In the early 1960s, Sandra Blow’s experimentation with material led her to using tea and ash to stain the surface of her canvases. These unorthodox materials were applied as discreet washes and powderings to create delicate compositions that pay particular attention to movement and space. It was during this period that Blow created some of her most minimalist and subtle paintings. In Tea and Ash, 1967, the combination of media softly envelops the surface, contrasting with the exposed canvas to create a quiet shapes.

In 1968, Blow commentated on these paintings, ‘I’d like to do enormously simple but rather dramatic paintings that held a terrific impact and a sense of speed - a kind of flash going across the painting. Perfectly balanced, in unity with all the other elements.’
Quoted in Michael Bird, ’Sandra Blow’, Aldershot, 2005, p.97.