Local Artist Perks Up Larchmont Coffee Shop

When people walk into Aroma Coffee Roast, the Larchmont coffee house near the corner of Larchmont and Palmer avenues, creative art is not typically on their minds. Which type of home roasted, fresh-brewed coffee and what size they'll choose tends to be the focus.

These days, local artist Charles James Reilly III, better known as C.J., is making an impact on another of Aroma's patrons' sensibilities: what they see. Working from stencils he designed in his Larchmont studio, C.J. lent his contemporary style of illustrating and lettering to the chalkboard menu boards that hang behind the counter. The simple lines and cool images are making an impact.

"People are trying a lot of new things that they never ordered before because they look so appealing now," says Jake Offenhartz, an Aroma barista. "It's pretty amazing."

"It's given the place a whole new look," added John Minotti, the manager of Aroma. "Everyday we get a lot of comments and questions about how artsy and cool CJ's work is."

At 26, C.J. has already made a name for himself as a designer, animator, illustrator and graphic artist both in the United States and abroad. A graduate of the Maryland Institute of Contemporary Art (MICA) and a former star pupil of Mamaroneck High School's studio art elective, C.J. has shown his work most recently at the Eden Gallery on Madison Avenue in New York City. This past spring he traveled to Israel to join graffiti artists to paint murals with collage and distressed painting techniques on bomb shelters and an indoor recreational center in Israel, at the Gaza border. Artists 4 Israel, the New York based non-profit organization that sponsored the trip, defined the mission as an opportunity to foster artistic exchanges between Israeli and international artists to promote peaceful and multicultural environments.

C.J. lost his uncle, Timothy Reilly, in the 9/11 attack on the World Trade Center and has chosen to channel his hopes for peace through his art. Last year, the artist took his talents to South America, where a grant afforded him the chance to spend several months sketching quirky portraits of eccentric individuals and writing about his encounters. He showed his work upon his return at the former DRWR Gallery in Brooklyn.

C.J.'s pen and ink drawings have appeared in The New Yorker and on commercial Web sites. His murals hang in New York City hotels and on the walls of the newest Manhattan location of My Most Favorite Food, a catering company and eatery owned by Larchmont residents.

"I'm interested in storytelling and narratives and real life scenarios and then like to bring fictional elements for detail into my work," explains C.J. when pressed to describe what inspires him.

When C.J. embarked on the Aroma mural project he made a deal with owner David Nadelson, who also maintains a wholesale coffee business, and manager John Minotti that he'd provide the art work free of charge in exchange for coffee.

"I think it truly is the best coffee in the world so it's a great deal for me," says C.J. with a grin. "The relationship I have built with the team here at Aroma is what my art is all about," he says. "This is a place where we work together to bring something higher, a new experience. We are part of that when we enter; we customers and the folks who work here. I hope my art facilitates that."

The Aroma designs were created with computer graphics and illustrations. C.J. aims to continue his involvement with the chalkboard signage at Aroma even as he acquires more commissions and embarks on new projects. His spring show at the Eden Gallery resulted in portrait commissions, and Lego recently chose him to provide the Web banner animations for its Web site.

"My training has given me the ability to solve problems and adapt to new techniques," he says. "I like doing new things and to consider how shapes interact with the space."

On a recent hot afternoon, patron Mark Fisher walked in to Aroma. "I planned to get an iced coffee but I think I'll have an Ice Chailatte," he told Offenhartz, who was working behind the counter. When asked what made him change his mind, he said: "I saw that chalkboard and it made me want to try something new."

Check out C.J.'s blog at charlesjamesreillythethird.blogspot.com.