Her cup of tea

Coral Wilson

In Lissi Kaplan’s mind, a warm cup of tea opens the soul and ignites

conversation. Life seems to slow down, and flowers begin to bloom.

“Over a cup of tea, people open up to you,” she said. “It is a

very ancient ritual and people, they melt. Then you can really feel

them if you are sensitive.”

Awakening the long lost art of porcelain painting, teacups blossom

into gardens in Kaplan’s hands -- inner gardens that reflect the very

essence of a person.

Through design, color and flower combinations, Kaplan’s painted

gardens reflect the essence of each client. The tea set collections

and gardens are named after each person, becoming heirlooms to be

treasured for generations.

“I am trying to show them not who I see on the outside, but who I

see on the inside,” Kaplan said. “I try to unlock the secrets that

they carry inside of their heart. Sometimes when they see their

garden, they actually change, because they feel like, ‘This is what

you see about me? Do you really think that I am that beautiful, or

that deep, or vibrant?’”

“MiMi’s Garden” was Kaplan’s first painted porcelain collection, a

tribute to her mother, who loved to host tea parties and set the

table with her vast collection of porcelain.

“Lissi, come on, let’s talk. I’ll get the tea ready,” she would

often call to her daughter. The shared moments became comforting

memories when Kaplan’s mother died of cancer.

Heartbroken and devastated, Kaplan felt lost without her mother.

Her sister also suffered from cancer, and Kaplan feared she would be

the next. Then a voice spoke to her in a dream.

“Use all I have given you, all the gifts that have been waiting to

be noticed,” the voice said. “You will have a life of peace and joy

like you have never imagined and you will be free.”

No longer afraid, Kaplan said she finally understood that

everything she needed was inside. She ended her career as a interior

decorator, and painting porcelain portraits became what Kaplan calls,

her “heart path.”

“If you don’t have passion and purpose, you are just a wanderer,

always looking for your peace, for yourself,” she said. “When I found

this art form and took it to another level, the inner garden, that

gave me the purpose along with the passion.”

Unique designs are created for family, friends, celebrities and

other clients. More than 600 of Kaplan’s porcelains are used at the

high tea room at the Peninsula Beverly Hills Hotel. And her designs

of the California poppy are offered by the governor’s office to

dignitaries from around the world.

“The Power of a Teacup: A Story of Art, Love, and Sacred Gardens,”

written and illustrated by Kaplan, was released this year. In her

book, she describes her journey of healing and self-discovery. After

six years of porcelain painting, Kaplan said, she has cultivated an

open, generous heart.

Feeling whole, she brings out the best in others. Kaplan said many

people cry when they see their garden for the first time.

“This is what I see about you. You are a beautiful person,” she

says to her clients as she presents them with a finished piece. “You

would be surprised how many people never hear that. And it affects

them.”

Each tea cup symbolizes sacred moments, like the ones Kaplan

shared with her mother. In this way, she preserves the ritual for

generations to come.

Pouring the water, allowing the tea time to brew and handling the

delicate cup, Kaplan said it is impossible to rush the process.

Tea is delicious, it is very soothing and it just brings out the

sweetness of the soul,” she said. “Anybody who is a tea drinker knows

that.”