We spotted Carol Stamper’s art in Square One Coffee in downtown Lancaster, and again at the Lancaster East Side Market over the summer. The neutral tones on images of cozy-looking hedgehogs, dandelion seeds about to blow away and lions with soulful eyes drew us in. Upon closer inspection, the neutral palette made sense: Her medium is coffee. She turns mug stains, like the one left on your desk when your mug is just a little too full, into something else entirely. Carol spent some time answering our questions about her process, inspiration and what she’s working on next.
PA Eats: What inspired you to start using coffee as a medium?
Carol: I’ve always loved trying new things with my art and this was another one of those times.
I find it inspiring to turn literal stains left by a coffee mug into art. To me it is a bit of a metaphor. I see the stains as the mistakes we make in life that can turn out to create something beautiful.
Finding beauty in the stains of life has become a much longer phase of art for me, because as I shared these pieces of art people connected with them in a much greater way than I expected. I continued making more, and painting in more detail as I learned to appreciate these stains.
What are some of the challenges of working with coffee?
Painting with coffee is much like watercolor painting but dries a little differently. With some of my pieces I let the coffee have a will of its own. With others I carefully manipulated the coffee as it dried, creating pieces with intricate detail. It can take some time and patience but the rich coffee color tones are worth the effort.
What have been some of your favorite pieces to create?
I’ve made a lot of cute animals, clocks, compass, bikes and all sorts of other things, but so far I think the hedgehogs have been the favorite. They are just so perfectly round and whimsical.
What surprises you most about the work you do?
I think the most surprising and rewarding part is how many people find an emotional connection to my coffee stain paintings. I’m happy that people find a connection to the feeling of turning the stains, usually thought of as mistakes, into something beautiful. I hope that it inspires and encourages a lot more people over time.
What are you working on now? What are your upcoming projects?
I’ve been making coffee stain note card prints that have been very popular at local coffee shops and markets. [These are] also available by request.
Recently I’ve started a new project that is geometrically inspired. My goal with the new series is to express emotions that we all feel at times, in an open form. It is also a series with a lot of symbolism. The simple lines are the normal days … all connecting and creating the feeling and emotion of today. The imperfection of angles create the perfect expression.
Where can we find your work?
You can follow my work as it’s created on my Instagram @carolstamperart and on Facebook.
If you like what you see, contact me. All my work is available for purchase. I also post about any events or live shows that I am a part of on my social media pages.
- Photos: Carol Stamper
