Pontification

8 x 8 Oil on Gessobord

Another name for this would be "Serve the Coffee Already!"  At a dinner recently, our chef asked who would like decaf and then proceeded to tell us his entire life story.  At first we all were sitting up with bright smiles on our faces, and then one by one we gradually started to slump and try not to make eye contact with him.  He kept right on talking while our decaf got cold, oblivious to our body language.  One by one, our dinner companions started to slip away making it hard for the rest of us to leave without seeming totally rude.  Here's my take on it :-)

 

Busy Night

8 x 8 Oil on Gessobord

 

Click to Bid in DPW Auction



This waiter was trying to make his way through the crowded restaurant carrying two cups of coffee without a tray.  He obviously had practiced this, however, I wondered at the time how much coffee remained in the cups.  He had this determined look on his face.  I painted this figure and was pleased with the results, but was not at all happy with the background.  After much experimenting, I found a technique (if you could call it that) that I was really happy with.  I have to admit, I love to play around and discover new and exciting things.  That's what it's all about...in everything we do.  Will it work again??  Who knows!  One can only hope :-)

Barista with a Flair

8 x 8 Oil on Gessobord

OK..I really enjoyed painting this until I had to think about the stacked cups.  I really learned a lot about wiping off and repainting on this piece.  I changed the background approximately three times.  I'm pretty happy with the results.  The barista was my main focus.  Loved her matching hat and sweater against the orange background.  So here it is, a relatively small piece that took a really long time :-)

The Chef

6 x 6 Oil on Gessobord

This started out as a study for a larger piece, but for some reason I'm always excited about how these fast pieces turn out.  I think I like the 'rough' edges....I'm not quite sure why.  Loved this man in his chef uniform, and I must say his food was outstanding!  He tended the coffee bar as well.  My type of guy  ......

Chilling Out

8 x 8 Oil on Gessobord

SOLD

Just relaxing!  The one thing about the beach is that you can actually sit on the porch, rock in your rocking chair, drink coffee, and just chill.  No real distractions.  It's unfortunate that these times only happen once in a while.  Only a little detail in this painting, but I hope you get the feeling.

Breakfast at CJ's

6 x 6 Oil on Gessobord
SOLD

Two of my most favorite things...cappuccino and crumb cake. As far as I'm concerned, there is no better way to start the day.  Our small coffee shop has new owners, and I'm not sure what brand of espresso they use, but I think it's even better than Starbucks.  I'm very picky about my coffee.  The baristas at Starbucks usually run for cover when I approach the counter.  Yes, I see them smirking.  My order is really involved and specific.  The person at the counter tries to keep up as he/she writes on the side of the cup, but invariably something is not quite right..."..cappuccino, Grande, dry but not too dry, mostly foam but a little milk, make that skimmed milk, double shot...unless you usually use two shots.  If so, then triple shot..."  Here at C.J.'s, they seem to know how to make a perfect cup.  Now, that's a science :-)  I really loved painting this.  Seriously, I could almost taste it as I was applying the paint.