Maine Landscape

                                                                                          (C) 2024 Dale DiMauro
 

Experimenting in watercolor is key to progressing with the medium. Along the way you learn techniques that can be advantageous to use when the situation arrises. 

For example, I have been adding a dark mixture at the base of vegetation to provide a substance to the root of the growth. Some of this can be seen along the far shoreline where shadows provide more interest.

Also, at the bottom of the picture, below the water, I used my atomizer to spatter dark value along the shore which offers a little movement in the air, too.

These developments in my painting practice get my juices my flowing. Also, they keep me inspired to paint and challenge myself to greater heights.

Mixing Browns

                                                                                              (C) 2024 Dale DiMauro
 

Brown is a challenging color for me to paint. It seems best to mix your own browns as the pigments explode to life with freshness. Finding good color combinations is key.

Often the browns I come up with lean either towards yellow or red. One of my favorite brown mixtures is sap green/ windsor violet and cadmium red.

Recently, I became excited to discover two new browns to add to my watercolor painting. The first, burnt sienna and cobalt blue is a very useful color combination. The other as seen in the above watercolor utilizes the combination of: ultramarine blue/new gamboge and cadmium red. I came upon this color combination by experimentation.

This coloring has a definite yellow influence and may even look a bit like an Andrew Wyeth painting. However, this landscape evolved out of playing with this brown color combination. It does not reference a specific place in the world.

Watercolor Brushes

 

                                                                                          (C) 2024 Dale DiMauro

Watercolor brush selection seems to be by personal choice. There are a huge range of brushes and manufactures to choose from. Some are cheap and come in sets while others are expensive and usually sold as individual items. However, most of the brushes I got were heavily discounted(or discontinued), given to me or I got with a gift card, which I earned.

By now I must have painted hundreds of watercolors - many small pictures on a wide range of papers from postcard-sized and up. Along the way I have developed my own preferences. For plein air painting I use a small selection of cheaper brushes for on the go.

The last several years I have been pushing myself to paint larger with bigger brushes when painting indoors. Regardless, I want brushes to last, so I treat them with the utmost respect. I rinse them out right after I am done using them and lay them down on a paper towel sheet.

The brush on the bottom is my most recent acquisition. It is called - da vinci - Casaneo - a liner brush I believe. I love this brush as it has a long flexible point which is great for painting power lines or straggly foliage. It is the most expressive brush I have.

Covid Isolation Watercolor

                                                                                   (C) 2024 Dale DiMauro
 

After being stuck inside day after day with COVID for ten days straight I painted this watercolor as a sort of romantic landscape. It has the qualities of a late summer landscape with some color change yet no bare trees. The water is even enticing.

It has been so mild lately that a hard frost is not expected before the middle of October. Thus, the mosquitoes will have longer season, too.

I do find myself shifting my palette towards more reds at this time of year. Reds and warm browns or earth colors seem to signal the end of the summer season.

Customized Palette

                                                                               (C) 2024 Dale DiMauro
 

It is great to be able to paint on the go. These small palettes offer a limited palette which simplify paint mixing. They are super portable and easy to clean-up. Plus, they don't take up much space.

I bought this empty palette and then added the pigments of my choosing. I prefer the whole pan palettes over the half pan size which I find too small to dab my brush into.

This palette can be put into a ziploc bag, with a travel brush, sponge and a small watercolor block and tossed into a shoulder bag I am ready to go. 

Since, I am still recovering from COVID this has been my go to palette.

COVID & watercolor

                                                                                           (C) 2024 Dale DiMauro
 

This week I got Covid again. I thought I was well-vaccinated but I learned the vaccine doesn't protect me for a full year, yet barely ten months. So this outcome really changed my week.

After hours and hours of being housebound I was able to try out a new watercolor brush with these small watercolors. It felt great to be back at it even if in an abbreviated form.

I like the vivid colors and freshness of the paint.

Stunning Local Landscapes

                                                                                              (C) 2024 Dale DiMauro
 

During this dry stretch of beautiful weather, not far from home, I have seen some stunning landscapes. Whether in New Hampshire or Vermont the sights have been lovely, just the same.

