Coffee & Art

Each year I create a new coffee themed screen print usually inspired by vintage coffee pots & crockery. This time I wanted to try something different so I drew a design inspired by coffee growing. In my design coffee plants with red coffee beans & white flowers surround a hand holding some 'Magic Beans'. The hand motif is loosely based on religious folk charms that are used as votive offerings. So in my design the hand holding coffee beans is an offering for the gods to thank them for a good harvest.

I screen printed my design in four colours. First I printed the light green background followed by the red coffee beans & hand. When it came to printing the green leaves I had to remember to add a missing detail using a tiny piece of newsprint. You might be able to spot what is missing from the one of the leaves printed on the clear registration sheet.

After printing the green leaves I added dark brown coffee beans & finished a limited edition of just 15 'Magic Beans' screen prints. Number 1/15 was framed & exhibited at the London Coffee Festival in March. I am selling the other 14 screen prints & proceeds will go to Project Waterfall to help bring clean, safe drinking water, sanitation and education to coffee growing communities. http://www.projectwaterfall.org/