So what do we have? Where are we? The first painting in the new series '20 Books = 20 Paintings', a visual response to the crime-novels from around the world that I read incessantly, bringing that part of my life into my artistic life. The source novels will be not be revealed providing, I hope, an additional layer of intrigue for the viewer. If they wish, they have the option to become a detective themselves and follow the visual clues in the painting which lead to the identity of the novel. 

From my point of view - working within the criticality of every element working for the painting - the series provides the new challenge and discipline of what not to include in both the paintings and in my writing. A balance between making the identity of the place and novel too difficult or too easy to discover. In this piece, I held back an image because I didn't want to clutter the painting but also because it may have made recognition of the place too obvious. What I can tell you is that the palette is significant to the place as are the specifics of the grid(s). If you know my work, map-view and image jostle side by side and a colour-reversal is not uncommon....There are different scales in the three sections: the majesty of painting allows this to happen seamlessly. It is hierarchial: what is important in this painting? HINT: the novel is fiction built around a real event and the location of where the victim's body was found a focal-point. Two other important locations are integrated in the piece.

I talk too much about that side of things. This is a painting that works: beautiful colour, heat, ideas, intuition, precision and balance. I'm enjoying the realationship between the cut and painted lines of the 'candelabra' and the canvas-divide and the more subtle verticals on the right-side, almost a faded mirror-image, reflecting the symmetry I was looking for.  I would happily put it alongside 'Lakeshore Ltd' (below). I think Denise has come around - she was very fond of the painting on Friday.

And the mark was purple - to counteract the rigidity that was creeping in.  Central line softened....better: the 'right' weight.

A new yellow around the 'candelabra', a strengthening of the lines. Also a re-introduction of the horizontal - perhaps it should be more of a suspicion of a line...glaze over? It's a mark away from being resolved...keep looking.