In the last two weeks or so, I have been to the World's Fair in Tunbridge Vt, painted at The Madame Sherri Forest in Chesterfield, NH and ushered at the Colonial Theater in Keene, NH. All of these sights had a backdrop of glorious weather.

This photograph I took at the Madame Sherri Forest in Chesterfield NH. In all directions it seemed equally stunning.

These experiences re-enforce in me the desire to get outside in nature whenever possible. There is fall foliage changing colors as I write in this moment. It can all be so fleeting and yet so captivating.

Wetland Study

                                                                                          (C) 2024 Dale DiMauro
 

Watercolor is such a diverse medium. The paint can be applied in so many different ways whether with a brush, palette knife or atomizer, etc. 

Leaving the white of the paper can be a real plus when painting outside as the pigment is a little easier to manage. After all, John Singer Sargent said painting in watercolor is akin to making the best of an emergency.

This image was painted wet on dry paper while outside. I just wanted to get the colors of nature down quickly and capture the freshness which only watercolor can express.

Madame Sherri Forest

                                                                                         (C) 2024 Dale DiMauro

Madame Sherrie Forest is a special place. Located in Chesterfield, NH, it has a natural wetland, elevated pond and lovely trails with scenic views.

I find it an inspiring place to hike and paint outside. The wetland has a lovely pond which is quite tranquil. For me painting here is quite meditative. I can sustain my concentration for long periods of time when on site.

This watercolor was done late Friday afternoon with the light beginning to fade rapidly. Little did I know that a woman had been rescued from this very site within the last twenty four hours.

After I left I wasn't sure I liked this watercolor but stepping back from it, I realized there is a freshness and directness which only watercolor can deliver.

Living Memorial Park

                                                                                   (C) 2024 Dale DiMauro
 

Recently, we have had an unbelievable run of glorious days. I am speaking from southern Vermont where today was another winner.

This was painted outside at Living Memorial Park in the morning. This clump of trees, which I believe are maples, are such a landmark which can be viewed from all kinds of angles in the park. This was painted from the Kiwanis shelter which offers a dramatic view of the larger landscape.

The last time painting in the park I felt like I overworked the trees in the background. This time I was determined to keep those distant hills simpler with a basic wash. You can see there is now some fall colors working their way into the landscape.

I feel better about this picture. For me, it has a pleasing overall quality with a soft focus except that clump of trees which are the focal point. 

Blue Landscape

                                                                                    (C) 2024 Dale DiMauro
 

Painting the landscape doesn't have to be complicated or time-consuming. Particularly, once you have developed some techniques and can tweak the pigments to your benefit.

I am fascinated with watercolorists who can paint a picture in a few washes. This is something I increasingly think about when preparing to paint. This painting so far has just one wash - blue. However, I did lift some of the blue to reveal the clouds in the sky and thus, reflections on the water. Just with this one wash you can begin to see the main elements of the landscape.

This landscape was inspired by a hike I took around Goose Pond in Keene, NH, this spring, with my wife.

Today's Plein Air

                                                                                    (C) 2024 Dale DiMauro
 

On occasion I overwork a watercolor and that's the case with this picture. It was painted today, as we had a glorious morning, here in Brattleboro, VT. This was painted in Living Memorial Park along a frisbee golf tee-off platform.

I had been eyeing this location for some time, to set-up my watercolor stuff as there is a nice bench with a sweeping view across the field. The early washes were exciting and lively but I got lost in the distant trees as there are layers of tree massing in the distant valley.

As frustrating as this experience has been, I learn the most when things don't turn out so well. One of the problems I had was the paint was drying faster than I am used to and the light and shadows changed rapidly. On cloudy days, from my experience, the light changes slower giving me more time to adapt to the developing picture.

This summer I have taken to using a sponge which I find to be a real positive development. Sponges are great at lifting color when needed and preventing pools of color from collecting on the margins of the paper.

