Stage three.

The lower half is going to cause problems, and I must try to find unity with the better top half.

Progress, changes.

The painting is slowly starting to form, I have decided on a more architectural structure. Sometimes the obvious is best. I wonder if I should remove the 9 metal plates that run across the painting? I do like the movement they create.

Icon project.

Icon is a new series that I plan to work on for the next year. I will create 15 to 20 experimental pieces in various formats, using objects and media to form abstract Icons. The works will be of a contemplative nature, designed to invite the viewer to travel through the various layers of meaning, both intentional and unintentional. This is a learning process, and while I realize I will probably make pieces that are derivative, or outright failures, I will be looking for something in each work that I can make my own, and use to find something new.

Artistic Murder Mysteries.

One of my favourite literary genres is murder mysteries. They are one of my great guilty pleasures. I especially enjoy it when murder mysteries cross over into my other interests and have an artistic bent. One of the best writers in this vein is Iain Pears with his Jonathan Argyll series. Jonathan Argyll is an art dealer living in Rome with his girlfriend Flavia di Stefano. Flavia di Stefano is an investigator in Rome’s art theft squad. She is the brains in the investigation part, while Jonathan is a clumsy and unsuccessful art dealer, but a brilliant art historian, who can’t resist sticking his nose in where it doesn’t belong. The series is funny and well researched, and has intriguing characters.

Pears is also known for the novel An Instance of the Fingerpost, which is an historical murder mystery set in Oxford in the 1660s. A young woman is accused of the murder of a fellow of New College named Robert Grove. We hear about the events of the murder from four witnesses. Each witness tells their version of what happened, and only one reveals the truth. Pears captures the times beautifully; set during the reign of Charles the second it is full of intrigue, hidden plots, religious and political ferment.

Pears has also written The Discovery of Painting, which was published by Yale University Press.

Cleaning up.

As the end of the year approaches I find myself looking around my studio for unfinished paintings that should either be thrown out or completed. There are a few that went straight to the shed, and at a later date will be salvaged for materials. There are also a few that I should finish or completely rework. This is one of the pieces that I have started working on again. What I like about this canvas is the colour, texture, and format. I feel it will make a good under painting to build on.