Coffee Monsters, the brainchild of internationally recognized artist Davey Cadaver and published author Ophelia Darkly, it is a unique book featuring art made with real coffee and drenched in faerietales. The art was created first using a method in which the page is splattered with coffee, and Davey pulled out what he saw. Sometimes it was landscapes, sometimes it was monsters, whatever presented itself to him, he defined more with ink, which formed strange characters and multidimensional worlds. This method is similar to one that you may have experienced as a child, or even now, looking at cracks in sidewalks and walls, looking for faces in trees, looking for shapes in clouds. Davey used all kinds of coffee, which created different effects upon the watercolour paper he used. During this time, he was taking a lot of nature walks and would stop at different coffee shops (Portland, Oregon has so many!) and work. In this regard, he had a traveling studio. All of the works were small enough to be carried from place to place. Davey has an intense love of coffee, and this collection reflected that, but also reflected his love for dark and strange things, the macabre, and ghosts and monsters.
Coffee Monsters
Ophelia Darkly & Davey Cadaver
http://opheliadarkly.com
http://facebook.com/ophelia.darkly
http://instagram.com/opheliadarkly
Ophelia was so inspired by these that she decided to write stories about them after they were created. The characters already seemed very alive, so it was easy to come up with ideas for their stories. It was important that she have the physical painting next to her and ask it what it had to say. She would listen, handwrite what it told her, and add things on to it.
Both Davey and Ophelia took the time to answer questions about their new book and also answer some questions themed with this issue about phobias and superstitions, enjoy!
Gothesque Magazine: Was the process of creating and compiling Coffee Monsters into a book more difficult than expected, or did the process flow easily?
Ophelia Darkly & Davey Cadaver: The process did not flow easily or go according to plan, but that seems to be the case a lot of times with any new experience. You think things are one way, especially as you know yourself, and how long it usually takes you to create something, you research, and then, when the momentum picks up, things go topsy-turvy. You find that your research, though helpful, was not entirely accurate. We have found that many things need to be learned by experience. In our research, we discovered that many people who did Kickstarters or who self-published had some sort of tight-knit community that would assist them by providing answers, or they had a lot of money to pay others to do much of the work for them. We did not have much of either. We made our Kickstarter with no budget. It was a full-time job. For the Kickstarter, we came up with advertising ideas (with a particular focus on advertising locally within our city), made a short silent film with our digital camera and phone for the Kickstarter, and wrote the campaign. We came up with a mystery game for people to follow and had a special contest for the last person to contribute. But we didn’t do it so that people would say, ‘oh wow, look at them, they are so DIY, how cool!’ we did it so that we had creative control, and also, to inspire others to pursue their dreams. We have found that it is quite easy to make excuses for yourself when it comes to creative projects when you have limited funds. We wanted to show people that money, though a helpful tool, is not everything. If you put your mind to whatever you wish, it can be done. Interestingly, the launch of the Kickstarter was on a supermoon, and the end of it was on a full moon. There have been a lot of synchronicities throughout our journey.
Even after the Kickstarter, there were so many other setbacks, and we overcame them. We had anticipated the book launching on Halloween, and instead, we ended up sending books out in June. I (Ophelia) ended up working four jobs and was finding it difficult to find the time to do the rest of the writing, design the layout, and all the editing by myself. There was so much pressure and so much to consider, even small aesthetic things that many people would not think twice about such as how something looks on a page, what font to use, how big the font should be, what the margins should be, what the packaging will look like for the book, what size it should be, what the author photos should look like, where the books will be distributed, the list goes on. We ended up using Microsoft Word to do the entire layout, which was not in the least ideal. And then, when everything was ready, we had issues with our computer, issues choosing the proper publisher, and issues within that publisher. It was a constant uphill battle, and sometimes, we both thought we would lose our minds, but we didn’t. We put so much positive energy and intention and so many wishes for the book that we knew, in our hearts, that it would succeed, despite any setbacks and struggles.
Gothesque Magazine: Is this your first endeavor creating a book? Do you have plans for more?
Ophelia Darkly & Davey Cadaver: We both certainly intend on writing more books. Davey is working on a book of art, thoughts, and philosophy. Ophelia has been writing since the age of 6 and has written many books, but this is the first that has gone out to the world. Ophelia has also been writing a new book. She won’t say much about it, except that there will be more fairytales, it will be a lot longer, and it has nothing to do with coffee.
