It was January, and we were in the midst of some of the coldest days I can remember, with temperatures barely climbing above zero. My wife and I occasionally pick a Saturday and go out to try coffee houses we’ve never visited before. On this particularly frozen day, we ventured into the Beacon Hill neighborhood and discovered this little gem.

The most unique feature, obviously, is the classic Airstream motor home in the middle of the store that has been repurposed into the barista station. The next was the incredible play of light reflecting not only off the trailer, but also the metallic ceiling and the highly polished floor. Light and shadows everywhere, an artist’s dream! My first reaction upon entering and taking in the vibe of the place was, I have to paint this.

Back in my studio, I used a series of reference photos I had taken and sketched out the composition I wanted. In painting, this piece is done in alla prima (wet on wet) style, which requires the use of very thin underpainting to establish large shapes, then progressively adding heavier paint to achieve details and the myriad of reflections. Only four colors were used in this painting, along with black and white. A metallic object such as the trailer, which is stainless steel, or a glass object such as the tabletop, are challenging since there are no paint colors called “silver” or “glass.” These surfaces require a keen eye to see the colors and shapes that they reflect, which in turn allow the viewer’s eye to interpret them in this case as stainless steel and glass. Backlight from the reflection off the snow outside coming through the large windows creates other challenges, as the figures in the background are rendered as almost fully shadowed, while the shadows on the floor are cast in a range of values.

This piece is part of a series of small works I recently started featuring coffee houses, bars, and/or cafés.