Ninety-nine percent of the time when I smoke cigars, I’m playing golf, and I play golf a lot.” — Charles Barkley, reflecting on how premium cigars and a round on the fairways have become inseparable rituals in his life.
Pappy and Opus X on the 18th Hole, River Run Davidson — A Collector’s Ode
In the pantheon of sensory experiences — the rich aroma of leather, the patinaed whisper of polished wood, the sacramental pause before a masterful swing — few moments so perfectly encapsulate the convergence of ritual, mastery, and reverie as that singular intersection of cigar, bourbon, and golf. Pappy and Opus X on the 18th Hole, River Run Davidson by Michael John Valentine is not merely an artwork; it is an invocation of that rarefied realm where art connoisseurship and cultivated leisure become indistinguishable.
An Iconic Pairing — History and Substance in Still Life
At first glance, the subject presents itself with austere refinement: the deep mahogany hue of a 15-year Pappy Van Winkle’s Bourbon bottle — a spirit as storied and coveted as any vintage Bordeaux — situated beside a Fuente Opus X cigar, widely celebrated among aficionados as one of the world’s most illustrious handmade cigars. These objects, iconic in their provenance, serve as cultural totems of craftsmanship. The bourbon represents patience incarnate — barrels resting for over a decade in charred oak, quietly transmuting wood into liquid gold; the cigar symbolizes human artistry, the slow alchemy of soil, sun, and leaf. Together, they embody a perfect duality of age and experience, temperance and indulgence.
Valentine’s choice to situate these near the backdrop of the 18th hole at River Run Country Club in Davidson, North Carolina — a course known for its elegant northern design and sweeping finish — elevates the composition into something beyond mere still life. The 18th hole becomes a metaphor for life’s final, perfect moment: the culmination of challenge met and journey completed.
Atmosphere — Beyond the Literal
What distinguishes this work is its atmospheric invocation. There is no sterile spotlight on objects; instead, a glowing, almost smoky ambience enfolds the bourbon and cigar. This richness in tone — deep ambers and charcoal shadows brushed with soft highlights — conjures the dusk of an unforgettable day: the warmth of a sun dipping behind treetops, the carry of a well-struck ball that finds the cup, and the contemplative exhale of smoke as one surveys the course. The painting does not simply depict — it whispers.
Here, the smoke is not incidental; it is an aesthetic bridge between the tangible and the ephemeral. Valentine’s layered acrylic overpainting adds texture and breathes life into every swirl. With each brushstroke, the smoke seems to ascend — a visual metaphor for memories rising from the day just played, echoing the unspoken truth that experience, more than outcome, is the true trophy.
Craftsmanship — Material and Technique
These objects are not rendered with clinical precision but with painterly respect. Valentine’s technique begins with a controlled photographic composition but transcends it through layered acrylic overpainting. The visible strokes invite the viewer closer, urging them to touch with their eyes the tactile surface — to sense the grain of canvas, the sheen of glaze, the depths of layered pigment. The final glazing binds these layers in a delicate dance of light and shadow, catching the eye from different angles as though the painting itself were alive — much like the slow burn of a fine cigar or the deep swirl of bourbon in crystal.
This tactile richness makes every iteration of the piece subtly unique. Even prints carry this aura through meticulous overpainting and final sealing, culminating in a work that feels less reproduced and more reborn, each time anew.
Narrative of Ritual
For those who understand the gravity of ritual — whether on the links or in the quiet moments after the last hole — this artwork resonates on multiple levels. Golf, as a game, is laden with patience, precision, and a relentless return — stroke after stroke, day after day — to the pursuit of refinement. A premium cigar demands similar commitment: slow inhalation, measured enjoyment, an embrace of time that the modern world seldom affords. Bourbon, aged far beyond necessity, teaches us that patience has its own deep reward. In juxtaposing these through art, Valentine captures an ethos: that time well spent is not measured in hours but in layers of memory and satisfaction.
Cultural Context — Where Sport Meets Connoisseurship
This connection has a storied lineage in modern athletics. Charles Barkley’s avowal that his cigar smoking so often accompanies golf isn’t mere whimsy; it reflects how elite athletes, after careers defined by discipline and competition, seek communion with pleasure that is deliberate and unhurried. Michael Jordan — whose own affinity for cigars and golf is the stuff of legend — has embodied this blend of competitive spirit and cultivated leisure long after his basketball triumphs.
These cultural touchpoints enrich Valentine’s composition, positioning it not just as visual art but as cultural artifact — a celebration of living richly, of creating moments that linger like smoke in the air long after the last glow has faded.
Collector’s Perspective — Placement and Legacy
As a collector, placing Pappy and Opus X on the 18th Hole, River Run Davidson within a curated environment — whether a private lounge, study, or gallery wall — invites a dialogue between art and experience. The painting demands a setting where it can breathe: amid dark wood, leather armchairs, and warm light; a space where conversations about heritage, craftsmanship, and the joie de vivre can unfold. It is not decorative in the casual sense; it is ceremonial — a centerpiece around which stories are told and memories revisited.
Conclusion — A Moment Captured, a Life Celebrated
Valentine’s work is more than a visual celebration of two luxury symbols on the verge of a golf green — it is an elegy to the rituals that define us. It captures that ineffable sensation — the perfect pause after a well-played round, cigar in hand, bourbon poured, eyes on the horizon — that transforms a day into a memory, and a memory into legacy.
In Pappy and Opus X on the 18th Hole, River Run Davidson, Valentine offers not just imagery but experience: a stillness imbued with motion, an ambiance rich with the patina of life’s finest pleasures, and an invitation to savor, slowly, profoundly.
The Exhibition Canvas comes in 3 sizes and goes through several steps that include overpainting with acrylics, signing with acrylics on the front and a final glazing to protect the canvas before being rolled in a sealed tube then a box ( shipping is free in the USA )
The Matted Prints come in 3 sizes and are shipped in a box. ( shipping and handling is free in the US)
The Glossy Poster Print measures 16 x 24 and arrives in a sealed tube that is placed in a box. ( shipping is free in the US )
The 4 Inch Round Peel And Stick Decal is perfect for many applications beyond cars and comes in a sealed envelope ( shipped for free )
