Two Special Things about the 8 Flora Art Cups

Aside from the safe, high-quality porcelain by Minh Long, which I’ve mentioned in a previous post, there are two things I’d like to share with you about what makes these cups stand out.

Collecting original paintings is not always easy – for anyone involved. It isn’t easy for the artist, and it certainly isn’t easy for the collector. There has to be a certain kind of alignment, a sense of “right timing,” for an artwork to truly find its home. Because out there, there are countless artists, and just as many collectors – each with their own tastes, styles, preferences, and intentions behind collecting. So when someone considers purchasing an original painting, beyond the matters of personal taste, artistic value, and even market value, there’s always the most basic factor: price.

Owning an original painting is often far more expensive than buying almost anything else. That alone can hold people back. I’ve met collectors who were so kind and genuine – they’d tell me they loved my paintings, and they’d start “saving up” bit by bit just to one day afford one.

That’s why, compared to original works, it’s much easier to own derivative pieces based on them. Around the world, artists often sell more prints than paintings. Prints are only a fraction of the price of the original, and anyone who loves the work can usually afford to collect them. Then come the art-based keepsakes and merchandise – items that help people bring art into their daily lives.

Instead of only looking at a painting on the wall, you can sip from a cup printed with the artwork, wear a scarf that carries the color and energy of a painting, or carry a bag that’s visually rich and deeply personal. For anyone who loves art, these experiences bring a different kind of space, a different kind of atmosphere – and even a different kind of spirit – into daily life.

Because I understand this deeply – and because I, too, collect small art-inspired gifts from other artists – I was very thoughtful and careful when creating each item in the Flora Art Gifts collection. Some paintings look beautiful as paintings but don’t translate well onto objects. I had to test them, print them, live with them, and truly feel them.

The eight cups in this collection were chosen from dozens of trial prints. I’ve personally used each of them over the last six months before deciding they were right to release.

That’s the first special thing: with these cups, you can hold a “complete artwork” in your hand – and experience it fully – without needing to collect the original at full price.

The second special thing is a small detail – a short line of words on the other side of the cup (if you’re right-handed, it’s the back; for someone like me, who’s left-handed, it’s the front). Each of these cups carries a small sentence I’ve written – words distilled from my own journey into mindfulness and awareness.

They bring a quiet sense of presence into your space. That’s why I also gave this Art Gift set another name: Art of Now. I hope to offer you a touch of “now” – a little bit of here, a little bit of stillness – that slowly grows and fills your space, until one day, you find yourself truly and peacefully at home in the present moment.

I hope you enjoy this creation, and that it brings a little peace and warmth into your days.