Coffee Culture: Clouds in My Coffee

Most of the coffee paintings covered so far in this blog have been of a similar technique, coffee or espresso at some level of consistency applied as a watercolor. Individual artist styles have varied and subject matter has been all over the board. I’ve been working on a new technique, well new to me and coffee that is. En Caustic; using wax as a medium.

The original plan was to paint the local coffee roasters, starting with Caffé Vita, using the en caustic technique to build layers and give the painting a unique industrial feel. The issue that I ran into was coffee is an organic not inert. I’ll explain. When paints are made with water, oil or acrylic pigment is added to the medium until it is saturated. This process forms a solution. These pigments are inert materials like minerals. Coffee when added to the wax has an interesting effect and at best forms a suspension. This effect, no matter how interesting did not work for what I had in mind for the coffee roaster paintings. It did however spark another idea.

Baristas have an art called “latte art” or “foam art”. It’s the designs that some make in the foam on the top of a coffee drink. These images can be quite elaborate or simply beautiful. These designs can appear in what is known as a Rosetta, etching or an apple. I’m sure it’s not limited to these but it seems that these are the major categories. I have even seen some that appear to be the faces of animals or characters. See blog on latte art.

Combining the effects that I discovered with coffee an wax with the latte art concept I started a series Coffee Culture: Clouds in My Coffee. It’s homage to the barista art form. As you look down into your cup of coffee you may see one of the temporary master pieces, and I mean that (you try one), or you may just see your milk or cream swirling around creating a dreamy escape from the stress of the day. This is the driving concept behind Clouds in My Coffee, that and a little Janice Joplin!

I am just finishing up my first show with 9 of these coffee encautics. Early this spring will have another featuring this series and all the new creations. ‘Till then . . . enjoy a cup!

As for the series on the roasters? I will be starting them this spring for a fall or winter show in 2006. I’ll keep you posted and even give a sneak peek here!