks of dark blue, turquoise, pink and grey, with the hen pattern picked out in black ink and pale blue. Handwritten words at the top left read: “Trying to find my way. Step by step. Mark by mark. Drawing by drawing. Not seeing any distance ahead. Trusting (or trying to!).” The drawing is dated 22-10-26 and marked 4:15 am. Part of the real tea tray is visible above the sketchbook, showing the handle of an orange mug, an earthenware hen mug, an orange Kaweco Sport fountain pen and two coloured pencils. The foot and part of a small reading light are also visible, casting a warm orange glow over the scene.

    A couple of hours spent drawing in the small hours while listening to the end of The Lost Art of Letter Writing.

    Trying to find my way. Step by step. Mark by mark. Drawing by drawing. Not seeing any distance ahead. Trusting (or trying to!).

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