InOut | Star by Dragos Rusu

What exactly is an artist? Can anyone tell me what turns a regular person into an icon for millions? Is it the ability to recreate the environment around us through images, objects, sounds, or is it something more than that. What makes a great artist great? Is it the power to convey a message somewhere where it was previously considered impossible? It's human nature to always push forward and exceed all expectations, break all boundaries but what's to break in a cup of coffee?

Adobe Flash Player not installed or older than 9.0.115!

Plenty, some would say, for where there is a will (artistic will that is) there is a way to change your view on the world. Today, we take a look at a very cool and informal form of art, one that starts in your very own kitchen and ends up on the counters of coffee shops around the world. Of course, like in many cases, professionals (or should I say "baristas") have taken it one step further and developed what at first seemed to be child's play into a form of art in it's own right. Traditionally, a barista is to coffee what a sommelier is to wine, with a keen knowledge of all the matters of coffee, flavours, quality, brands, roast degree, and what have you - all designed to make your cup of coffee look and taste better.

In coffee art lattes or espressos are the preferred medium because the mix of foam and milk gives you a two-tone that will come in handy when creating your designs. At first, stars, flowers and leaves were the most common depictions just because they were the easiest to pull off and did not require any additional tools and techniques other than pouring the milk in the cup in such a way so as to create your drawing. Then, more intricate designs emerged, and on more "coffee mediums". Today, the use of chocolate, powder and milk foam is not uncommon and is put to good use by people skilled in the handling of a coffee mug.

As more and more people began practicing this unusual form of art, competitions emerged (involving baristas) to see who the most talented, the most skilled and the most imaginative is. Clearly, not just the final result matters, but also the technique, as many times these people perform in front of a mesmerized public. So, next time you stick your nose in a foamy latte, take the time to not only smell the coffee but contemplate the tiny work of art unfolding before your very eyes. As a little side note for those of you who like to impress people at parties with such nifty tricks: a good barista is a highly sought after person and usually makes a good deal from his skills so give this a try and see if it's not your "cup of cofee".