Between Lemons and Smoke: A Reflection on Impermanence

A woman with sharpened edges gazes sideways, her expression unreadable, her skin the color of old bruises and forgotten stories. Two golden fruits—lemons, or perhaps something more symbolic—press against her cheeks like burdens she cannot release. A cigarette dangles from her lips, a thin wisp of smoke dissolving into the feverish red void behind her. This is not just a portrait; this is a reckoning.

When I created this piece, I was thinking about the weight we carry. The things we do to numb, to escape, to survive. The tension between bitterness and resilience. The lemons—symbols of sharpness, endurance, and the ability to transform—sit against her skin like memories she cannot let go of, pressing into her, shaping her. The cigarette, a slow-burning rebellion, a quiet destruction, is both an anchor and a release.

The Process: Layers of Emotion

My work begins in the subconscious, in the hazy space between dreams and reality. This piece of surreal art was born from a simple sketch, a quick gesture on paper capturing an expression I couldn’t quite name. I built her skin with washes of ochre and umber, blending pain and resilience into every stroke. The deep reds in the background are the pulse of longing, of anger, of love unspoken.

The lemons were a last-minute decision, an unplanned disruption to the composition. But isn’t that how life works? The things we never expect become the things that define us. I painted them with warmth and weight, making them feel almost too real, too heavy. The contrast between them and the cigarette—a slow erosion of time—became the heart of the piece.

The Meaning: Holding On, Letting Go

We all have our lemons, our hardships, our burdens disguised as strength. We all have our smokes, the small destructions we allow ourselves in moments of weakness. This piece is about that duality, about the choice to hold on or let go. About the way we carry our past in our bones, in our skin, in the quiet spaces between glances.

Every painting I create is an invitation—an open door into a feeling, a memory, a part of ourselves we rarely confront. If this piece speaks to you, if you see yourself in her gaze, I invite you to explore more of my work at anyapaints.com.

Art is never just about what we see—it’s about what it stirs within us. What does this piece whisper to you?