Coffee Art II

Except for art in a cup, there is another artistic use for coffee that I found. Complete paintings are done with coffee.

This painting is done by artist Karen Eland. She creates her paintings from only espresso and water. I suppose, if you do pastel painting, you may very well have the expertise to create a coffee painting.

Dirceu Veiga is another coffee artist, who uses the same technique to create his paintings. I even found out, that he produces coffee filters, which are decorated with the most beautiful images. Yes, they are entirely made out of coffee and they can be used to brew a delicious cup. I don't think I would though; they are so gorgeous that they deserve to be framed.

This art may not be for everyone, but you can start with your own cup of coffee. Here is what you need and the explanation of how to create your first work of art:

- a small stainless steel jug,
- a teaspoon,
- a tablespoon
- a metal skewer.

For a brown base:
Heat a jug of milk and swirl it to get a silky texture, as you learned in the previous post. Pour the milk into the centre of a glass of coffee in a steady stream, in the same spot. The milk will disappear under the crema and leave a smooth, brown base for you to create your art on.

To create chasing hearts:
Prepare a glass of coffee and add milk to make a brown base, as above. Foam some milk in a jug. Use a teaspoon to put three dots of foam on top of the brown base. Put your metal skewer about an inch deep into the crema and in one circular movement, draw it through the middle of each of the three dots. And voila! Three hearts, chasing each other around the top of your coffee.

There you have it. I just spilled the beans. :-)