This month at our Butterwalk caffè, we’re showing drawings from life by South West artist Mary W. Edwards. Sketchbook in hand, Mary captures the rhythm of coffee culture — gestures, conversations, street tables and rain showers — all observed inside our caffès. The exhibition is now on show.

About the Artist:

Mary sketches on-site, often in the middle of the bustle. She grew up in Cardiff and feels at home working amid movement and noise, translating it into spontaneous lines and layered narratives. Her practice blends quick observational drawing with studio refinements — defending the energy of the original marks while tuning colour and tone. Café Couture also nods to paper cutouts and design, with references to Matisse and the clothing workshop above Butterwalk.

In Conversation:

What first drew you to sketching in cafes?

At first, I was sheltering from the rain in The Curator caffè. I got bored and started sketching. Then I realised co-workers were great to draw as they sat so still! The staff were fine and no one minded me sketching, so everything snowballed from there.

How do you approach drawing in lively, unpredictable environments?

I approach drawing in a lively environment by creating an oasis of calm, just quietly sitting at a table, sipping coffee and watching as the action rolls out around me. I grew up in Cardiff, so I feel at home surrounded by movement and noise. In fact, I capitalise on it by including it in my on-site works such as Alice in Coffee Land (gestures) and The Conversation (speech).

Pictured: Alice in Coffee Land

 

Do you work quickly in the moment, or refine later in the studio?

I work both ways, as part of my practice. I certainly work quickly, fully in the moment, for my on-site work. Then I defend my spontaneous lines in the studio later, where I refine colours, adjust tonal values and add details. All the works on display in Café Couture are a result of this dual process, but I also have plenty of “raw” drawings which would make great postcards.

What does the title Café Couture mean to you?

For me, Café Couture means cutting edge design and high fashion in a café context. My personal association comes from an old black tee shirt with a giant pair of scissors and the word “Couture” scrawled across it. This led me to the artist Matisse, who was also a textile cutter, and then to making my own paper cutouts. The title also references the clothing workshop upstairs at the Butterwalk. For most people, Café Couture simply means Café Culture and that’s fine!

Pictured: Coffee Break

 

What about The Curator’s caffès inspired you?

I was particularly impressed by the strong sense of visual design in The Curator caffès. I am inspired by the atmosphere, that combination of space, place and people interacting in animated ways. The street tables add an extra dimension for drawing, as I need to factor in the weather (e.g. Waiting for a Taxi in the Rain) and traffic (Hail and Ride / Bob the Bus in Kitchen Closed). Not all cafes work for me when drawing. The Curators are my favourite coffee shops, along with a (small) BFI café in London.

How do you decide which scenes or interactions to capture?

It depends on what catches my eye in the moment. This may be a toddler’s tantrum, seagull prevention wire on the balcony, or a poster. I rarely place my initial response centrally, yet it opens up a thread or leads me on a narrative trail. Visually, I move in multidirectional ways from there. I take quick glances and make rapid marks, working intuitively. I overlap characters with situations, relating them to each other, their surroundings and their café activities, such as playing cards. Occasionally, the barista plays a role too. I do not deliberately decide on dramatic scenes but the individual combinations create a cumulative effect.

Favourite spot to draw from?

The corner table by the window, next to the fireplace, upstairs at The Curator on The Plains, and the back table just in front of the screen in the Butterwalk. I like to take a long view of café life, interiors and the street.

Pictured: The Plains

 

How do you choose materials and palette?

I choose my materials and palette to match my intention or what I want to communicate. For a gentle interior, such as Tea and Toast with Harley*, I chose chalks, graphite and oil pastels blended together with a serviette to produce a muted, soft focus effect. For dynamic social interactions, such as* Alice in Coffee Land*, I chose pigmented ink for line work and oil based crayons with the emphasis on alarmist colours (yellow and red). My restricted palette for all three Cutouts is semi-naturalistic to stand out against the vanilla walls. Similarly, I chose high octane, vivid Poscas for the Tiles or cupholders, designed to catch the eye from the window. I used thick black Poscas (8mm, chisel) for the Coffee bags to match the print and logos. Both installations, Tiles and Coffee bags, are influenced by the artist Michael Craig-Martin.

How do cafes shape community or everyday connection?

Definitely, cafes are social spaces with an important role in family lives, intergenerational meetings and friendships. I see important everyday connections for regular customers, who chat with each other and with staff. Occasionally, organised community groups, such as book clubs, choose a café for their regular meetings. Mostly, I see cafés as places where transient groups gather in a democratic way, creating micro communities. Sometimes, parents and newborn babies will meet in a café. Other times, co-workers will quietly concentrate with their laptops open. Generally, I see The Curator caffè community as a friendly, lively scene where customers are united by a taste for excellent coffee!

What do you hope visitors notice or feel when they see Café Couture at The Curator Butterwalk?

I really hope visitors will feel uplifted by bursts of colour and soothed by muted tones. I would like them to notice and smile at the chaos, recognise familiar scenes, ponder over details, vaguely connect with embedded logos and generally enjoy the overall lightness of touch. Phew!

And finally — what’s your favourite coffee?

A decaffeinated cappuccino, as pictured in Bean Juice.

 

The collection is on show at Butterwalk now.

All works are available to purchase.

Visit in person, or email art@thecurator.co.uk with any enquiries.