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All she wanted was to find a cheaper medium to continue doing her passion which is painting. Sunshine Plata found an odd alternative for oil paint. Believe it or not, it’s coffee.
Recalling our first meeting
It was in the Coffee Convention held at SM City Batangas where I met the coffee painter. Part of my hosting task was to interview Sunshine. So Reinier and I were exchanging questions I would be asking for the interview. Without knowing who this coffee painter is, katabi na pala namin, haha.
Until we were formally introduced and we found an amicable person to get to know better.
Who is Sunshine Plata
Sunshine has a degree in Psychology from the University of Sto. Tomas. She spent five years of her life as a pre-school teacher until she decided to focus on painting.
Her mom Sosie Plata is a native of Bauan, Batangas. And with that, we’ve got another Batangueño talent to take pride of.
Why Sunshine pursued coffee painting
As what is stated in the introduction, Sunshine was looking for a cheaper alternative to oil paint. Then she remembered a signature written using coffee. And then the clever idea entered her equally clever mind. Lighting bulb here.
She started painting with oil; interpreting visual images from her dreams and draw them as soon as she wakes up. Until she discovered the use of coffee as a painting material, she began producing artworks with it.
It is also the uniqueness of the art that made it all the more interesting. Many people love coffee. This beverage had been part of our lives for ages. But for Sunshine, realizing the value of coffee for aesthetic purposes is just amazing.
Coffee Painting 101
A mixture of coffee powder and water obviously produces shades of brown. More coffee powder plus less water is equal to dark shade of brown. Less coffee powder and more water produces light shade of brown.
Finishing an artwork depends on how her mood can keep up with her. Like any other artists, she admits experiencing ‘the block’ from time to time. A coffee painting takes quite a while to dry up. Said she uses watercolor paper for her works.
Before, she only uses coffee mixture (kapeng barako most of the time) as her sole material but now, to produce other hues on her works, she sometimes adds watercolor to her coffee mixture. Thus, producing bluish brown, pinkish brown, and so on.
A coffee painting could last for decades, of course under normal condition. Sunshine uses a fixative to make sure her paintings will retain their form and aesthetic appeal.
Shining around the world
It was Ripley’s Believe It Or Not which gave Sunshine a taste of fame but more importantly, the recognition that a Filipina produces beautiful paintings with such medium. Her “Fairy of Sorrows” art piece was featured in April 2008 episode “Art that Fools the Eye”.
Ripley’s vice president contacted her and bought two of her paintings, “Reina de la Luna” and “Fairy of Sorrows”. The paintings were supposed to be brought to Korea and Mexico but instead, they were featured in the Martha Stewart Show. Bongga!
Aside from that, her works where exhibited in the Ripley’s Museum, in Time Square in New York, and in other parts of the globe such as Canada and London.
Sunshine also belonged to this year’s Yumbassadors, Jollibee and World Vision’s roster of young achievers. But before all these recognition, it was Nescafe who first recognized her as a coffee painter.
Oh, by the way. Sunshine is not a coffee addict. She’s more of a tea person. 🙂
It was a feel-good Friday afternoon and having the company of an artist who amazes people around the world with her talent, I can’t help myself but be in awe as well. Plus, she’s proud to be a Batangueña. Clap, clap.
Continue to shine, Sunshine!
