Details from two separate works in progress.

This first is a more "alchemy-influenced" painting,

-which feels as though it marks the coming of the dark half of the year,
a possible time for occultation, and finding strength deep inside oneself.
In the fog and murk one might at least stumble upon a new direction.
"Honour thine error as a hidden intention" as the Oblique Strategies card set
has it.

I'm currently exploring Taoist alchemy http://www.goldenelixir.com/jindan.html

and magical calligraphy; 
James Elkins has written engagingly on the kinship between painting and alchemy in "What Painting Is".

Below are two details from deliberately out-and-out garish
"Mischief Night (I Am The Most Horrible)" .
The title refers to a scene from the film "Meet Me In St Louis"
view on youtube...
and revels in all things late October, be it  Mischief Night (Oct 30th),
Trick or Treat, Guising and Spirit Knocking.
the surface "claggy" like bonfire toffee, sticky bubble gum
or melting sour-sweet chews; cheap witch masks looming and
bobbing up out of the night, and suspiciously too-red toffee apples.