Coffee cups celebrate cycling

GETTING into the spirit of this week’s Federation University Road National Championships, twenty-five hospitality venues will serve takeaway coffees in cycling-themed cups.

Five local artists have been commissioned by the City of Ballarat to create designs referencing Ballarat, Buninyong and bike-riding for the RoadNats Coffee Cup Art series.

Marce King, Lucy Frith, Bec Warr, Elaine Tso and Pauline O’Shannessy-Dowling have each illustrated an image, rending their work in varying ways; digitally, with paint or a pen.

Frith said she is “over the moon” to be part of the cycling celebration, featuring athletes in motion, the Mining Exchange, the Buninyong Town Hall, farmland, and Mount Buninyong.

“When I illustrate for the Ballarat region, I love capturing the sense of community and passion that we have for our people, our history, and our overall connective atmosphere that we have created for ourselves,” she said.

“I see this through our weekend farmer’s markets, live music events, people catching up for coffee in the morning, and our love for cycling.

“I’ve enjoyed the process of creating this atmosphere through the people cycling, our heritage buildings, and our regional environment that has kept us close-knit.”

O’Shannessy-Dowling’s pieces often focus on the urban landscape, so this artistic challenge worked well with her process.

“I used the Town Hall, which is iconic. Mount Buninyong has such a distinctive shape which I’ve always loved, so I used that, and I went for a circular composition to easily build in the wheel of a bike,” she said.

“The red stripes refer to the spokes of a wheel, and I’ve made the outside look like a road too.

“This was a fun project. Art and sport have traditionally clinked up against each other, not occupying the same space, but to me they have a strong bond, and being active myself, I think it’s quite natural.”

Tso opted for “clean, friendly and calm” imagery.

“Coming up with a design solution is always enjoyable. In ways it’s a journey for the brain, you kind of just go with it until you feel like you’ve hit your destination,” she said.

“In ways, I’m surprised to be involved in such a big project. I feel like the baby of all the selected artists, and I feel so very lucky to be be a part of something so exciting.”

The cups are available at 1816 Bakery, the Boatshed, Bodega, Eclectic Tastes, Eureka Street Food and Wine, the Golden City Hotel, Hydrant Food Hall, The Lake View Hotel, Little Bird, Little Square Garage, Maggie and Kate, Mitchell Harris, Pipers, The Lane, The Old Bluestone Café, The Red Lion, The Turret, The Western Hotel, Tin Roof, Websters Market and Café, Yellow Espresso, the Yacht Club, the Mercure Hotel, Europa and Hopscotch.