"I am a big fan of PJ’s Coffee and look forward to my daily Mocha Granita. You can only imagine how overwhelmed and honored I was to work on this project with PJ’s Coffee of New Orleans. As a small business owner and artist, I constantly look for ways to use my talents to give back. I was pleased to work with PJ’s Coffee to tell their direct trade initiative story with farmers in Honduras and Nicaragua.
PJ’s direct trade coffee truly is farm to cup. This project was a true collaboration, and I hope my artwork inspires conversations about the communities and farmers that PJ’s direct trade initiative supports.
I spoke with the PJ’s team at length to better understand their story. They walked me through a farmer's daily life harvesting coffee cherries and shared photos of farmers and their grounds.
I knew I wanted to highlight the beauty of the land in my artwork. So, I created a composition that allows the viewer to almost peer through the cherry blossoms and see the rolling hills of coffee farms PJ’s partners with – like Agua Fresca in Nicaragua or Finca Terrerito in Honduras. The farmers have a depth of knowledge that allows them to understand and care for the soil, which produces the cherry blossoms to create the most delicious cup of coffee. It was only fair for me to show pride of placement to the land and the people who keep it. I hope coffee drinkers see my artwork on their next cup of coffee and are inspired by how beautiful this landscape is.
I hope my art inspires conversations that connect the dots of how the cup of coffee in their hand came to be while valuing the business PJ's offer through direct trade. Creating this artwork is my way of helping the people who have helped me start my day with a delicious cup of coffee. It all comes full circle. We are people helping people."
