Gautcher's Collages Including Coffee Grounds

A passing note about an artist who may not use coffee as her main medium but dabbles a bit apparently:

"This eye for design has been accelerated in Gautcher's collages, a new medium for her. In them, She combines acryic paints with printing, layers of tissue paper and other materials, including coffee grounds, corrugated paper, sketches, string, handmade paper, linocut prints, and chunks of paint or yarn."

Full Article
By Luanne Austin

Coffee Culture: Marketing

I’m adding a new sub-series to the Coffee Culture series. So far most of the paintings have centered on people and the life style that coffee culture has impacted such as baristas, café performers, patrons and soon roasters. Another aspect of coffee culture I would like to examine is marketing. Let’s face it, Starbucks as some of the best marketing in the world considering their coffee isn’t the best but they are an easy example. The company and marketing that sparked my interest in starting this sub-series is Kicking Horse Coffee located in Invermere, BC.

A friend of mine brought back a pound of Kick Ass, Kicking Horse’s deep dark flavored coffee, perfect to start your day. It’s a certified organic shade grown coffee that is farmer friendly and has a legend to promote the brand.

The Legend:

"In the summer of 1858 James Hector set out to discover the Kicking Horse Valley.
His expedition took him through some of the most beautiful and rugged country in
the West. During a river crossing, James Hector was kicked by one of the pack
horses. In fact, he was kicked so hard that the others in the expedition mistook
him for dead. As they began to bring out the shovels to bury poor old James,
they noticed his eye twitch! The legend says that it was a stiff cup of Kick Ass
Coffee that brought him back to life!"

There has to be a coffee painting in there someplace! I just know it. Later this year you'll see it painted in Kick Ass Coffee!

In this sub-series I will be taking a look at this company, Starbucks and many others like Jousting Penguin Coffee Roasters with their Rockhopper Espresso for inspiration and great stories to illustrate.

Coffee Art Epiphany - Jean-Marie Peigna

Jean-Marie Peigna, born in 1955, apparently doesn’t like coffee he just paints with it. Unfortunately his Web site www.coffeepainting.com leaves you guessing if you try to go in through the front door. I found if you Google his images you can find pages on his site.

Some information on him from his site:

“Peigna's material of choice is coffee recycled, roasted, ground, liquefied
for its extracts, the green bean is the sole and final element of this palette.
Since his first encounter in 1980 in Colombia, coffee has been an epiphany for
Peigna who has found in this "tool" the universal and spiritual values enshrined
in the fruits of creation. As noble as earth itself, the dark, dense brown color
shines with surprising luminosity and brilliance.

Peigna's paintings are charged of energy, and they captivate for the
vitality they convey. They embody multiformity, which is one the most
distinguishing aspects of 20th century art. Peigna's work has been viewed
internationally in gallery exhibitions.

It has also been the subject of television news programs : CNN
Worldwide, Fox 5TV WNYW New York, and TV Asahi Tokyo, Japan.

Since 1993, the farm in San Vito Costa Rica is an art work in
progress.”

Some of his work reminds me of a Northwest artist. I want to say Jasper Johns but I’m not sure. I have the images in my head but I’m not positive he was the artist.

Ezju's Coffee Painting Links:

No Such Animal Studios
Coffee Culture Merchandis