Coffee | Niya Christine 365

by niya christine

Guilty Dog Spilled the Beans

#29/365 Paintings

Hmmm, I dunno… does he look guilty enough? And do you think this is all the damage this puppy caused? I think he has the blushing red-I’m a bad bad boy-I’ll never do it again-look, down pat. I think he’s new to the family. After spending too many mornings waiting for his puppy chow because his posh parents had to grind their coffee to a fine espresso powder for cappuccino, he’s a bit jealous. In fact, it’s worse than that. I think he has those beans hopping in fright at night while the household sleeps. His growls and puppy threats might make us laugh. But for the beans, this guy is a monster.

So, before making that lush cup of coffee, give your puppy a cuddle and some chow. Less beans spilled in the long run.

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Project notes: Radio interview Tuesday night. KSVY Bay Area about the what’s, why’s and how’s of painting daily.

Details: Tune in Tonight for an Hour of Coffee Talk with Fiction Writer & Painter “Niya Christine” (www.NiyaChristine.com). Plus Enjoy a Mix of Hot Music from Black Artists.. James Brown, Louie Armstrong, Sammy Davis Jr. & More!!!

Streaming Live Online from (7pm to 8pm)–Sonoma Sun FM http://sunfmtv.com/?cat=136. “Some Like it Hot!” Radio Show ~ Hosted by Diana Dawn

in January | Coffee & Tea / Project 365

by niya christine

Bees Gone Bad

Generally, bees are true blue honey workers. But every so often one or two go astray and indulge in the bean for that ‘extra’ buzz. Beans aren’t known for their balanced approach to life. It’s an understatement to say that they get obsessed. Now, the queen bee knows she’s making a fool of them. But she’s too far along in drinking the kool-aide (coffee) herself to do anything constructive for the colony.

We might shake our heads sadly for the bees. But how unhappy could they be? They are buzzed, working hard to bring in the beans and keeping their queen very happy.

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Project notes: The ingredients of this painting are: Gouache, watercolor, digital manipulation and Balkan Beat Box Music to keep me ‘buzzin.’ Thanks for lookin at another version of the secret lives of bees.

in January | Coffee & Tea / Project 365

by niya christine

Public Market and Those Seattle Clouds!

#24/365 Paintings 2013

There’s something about Seattle. The chill in the watery air, abundance of coffee house choices, the smell of the sea — all those productive worker bees running around looking for new gluten free bakeries and reuse ideas for their homes, offices, gardens and wardrobes.

The public market stands by it’s consumer “meet the producer” goals. It opened in 1907 and is as continuous and robust as the clouds in Seattle.

I just had to paint this at a steep glance UP given how the market is architected on a steep hill. Plus, if we are going to gaggle at clouds, let’s really get the full effect of sky!

in January | Coffee & Tea / Project 365

by niya christine

Sleepy Time Girl

#22/365 Paintings 2013

This will be a very short story…

…about a girl who drank Sleepy Time tea and fell into a luxurious afternoon nap with her cats. The cats didn’t need herbal tea to become the lumps you see in this painting. Nope, not these cats.

By the way, this is the packaging label I want on my Sleepytime tea box. I would buy a lot of it and maybe take more much needed naps. ; )

in January | Coffee & Tea / Project 365

by niya christine

Hare Communion

17/365

Yeah, I’m kind of thinking it’s their first date.

Since rabbits are nocturnal, they are having a nice, calm, measured talk after a night of adventures and playing. She’s says “You almost had that cat outsmarted. You could have done it, had the owners not woken up to the ruckus.” “Yeah, he reflects and wiggles his whiskers… next time, I’ll draw her out. You know how cats are… all about the ego. I’ll tell her not to get her whiskers twisted up, when I out run her.” She clicks her tea cup against his coffee cup and says “Righto.” He laughs and says… “I love your Aussie/New Zealand accent. I’m a simple Californian boy myself. I drink strong coffee and have macho DNA. But you? You are a wild, well traveled, exotic, sweet, beautiful Aussie at heart who drinks tea.”

She giggles, they sip their coffee and tea and he looks at her spots and flirtatiously flicks his hind foot and says, “I’d like to see you again.”

“Yes… ” She bats her eyes and her chunky cheeks puff up in female rabbit fashion, “… you’re my best mate.”

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in January | Coffee & Tea / Project 365

by niya christine

Coffee Hug

#11/365

She was the kind of girl when asked to do the dishes by her mother, only washed the coffee pot and grinder. Her first business was born at 8 years old when she planted a secret coffee tree in the family greenhouse. She harvested the beans and used wrapping papers she’d saved from Christmas that year to package them and deliver them to her neighbors — first as gifts and then for 25 cents a piece. Soon, the neighbors were leaving her $1.00 and then $2.00 in tiny envelopes. Even the ‘mean’ neighbors were charmed by her passion for the bean.

She left home at 18, moved to Hawaii, became a hippie and opened a Kona Coffee and Papaya stand. She had a knack for episodic advertising. In the course of a week the signs in front of the stand might have looked something like this:

“I love coffee, coffee gets me.”

“When my love for life is less, coffee restores me.”

“When I can’t sleep, I drink coffee and write sonnets.”

“When my boyfriend is angry at me, coffee doesn’t judge me.”

“After I’ve been mugged, coffee gives me a hug.”

“When I leave for Mexico, Brazil or Africa in search of new coffee flavors coffee is my expert consultant.”

“Do yourself a favor, stop and get a coffee hug.”

in January | Coffee & Tea / Project 365

by niya christine

Coffee ♥’s the NY Times — The NY Times ♡’s Coffee

Niya Christine's 365 Paintings Per day #10/365_NYTimes+Coffee. Copyright 2013

#10/365 Paintings for 2013

Why does the sight of a cup of coffee and the New York Times give me such nostalgia? A fertile ecosystem of intellectual invention in this pair. The New York Times, in turns out is a bit of a rugged individualist in it’s pattern to set to appeal to a cultured, intellectual readership. Born in 1851, it was intended to be a penny paper that would avoid mass media appeal and report the news objectively. It failed. They had to increase the price and they still lost approx. 1k per week. Luckily, It was saved in 1896 and the price went back to a penny and coverage went worldwide. There are several historical highlights like the coverage of the Titanic—yet, still a strong focus on quality editorial strength. Well, all this fabulousness of inventive strengths and strong values makes a strong cup of coffee the completion of the New York Times experience for me.

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Project Notes: Oh, I fussed and fussed with this painting. Such a tiny thing for so much grief! Definitely exceeded my 45 minute max. today. The reason? Well, at first it was going to be a painting with Q-Tips. You can see it’s beginnings in the wood of the table top. The morning go full with business calls etc. and things spun out of control. That’s okay, I have 355 more paintings to go to get this right. Right?

in January | Coffee & Tea / Project 365