Yes, coffee is a workable, wonderful medium to create art that has the patina of fine sepia prints and the nuances of fine watercolor. It is great for portraits, still lifes, and landscapes. Minnesota artists Andrew Saur and Angel Sarkela-Saur have refined the medium to, well, an art!

Angel and Andy have been painting with coffee for several years, although they have been artists for much longer. When asked to mount a show at a Duluth coffee house, they realized this was an opportunity to do something really different, yet perfect for the venue.

At first they tried using the coffee bean itself to sketch a drawing, then making pastels out of coffee grounds, but neither idea really worked. Then, they realized they could use coffee as a watercolor and it was totally effective. Now, they first sketch out an idea, brew up a pot of coffee thick and dark, then add water as they go along to get the variety of tones both subtle and pronounced, to achieve the effects they want.

When the painting is completed and fully dry, they cover it with a clear coat of acrylic that preserves the shading and delicacy of the work. They do caution, however, that direct sunlight or very hot and humid conditions should be avoided.

You can actually have very slight differences in hue with different roasts, they add, using stronger brews will have the same effect as giving variations to shading. All you need are your favorite brushes, watercolor paper and ultra-strong brew. The artists at www.justcoffeeart.com won't reveal how they brew it, but confess that experimenting with strong brews should reveal everything you need to know.

So, next time you have leftover coffee, or brew a pot too strong for your taste, don't toss it. Instead, let the coffee cool, pour it in a shallow bowl, set another bowl of water on the counter, and start painting!

For inspiration in creating conceptual art, art depicting nature, portraits, and other ideas with coffee, visit http://www.justcoffeeart.com/.