The Best Part of the Meal depicts the JFG Coffee building and its iconic neon signage, a familiar landmark for anyone arriving in Knoxville. The bold letters and slogan—once a beacon of mid-century advertising—still stand as a symbol of welcome, nostalgia, and place.

I’m drawn to the intersection of architecture and signage, especially the way older advertisements once lit city skylines and shaped local identity. The JFG sign embodies that spirit, merging industrial structure with the artistry of neon design.

Created through my encaustic process of transferring ink onto beeswax, the work layers fragments of text and color much like the building itself—assembled piece by piece into something both intricate and unified. In this way, the painting not only honors a Knoxville landmark but also reflects the enduring presence of memory woven into the cityscape.