I first grew to love the coffee shops and restaurants of Winston-Salem when I was a student at Wake. I spent afternoons and Saturday mornings in Dough-Joe’s and Louie and Honey’s trying their lattes, donuts, and famous cinnamon rolls. The cozy corners of these cafés became a second home outside of campus. These cafés hold so many memories and stories for me: first dates, birthday brunches, new friends. Each café holds a world of its own.

As I worked through the series, I stopped by each café to capture photos (and of course buy a quick cup of coffee!) During my hours of painting, which feel a lot like a meditation, I found myself pushing once-familiar colors like the grey of a sidewalk or black of a shadow, into new and exciting purples and blues. I found joy in traffic signs, street lights, even telephone wires. I noticed oranges buzzing through windows, grass bursting through sidewalk cracks, and people lounging at tables. 

This series has challenged me to notice subtle beauty in our everyday cafés and city sights. I hope to invite the viewer in: to linger, to explore, and to notice.