In my last cigar art article I introduced a couple of extremely talented photographers and shared some of their work with you.  For this article I’d like to share some great paintings and drawings with you and tell you a bit about Mike Gates and Jeff Goins, the artists.

Artist: Mike Gates
Location: University of Delaware
Email: cigarartfolio@gmail.com

Bulldog with Cigar by Mike Gates

Mike is a student artist studying for his Bachelor of Fine Arts degree at the University of Delaware.  He’s always been fascinated by art and was just like any other kid with finger paints and crayons, only he found out he had a passion for it and after taking several classes throughout junior high and high school he submitted his portfolio and was accepted to the BFA program.

Mike’s first cigar was a gift from a friend, a Macanudo Ascot Café, and from there he ordered some samplers as well as CAO Brazilias, he continues to enjoy trying new cigars and some of his favorites are the Hoyo de Monterrey Dark Sumatra, 601 Green, DPG Blue and the trusty CAO Brazilia, to name a few.  Naturally his passion for cigars and art began to cross paths soon after he started enjoying cigars.

When painting cigar themed pieces Mike enjoys paint large reproductions of cigar bands.  Mike also enjoys painting abstract works and intends to paint some abstract cigar pieces soon.  At this point painting is mostly a hobby for him as he focuses on his studies; however he has painted commissioned pieces and continues to be available for commissioned work.  If you are interested in contacting Mike to commission a painting or see what other works he may have available please email him at cigarartfolio@gmail.com.

Artist: Jeff Goins
Location: Washington, DC
Website: jeffgoinsart.com

Jeff is a full-time Architect and part-time artist in Washington, DC.  Mike first discovered his interest in art while in high school drafting class, as he found that drawing was one of the few things that would actually hold his attention.  Later, Jeff went on to Architecture school where he took many more art and photography classes and discovered that he had a passion for surrealism and modern art.  You can see this reflected in his works, where he focuses on the negative aspects of images to reveal interesting perspectives and shapes.

Profile Man with Cigar by Jeff Goins

Jeff began enjoying cigars as a way to relax; he really enjoys the ritual of smoking a cigar and recalls his grandfather once told him not to start smoking cigars until he could appreciate the ritual as well as the taste.  For Jeff, that happened when he was 26 and had major surgery, he spent a lot of time in recovery and the relaxation of the cigar was his reward at the end of a long day.  He still looks forward to that reward at the end of a long day after 14 years of enjoying cigars with some of his favorites being Trinidad, Bolivar, Padron Anniversary and Cuaba.

As cigars and art are both relaxing activities for Jeff, it was very easy for him to blend the two.  One of his first cigar art projects was designing some cigar labels when his nephew was born 8 years ago.  Cigars have played a very important role in many aspects of his friendships as well as Jeff’s down time and are sure to be a part of his life for years to come.

If you would like to purchase any of Jeff’s work, please view his online gallery at www.jeffgoinsart.com.  Although Jeff does consider commissioned pieces, he finds that he prefers to work on the creative pieces that he is personally drawn to.

*HOLIDAY SPECIAL* For a limited time, Jeff is offering 2-for-1 pricing on his prints.  Each print comes with backing, foam core and 4-ply matts for framing.  What a great gift this would make for the cigar lover on your Christmas list!

The slideshow below shows many more photos by these great artists.  For optimal viewing click FS in the bottom right to view full screen.