Archive for the ‘Artwork on this site’ Category
Monday, May 4th, 2009
I’ve been working simultaneously on the artworks and have finished Madison’s too. I’ve printed out Madison’s goodbye letter shown on either side of her cigarette. I wanted to create a feeling of a declaration being made where Madison renounces cigarettes for good. I feel there is a firmness and rigidity in the design that reflects how she feels about quitting and moving forward. Apologies for the shadows – one of the photo bulbs blew just as I was about to take it. I hope you like it Madison!
Madison's Last Cigarette & Goodbye Letter
Tags: Ashes To Ashes, Goodbye Letter, last cigarette
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Monday, May 4th, 2009
Finally I created an artwork for Shirley. If you look back at the package that she sent to me some time back she sent me a lot of self motivational messages and I included one of those on the main focus of the artwork. You Can Because You Can Believe You Can. What a powerful message. Shirley’s last cigarette is also included underneath the gauze as is her goodbye letter. I kept the artwork very simple so as not to detract from the great message.
Shirley's last cigarette
Tags: Ashes To Ashes, Goodbye Letter, last cigarette
Posted in Artwork on this site | 3 Comments »
Sunday, February 8th, 2009
Betty sent me her Goodbye Letter a few weeks ago and I’ve made the artwork below for her. I didn’t have her last cigarette so I included some packaging for Marlboro Ultra Lights – the brand that Betty smoked. The artwork is not as “clean cut” as the earlier ones but I think it works well and it is heavily influenced by the words in Betty’s goodbye letter – the words “I thought you were my friend, But were my enemy” are haunting and prompted a more forceful response in the imagery in the artwork. I think it is more reminiscent of a mausoleum than a temple and I think subconsciously I wanted to emphasize that there is no going back – no more smoking – and that is why I tied the poles and barred up the symbolic doorway.
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Sunday, September 7th, 2008
It has been 14 months now but I have no more cigarettes from donors to create new artwork! When I started this project I was sure I would receive many but it isn’t an easy thing to do. If anyone would like to send me a last cigarette send it to me I would love to continue to add to my wall of honor. Left to right on the photo – Vicky, Erica, Mary, Jackie (me), Linda & Binshenjit. Congratulations everyone!
Tags: cigarettes, project, quitting
Posted in Artwork on this site | 10 Comments »
Monday, August 25th, 2008
Erica has 7 weeks today – I hope you like the artwork to celebrate that achievement. Once again I used the temple format, used the gauze, bells, nails etc as a visual language to describe the experience of quitting i.e. one of celebration , death (of old habits, dependancies, beliefs), healing and renewal, with temptation always lurking around.
Tags: cigarette, last cigarette, quitting
Posted in Artwork on this site, Background | 4 Comments »
Sunday, July 27th, 2008
I recently took part in Artomatic 2008 in Washington DC. This is a huge, non juried and fun event that takes place every two years in DC. Unfortunately I didn’t get to spend a lot of time there this year as I had arthroscopic surgery in my shoulder a few days after the opening night.
This year I exhibited some of my smoking paintings (picture below) and got listed in the top 10 picks of blogger & photographer Mark Parascandola. Thank you Mark – check out his work here.
The center piece on my wall space is a Japanese folded paper Gohei on which I hand wrote the poems of fellow quitter Miss Puppy Fantastico.
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Wednesday, March 19th, 2008
I finally incorporated my last cigarette in a piece of art. Again I followed the temple format denoting simple columns and a frieze. The frieze is decorated with 25 burned matches representing the 25 years or so that I smoked and although I had many “left over” cigarettes I only used one with a nail through it. I also included a photograph taken of me smoking about 15 years ago. I actually like that photograph (I don’t like many photographs of me) – it was taken in a restaurant in Italy and I’m younger and look fresher. I transferred a copy of the photograph to wax paper and a scroll nailed onto the artwork. I wanted it to denote a time gone by, something in the past, the end of something.
I’ve been a non-smoker for eight months now and glad that I have quit. I was at home, in Ireland, for a week recently and I have to say that I didn’t think of a cigarette in all that time. However since I’ve been back I have thought about it more and am now questioning whether working on this project is prolonging withdrawal symptoms.
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Sunday, March 2nd, 2008
I’ve just finished Linda’s putting together Linda’s artwork for her packet of marlboro cigarettes that she sent me. I will write more about this in a week or two but I decided that I wouldn’t open the pack or pull it apart i.e. (a) I felt it was important to leave the pack intact and unopened and (b) to preserve the purity of the packaging as the cigarette company intended. I simply inserted two pristine nails into the pack to match the “clean design” lines of the pack. I used a design that conjures up images of crypts for me and also old billboard signs that you see in movies – you know the type that had the wanted signs on them. I put a single bell to add the idea of churches and celebrations. Linda was a closet smoker so for the most part she has had to deal with withdrawal on her own without the support of friends – so a single bell to denote her journey is appropriate.
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Thursday, February 28th, 2008
Linda has been quit over 5 weeks now but she had kept a full unopened packet of cigarettes in her home. She felt that by keeping a packet unopened that she was demonstrating control over the nicotine addiction. For me, that is a time bomb waiting to go off. I’ve done that before on previous quits but always caved in at some point. Linda graciously sent me her pack and I am currently working on creating a suitable artwork for them. They are still unopened by the way but it is strange to handle the packet – it has crossed my mind that I could smoke the pack and nobody would be any the wiser!! How crazy is that? On the other hand I stare at the pack and admire how pristine it is and how clean it is – the design sings purity.
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Tuesday, February 12th, 2008
I have completed Vicky’s last cigarettes that she sent me in the mail. I used the three broken cigarettes that were in the pack and stuck them back together again. I designed the artwork around the toril gates found at the entrance to Japanese Shinto shrines because I find their architecture both harmonious and peaceful. The paper scrolls at the top of the shrine are fashioned after the Buddhist prayer wheels and the written text on them simply repeat over and over again “One day at a timeâ€. Once again for consistency I used the gauze as a symbol of healing and, to ensure consistency from one work to another. Unseen, below the gauze is a simple book of Japanese rice paper that repeats the mantra “Success is just not one puffâ€. On top of the gauze is a makeshift cross on which the cigarettes are hung or crucified. (The use of the cross is not intended denigratory to the Christian religion). The color is alizarin orange with Indian yellow lights shining through, symbolizing light and passion and strength.
Posted in Artwork on this site, Join My Art Project | 2 Comments »