Gothesque Magazine: Out of all the Coffee Monsters, do you have a favorite?
Ophelia Darkly & Davey Cadaver: I (Ophelia) have been thinking about the word favorite a lot lately. I work with children, and many adults ask them what their favorite __ is. I think the question alone sets things up so that people are faced with duality after duality, black vs. white, good vs. evil, instead of more complex ideas. As far as Coffee Monsters goes, I (Ophelia) have stories that I feel more connected with at certain times, but it seems always to be changing. As I wrote them all, they all have parts of me in them, so it seems strange to choose a favorite. I (Davey) use different techniques in my paintings to achieve the end result, but it does not mean that one is better or worse than the other. They are all magical in their own way. There were other coffee monster paintings, but we intentionally chose to have 13 monsters and 13 stories. Ultimately, we hope that no one has a favorite because we wish that they love them all!
Gothesque Magazine: What do you hope those that purchase a copy take away from viewing and reading Coffee Monsters?
Ophelia Darkly & Davey Cadaver: I (Davey) hope that people are inspired to look at things differently. What I mean is to look at what’s around them and utilize things that they might not have initially viewed as a tool, to create something. For me, it’s the idea of transmutation: taking something I use every day and applying that in a different way, fully utilizing something for its ability. For example, I didn’t want to limit my view of coffee to just drinking it. I was able to turn it into art, and the art gave birth to stories. This alchemical perception affects the way you see the entire world and enriches the interactions you have throughout the day. It’s evident in the way I saw the monsters in the coffee splatters.
I (Ophelia) want people to be inspired. They can write a book, they can paint, they can do whatever art they want to, and they don’t have to make excuses for themselves. I have done this so many times in the past, which is why I waited so long to publish a book. If you feel compelled to do anything creative, even if it is picking up twigs on the street and making a boat, take action and do it! It doesn’t need to be shown to people either; it can just be for you. I want people to be inspired to use their imagination. As an adult, some of us hold back our imaginations to pursue money, or a career, or a family, or an ideal that isn’t even our own ideal. But magic is all around of us. It is easy to see the bad in the world, especially as a lot of media spreads it rapidly. It is easy to become wrapped up in how horrible of a place the world can be, but that isn’t all there is. Take a walk around your neighborhood and use more than your eyes: see the animals interacting, beautiful plants and flowers, get lost in your thoughts and dreams, take the time to search your soul. You don’t need to go on an expedition to another country or planet to gain enlightenment.
Gothesque Magazine: If you were not able to create art, what do you think you would be doing?
Ophelia Darkly & Davey Cadaver: I (Davey) think that I would find another soul in which to make art. I don’t think I would be alive. I (Ophelia) don’t think it’s possible to say that I would not be able to create. If my arms got chopped off, I would find a way to write. If it wasn’t with my toes, I would talk into something or have someone write it down for me. Or, perhaps, I would find a different art form or different tools. For example, Basquiat was homeless, and he still found a way to paint without high-quality paintbrushes and paints and canvases. There is always a way. If it is your calling, you will find a way to do it. You can overcome anything and creation can help you do that. I (Ophelia) can relate, having been bitten by a dog on my face as a young girl. People told me that I couldn’t be a model or an actor that I would have to choose a different line of work. It did shape me in some negative ways, but mostly, it shaped me in positive ways. It pushed me further and inspired to keep going. Everyone has scars, even if they are not physical. Creation will never die if you nurture it.
Gothesque Magazine: We are featuring your book in our Phobias and Superstitions issues. Do you suffer at all from any of the top 10 phobias (Arachnophobia, Ophidiophobia, Acrophobia, Agoraphobia, Cynophobia, Astraphobia, Claustrophobia, Mysophobia, Aerophobia & Trypophobia)?
Ophelia Darkly & Davey Cadaver: I (Davey) am most scared of people, and I am afraid of what we are doing to the environment and animals. That we are not recognizing our everyday impact on the planet, I am also afraid that I won’t live up to my fullest potential.
