Check out this 'tea-rrific' artwork

Meet the artist who's brewing up some magical masterpieces.

Using something we throw away - teabags - Caroline West has created tiny paintings inspired by two of the most famous fantasy worlds: Harry Potter and The Lord of the Rings.

She's been making the art since 2023, with the aim of turning something that's usually tossed aside into "something beautiful."

In her Harry Potter art, she has recreated the Hogwarts Express and the grand spectacle of Hogwarts itself. The Lord of the Rings artwork depicts Gollum, a dragon's eye, and even characters such a Gandalf and the hobbits trekking up a mountain. Tea-rrific!

Caroline says she has always loved books, and the way in which authors create 'whole worlds'.

"I wanted to see if I could capture that feeling in miniature, on a tea bag," she says.

Making the tiny artworks takes hours of hard work. First, Caroline dries out the used tea bags, scrapes out the tea, flattens them with an iron, and adds a base layer of paint. After that, the fun part begins, bringing the tea bags to life with acrylic paints to create these magical moments.

Explaining why she thinks Harry Potter and The Lord of the Rings are so loved - Caroline says it's because they offer a chance to leave the "hustle and bustle" of everyday life, "escaping into a completely different world where anything's possible".

For the tea bag artist the books also remind her of her childhood, growing up reading The Lord of the Rings as a teenager.

Caroline with some of her artwork

Some of the Lord of the Rings art has already been sold, and the most satisfying part about being an artist, Caroline says “is creating something that brings someone else joy and is something that they love.

"I think people are amazed with the art being on a tea bag, I think it just really captures people's imagination."

So next time you finish your cup of tea, pause before you throw away that bag! Maybe you've got a tiny piece of art waiting to be painted.