It's a ritual for so many of us to start the day with a cup of coffee—but what if that coffee became your art supply? Stay with me. I've been working with a prison artist who specializes in creating stunning artwork entirely out of coffee.
The first time I saw his work, I was blown away. Coffee? Really? The entire piece was painted using nothing but coffee. That artist, Perry, has an incredible gift. Unlike many prison artists that I can only reach by letter, Perry has access to a tablet, which allows us to exchange messages quickly. He checks it regularly—his wife reaches out to him daily—so I'm fortunate to communicate with him more easily than with most.
Perry explained his process to me in detail. He begins by sketching his design with pencil on a cotton-based art paper, which has to be thick enough to absorb the liquid without warping. Then comes the magic: Perry brews coffee to different consistencies, using lighter, diluted coffee for soft washes and thicker brews for rich, dark details.
His first layer is a light background wash, setting the foundation. He waits for it to dry and deepen before adding subsequent layers, each one building depth and dimension. For unique textures, Perry employs clever techniques like blowing coffee bubbles through a straw and gently transferring them to the paper, creating perfect, organic circles. He may melt in tiny coffee grains for texture and a tactile effect.
The finishing touch? Perry places coffee on the outside bottom of cup to leave a signature coffee ring and signs his name in it. Afterward, he sprays a fixative to seal the artwork and preserve its beauty.
Perry's subjects range from sleek sports cars and jets to cowboys and horses, each piece brimming with detail and life. He's set to be released in a couple of years and will reunite with his family. When one of his pieces we received had minor damage, I asked him how it could be fixed. Perry explained the repair process and joked that I could try and do it or wait for him to do it himself once he's free.
That humor and resilience are part of what makes Perry—and his art—so extraordinary. It's not just about the coffee; it's about creativity, perseverance, and turning the simplest things, coffee, into something remarkable.
