“A Morning Cup”

“A Morning Cup” - Ink & alcohol markers on paper (9"x12”)

I like to start my mornings with a cup of coffee - preferably a roast that’s on the lighter side - so I can get the absolute maximum amount of caffeine that my body can handle around 5:30am. If I don’t make it at home, I go to the gas station a couple blocks away. Their coffee is not the best in the world, but it will certainly wake me up. So, that’s where the idea for this artwork started.

Seated at my desk, with a clean sheet of paper placed in front of me, I reached for a black fineline pen and began to draw the outline of a form that would eventually become an incredibly abstract and liquified self-portrait. As the idea solidified itself in my mind, I started to look around the room for inspiration. I could see the clear blue sky out of my open window, a cup of coffee, and so that’s what I drew. Sometimes we can be inspired by the simplest of things and all it takes is one line, one thought, one push in the right direction and before you know it, you’ll be sitting in front of a finished painting.

Ok so, there’s a few steps in between making an outline, coming up with a vision, and implementing that vision, carry it, all the way through to a finished piece. (Like the portion I entirely omitted where I used alcohol markers to color the damn thing!) But I digress, in the grand scheme of things, it really is that simple. Simplicity is creativity’s best friend and if you are ever working on something that seems like an overwhelming obstacle, just be lazy and find the easiest way to get it done. No one will judge you for it.