When our friends at The Gentlemen Baristas came to us wanting to make art using coffee to celebrate the opening of their Piccadilly flagship coffee house, it was a ‘pinch me’ moment for us. As an indie art gallery on a mission is to bring fine art to modern lifestyles, we couldn’t have hoped for a more beautiful collaboration.

The Gentlemen Baristas invited four of our female artists Blandine Bardeau, Eva Merendes, Jemima Sara and Joanna Layla to create artworks with the medium of coffee for ‘The Art of Coffee’, an exhibition that celebrates the ritual of coffee to raise funds for social enterprise Well Grounded, and help change the lives of unemployed people through coffee.

When it came to creating the ink from coffee ground, our artist Blandine Bardeau who is leading the way in sustainable art by using organic materials that don’t harm the environment, was our ‘go-to’ artist. After two days experimenting with different types of coffees, temperature and methods and a couple of ups and downs, she pulled it off! Blandine created the most stunning ink made 100% from The Gentlemen Baristas’ espresso coffee ground!

Time to round up the rest of the artists and get creating! From The Gentlemen Baristas’ brief of ‘well-mannered coffee’, our artists created a series of stunning works on paper for ‘The Art of Coffee’ which were sold on auction at the opening night of the new coffee house.

Mona by Blandine Bardeau

“My artwork, “Mona”, is inspired by nature, and in particular the underworld. The Bowler coffee ink brings a very earthy quality to the work, and to me it seems that “Mona” was mined directly from the earth. It can also remind one of a flower or a teardrop perhaps. I work in an intuitive way, so the work just appears on the page, and I am also being surprised by the result.”

The Pretender by Eva Merendes

“For the creation of this artwork, I was inspired by The Gentlemen Baristas’ different types of coffee named after hats and the connection between the two to symbolise the idea of well-mannered. I was drawn to the Pretender hat as a very ’no-frills’, easy-going, and warm attire and I wanted to convey this through my portraiture.”

The Bowler by Eva Merendes

“For the creation of this artwork, I was inspired by The Gentlemen Baristas’ different types of coffee named after hats and the connection between the two to symbolise the idea of well-mannered. The Bowler hat really caught my eye with its embodiment of confidence, unconventional and timeless feel. This is what I wanted to portray.”

Expresso-Kiss by Jemima Sara

“An expresso kiss is an early morning, tired eyed and loving kiss. The ones where our breath isn’t the best but our love is pure. We don’t know how the day will go but the expresso kiss keeps us hopeful. An expresso kiss is also a “I’m running late for work”, hurried kiss. One where we want to express our love but are too caught up in the worry of being behind time. An expresso kiss is a coffee kiss. A warm welcome, middle or end to your day.”

I love you a latte. by Jemima Sara

“Coffee shops are where first encounters happen, where embraces occur. I enjoy watching people bring love into places. ‘I love you a latte’ is those who choose to share their warmth and kindness within shops, cafes and public places. Those whose souls do nothing but shine so all you can do is smile.”

Leopard Latte by Joanna Layla

“This is the first coffee fashion illustration I created. An expression of joy, how I feel with the perfect coffee in hand. Something elegant and well-mannered, something fierce and feline.”

The Modern Piccadil by Joanna Layla

“Piccadilly, the home of the new TGB, gets its name from the high-wing collar “piccadil’’ tailored in the area from the seventeenth century. Both The Gentlemen Baristas and Bleur combine the traditional with the contemporary to create something unique, elegant and relevant. The Modern Piccadil is my take on the tailoring tradition of the area, an elegant figure getting a well-mannered coffee in contemporary Piccadilly.”

Chapeau! by Joanna Layla

“I wanted to create an image that played with the iconic hat motifs of The Gentlemen Baristas and bring the ‘gentlewoman’ barista into the picture. Working in broad brushstrokes with the coffee to create a hat seemed the epitome of how my style translated into the coffee ink. A dreamy mix of espresso and traditional Chinese ink.”

Les Fleurs by Joanna Layla

“Something more than just a coffee. I created this piece while listening to Les Fleurs by Minnie Riperton, “Inside every man lives the seed of a flower / If he looks within he finds beauty and power”. And it seemed to express the ethos of ‘well-mannered coffee’ – in all its aspects.”

If you are looking for an indie art gallery to partner with on your next marketing campaign, get in touch with us at press@bleurart.com !