8' x 8' En Caustic and Coffee Representation of the Barista Foam Art

For the Kirkland Arts Center’s Menu: Invitational Edible Elements of Art I was inspired to create an eight foot by eight foot en caustic and coffee representation of the barista foam art also known as latte art. This painting is to be in two pieces 4’ x 8’ each. After working construction for over a decade you would think I’d have a strong grasp on just how large that is.

It wasn’t until I had purchased the birch panels and materials to build the support for the encaustics and got them into the studio that it sunk in just how big this piece was going to be. I would like to take a moment to point out that most of my work averages about eighteen by twenty four inches.

The supports are now built and primed with initial wax layer. Coffee has been applied as well as some blue wax to start the painting off. Now that it is finally underway and I can see the image starting to take shape I’m more excited than ever and the size has moved from being intimidating to impressively saturating visually.

I’ve done some work emulating barista foam art with coffee and wax on a much smaller scale but to have it so much more larger than life has added something I had not anticipated to the subject matter. It is definitely definitive of the American culture that coffee art, latte art, coffee culture and ridiculously large beverages have grown out of.

I hope you are able to make the opening reception on May 11^th, 2006 at the Kirkland Arts Center at 6pm – 9pm. The show will run from May 12th - June 3rd, 2006.

My intention was to post pictures of the different stages of this painting from the raw materials to finished work but unfortunately the early pictures have been lost. I’ll post updated ones here as they are available.