What do men talk about when they meet for coffee?

The weather? Politics? Football? The state of the world? Or perhaps nothing particularly important at all.

Sometimes the pleasure is simply in being together.

Männer Runde | Men Meeting is an original acrylic painting on acid-free paper, inspired by a delightful month I spent painting at Cheesmeyer, a historic café and cultural meeting place in Sissach, Switzerland, in January 2023. You can read a press text (in German) published in the Volksstimme newspaper about the event here.

Bloomell - Cheesmeyer is much more than a café. It is a place where people meet, enjoy food and drink, attend concerts and participate in cultural events. It is a place full of life.

During my month there, I painted the people, conversations and everyday encounters unfolding around me.

I was particularly interested in capturing the atmosphere of the building, the warmth of its guests and staff, and the wonderful sense of community that makes such places special.

In this painting, I found myself concentrating entirely on the men.

Some were meeting friends, others enjoying a coffee break or working in a public space.

And, rather remarkably, there isn't a single woman in the picture!

I didn't set out to make a statement about men or women. I was simply observing what was happening around me and responding to the scene that caught my attention.

That is one of the things I love about painting directly from life.

You never quite know what will happen, who will arrive or which particular moment will become the subject of a painting.

A café offers an endlessly fascinating theatre of human behaviour.

People lean towards one another in conversation, listen, gesture, sit quietly or become absorbed in their own thoughts. Every figure has a story, even if we never discover what it is.

My figurative paintings explore these ordinary moments of human connection.

I am not interested in creating a photographic record of a scene. I want to capture something of its life, its movement and the feeling of being there.

Through expressive brushwork, colour and composition, I try to convey the atmosphere that surrounds the people I paint.

For me, this is what makes a painting come alive.

Männer Runde | Men Meeting celebrates the simple pleasure of gathering together.

In a world where so much of our communication takes place through screens, I think there is something rather wonderful about sitting across a table from another human being, sharing a coffee and enjoying a conversation.

These small, everyday encounters are part of what holds a community together.

And now I would like to invite you into the painting.

Who can you see? What are these men like? Are they old friends, colleagues or strangers who have struck up a conversation?

Would you like to join them at one of the tables?

And, most importantly, what would you order?

Bring a little café warmth into your home

At 64 × 50 cm, this original figurative painting would bring character, warmth and a sense of human connection to a living room, dining room, kitchen or study.

It would be particularly appealing to someone who loves café culture, conversation and the small rituals of everyday life.

Perhaps it will even inspire you to put the kettle on and invite a friend over.

After all, there is always time for a good conversation.

Artwork details

• Title: Männer Runde | Men Meeting

• Original artwork: One of a kind, only one original exists

• Medium: Acrylic on acid-free paper

• Dimensions: 64 × 50 cm (height × width)

• Inspiration: January 2023 painting residency at Cheesmeyer, Sissach, Switzerland

• Technique: Painting from direct observation

• Style: Contemporary expressive figurative painting

• Themes: Friendship, men, café culture, conversation, community and everyday life

• Artist: Sibylle Laubscher

This is an original, one-of-a-kind painting. There is only one in the world, and once it has found its new home, it will no longer be available.

Packaging and shipping

Your original painting will be carefully protected for transport. As a work on paper, I recommend professional framing to protect and preserve it.