"Smoke" is the second artwork for my second series "A Night in Japan", 2017. I created the artwork using Copic markers and white pencil on Arches medium textured, 300gsm watercolour paper. My signature is in the bottom right corner of the artwork in gold pen.

I have included a photo of me holding the framed original. The dimensions are for the size of the visible image. The size of the overall framed piece is 91 x 72.5cm. The framing is a gloss box frame with white core, black mat board. The thin line of white on the inside edge of the mat makes the highlights in the piece really stand out. I chose a black mat as I wanted this series to look like stills from a movie, as my inspiration was drawn from the film Blade Runner. I spent extra to get "museum"
glass, which is much less reflective and allows much better visibility of the artwork. It also has a 99% UV protection as well.

This series continues from my first series, 'A Year in Japan', yet focuses on a single night in Tokyo. There is no longer a 'lone man', instead, a variety of people are shown, each going about their lives on this one night which binds them together. My influence for this series is also drawn from the film Blade Runner, a film loved for it's dystopian, 'Neo Tokyo' nighttime scenes. As with my first series, I am attempting to convey the Japanese phrase 物の哀れ 'mono no aware' - the gentle sadness of things. This refers to the ephemeral, transitory nature of the world, which in turn evokes a greater appreciation for things which are quick to disappear, such as cherry blossoms. The scenes I portray are fleeting moments in time, where the figures, objects and light will only be in that exact state for a moment, never to be repeated. Furthering this concept, this series depicts scenes from a single night in Tokyo, highlighting the ephemeral quality of time.

"Smoke" depicts a lone man in a suit, walking down a Tokyo alley at night, his back to the viewer. The smoke from his cigarette drifts over his shoulder. The bright lights in front of him illuminate parts of the scene, providing strong contrast. The mostly black and grey work contains just a few hints of blues and browns. The scene is a glimpse into the life of this man. It is not obvious whether he is on his way home from work or heading out for the night.The style I used was inspired by Studio Ghibli animation and traditional Japanese woodblock prints.