There’s some sweet new art up at Milstead & Co., this year’s Sprudgie Award winner for Best New Cafe. Andrew Milstead teamed up with LA based illustrator Chris Turnham and produced two beautiful “Coffee Plant” prints for his cafe. You can purchase a print at M&C’s web shop but supplies are very limited.
We really enjoy Chris’s approach to nature and landscape studies which draw inspiration from classic midcentury design. Together, we discussed ideas for celebrating coffee through art, and Chris took notes on the colors and feel of Milstead and Co. Over the next few months, he worked on a botanical study of the Coffee Plant. We worked together reviewing drafts and color samples until we settled on the final artwork.
Once we were both happy with the results, Chris went to work constructing the silk screens and mixing ink. Each color is hand applied on each print in separate passes, with drying time between the application of each ink. Each print has five layers of color applied to make the final image. Because of the handmade, unpredictable nature of the medium, the number of final prints is a surprise. We were happy that Chris was able to make 20 of the print showing the stages of coffee and 15 of the branch for this one-time-only print run.
Just gorgeous.
