I did this painting many years ago when I used to smoke cigars and pipes (I’m an inked and pierced dude myself, so I feel a bit of comradery with this model). I really liked this guy’s attitude, and wanted to try my hand at painting smoke, which I had never attempted before. So I embarked on a bit of a macho journey with this painting, choosing a subject on the rougher side of life. There are so many contrasting elements I believe I captured successfully — wispy smoke, the cold steel body jewelry, and the harsh contrast of light and shadow on skin. I’ve always thought of this piece as one of my best “portrait” style works…