I (Ophelia) can relate to many of the fears on the list, some because of traumatic experiences. I have a lot of fears in general and I do have an anxiety disorder. I think a lot of people can relate to that. However, in the past few years, especially, I realized that I did not want to let my fears control and conquer my life. For example, in the past, when I was having a panic attack, I would just wait it out. But in the past few years, I have attempted to use my mind to overcome it. Writing has definitely helped as well as meditation and yoga. I saw the importance of working towards a positive mental state so that I did not let my fears consume my life. Of course, it is not easy; it is something to work towards.
To go further, I do believe that it is easier to overcome a fear within yourself than one of a bigger scale. For instance, I can overcome my fear of heights by jumping out of a plane, but if the whole world is afraid, what could I as an individual do? It is hard to feel as though your one vote, one recycled can, one organic meal, etc. is making a difference in the world. I observed that a lot of fears in the top ten are fears that exist within a single person and are not a global fear, which gives me hope. There are a lot of archetypal fears here. A lot of the things on the list could physically hurt you: certain spiders, snakes, you could fall off a building, dogs, being trampled, lightning, germs (cancer which is a global issue), plane crash, not sure about holes. But these things are things that are largely in an individual’s control. I wonder how the list has changed over time and what that means about us as a planet.
Gothesque Magazine: Is there anything you were afraid of as a child that you no longer fear? and vice versa?
Ophelia Darkly & Davey Cadaver: Of course, as you change as a complex person, your fears change. However, fears may carry on into adulthood if you haven’t overcome them and take on another form. For example, you may no longer fear the dark or monsters under your bed, but you may fear people coming into your house at night and attacking you. Still similar, but less child-like. The form becomes more tangible than something in your imagination — a form that many people may recognize, which makes it even scarier in a way. I (Davey) am not afraid of monsters. The monsters that I paint and the monsters in storybooks; those characters bring me comfort and joy. The real monsters are people: serial killers, politicians that are only out for themselves, corporations that destroy the environment, small businesses that don’t give a fuck, etc.
Gothesque Magazine: Is there a superstition that your parents tried to instill in you, but to you was just too silly?
Ophelia Darkly & Davey Cadaver: I think things get hazy when the word superstition comes around. What it makes me think of is religion. I wouldn’t use the word silly, but I would say that it was something that was forced on me for quite some time and not something that I can currently identify with for many reasons. There are some parents that share their ideas about the world and about traditions and rituals with their children and allow them to make their own decisions and have their own thoughts about it. There are some, on the other hand, that force it upon their children. I do not think that the latter is ever the right answer. I (Davey) was raised Catholic, but I had a lot of my own rituals and superstitions, which formed my belief system. I was intrigued by tales of bad luck and wondered where they came from: walking under a ladder, seeing a black cat, broken mirrors, and so on. They helped define my own ideas and fears at the time, which was a departure from Catholicism. As a child, I would say that I was afraid of clowns in order to feel more developed as a human being. I was also interested in urban legends and eager to test them out to see if they were real: bloody mary is a good example. After a while, I realized how silly these are.
Gothesque Magazine: Are you superstitious? Are there any superstitions you partake in, such as breaking the wishbone or picking up a penny for good luck?
Ophelia Darkly & Davey Cadaver: We would not call it superstition, as that usually has a negative connotation. Wishes are on the opposite spectrum almost, and a lot of them are in our book! Everyone that ordered our book got a penny and dandelion seeds. We do a lot of wishing in our everyday lives (wishing on dandelions, holding our breath in tunnels, wishing on eyelashes, etc.) and it transferred to our book. It makes everyday life more magical, questions one’s intentions, and helps assess goals. Another thing we wanted to spread was finding your own ritual and magic that you could do every day. You don’t need to buy a crystal, a book, or pay a person to tell you the future.
Real wishes cannot be bought. Rather than avoiding things like black cats, I (Davey) look for them. I partake in active rituals, putting out positive energy and intention into the world. I don’t always know the reasons why I do what I do, but I do come up with reasons that make sense that enrich my life and hopefully others.
Writing down an intention or dream is another way to make something you wish more tangible, which is why we placed a spot in the back of our book for people to do so.
This work appeared in Issue #38 Vol. 1 | July 2016 | Phobias & Superstitions purchase this issue in print on Magcloud
https://www.magcloud.com/browse/issue/1135015