Keene(NH) Art-in-the-Park

                                                                               (Photograph) 2024 Dale DiMauro
 

This weekend was the Monadnock Area Artists Association's Art in the Park, held in Keene, NH. As usual it is a lovely community event. However, today, when my wife and I attended it was hot out, at least in the sun. Fortuately, we had the shade of trees and the vendor tents to keep from overheating.

It was a nice experience as we were able to reconnect with artists I have known for many years and meet new ones, too. There were many painters but others crafts people, too. I purchased a small clay pot from a new vendor who had moved to the area within the last year.

While I didn't have a vendor space this year it makes me consider one for next season. However, it usually seems hot on this weekend on an annual basis which is the one drawback in my mind.

Scott Farm Plein Air

                                                                                             (C) 2024 Dale DiMauro
 

Visiting the Scott Farm in Dummerston, Vermont feels like a walk through a point in history far removed from current times. While there, life seems slower and more attuned to our surroundings. And then the view of large slabs of stone and slate covered historical buildings create a backdrop one does not usually experience on a daily basis.

This week I had the opportunity to paint outside with the Saxton's River Art Group. Unlike during this summer in southern Vermont, when it was hot, humid and often wet, this outing had lovely weather.

It can be a challenge honing in on what to paint when outside. However, this site has many lovely vantage points to choose from. In the back of my mind I am most aware that the natural light is constantly changing so I need to work quickly.

I sat on a stone wall containing this pool of water and tried to record what I saw. There were lots of cool colors and shadows moving about in contrast to the lush greens all around me.

New Sketchbook

 

Choosing a sketchbook is such a personal decision. There are so many sketchbooks on the market in all kinds of sizes, thicknesses and utilizing a huge range of papers. This sketchbooks I found in the spring at a Barnes & Noble Bookstore in Hadley, Ma.

I love this sketchbook because the paper lays flat which is essential if are going to do any kind of drawing. Also, I do not prefer smooth paper for my sketching. as I go for paper that has some tooth to it. This gives your sketch a grainy quality which I really like when drawing a figure or landscape.

I draw on both sides of my sketchbook pages for the most part, as I don't want to waste any sheets. As you can see this sketchbook cost ten dollars which I am okay with. I have spent much more for some sketchbooks because they are larger, have a hard cover and even take watercolor washes.

I find drawing to be an essential part of my life. It immediately relaxes me and focuses my attention to where it needs to be. These sketchbooks document my process and hone my ability to see life for what it is in that moment. The act of drawing allows me to loosen up by experimenting and taking chances by drawing at all scales in contrast to the mundane daily tasks which dominate aspects of our lives.

New John Singer Sargent Book

 

John Singer Sargent(1856-1925) is one of my hero's of the watercolor medium. He certainly casts a huge presence for his great portraits of aristocrats and others over a long career. I appreciate the directness of his watercolor painting approach and his use of color.

This past week I came upon a newer biography of Sargent which has consumed much of my time lately. The Grand Affair: John Singer Sargent in His World, by Paul Fisher is such a thoroughly researched book that I get a much clearer view of how his life played out than any book I had read to date.

Since reading this book I view his paintings in a different light. Recently, I visited the Clark Art Museum in western, MA which has several of his oil paintings which were painted in his early twenties.

One-Hour Painting

                                                                              (C) 2024 Dale DiMauro
 

Watercolor is my medium of choice. I love painting with watercolors because the clean-up is easy and safe. Also, it is such a diverse medium with such a range of choices from it's portability to technical approaches etc, that it endlessly fascinates me.

However, often I am pressed for time and some days it is a challenge to squeeze in any painting. On these days I grab a loose sheet of watercolor paper and paint rapidly on a small sheet what I can. It really calms me down yet focuses me at the same time.

The subject for this painting was done from memory. My wife and I visited Gardiner, Maine earlier this Summer and took a hike along the Kennebec River which flows through the center of town.

South Pond(Cloud Study)

                                                                                             (C) 2024 Dale DiMauro
 

Painting the landscape is such a rewarding experience. The subtleties of color and value have a huge impact on your overall scene. How the sky is depicted sets the tone for the landscape.

This landscape is really about the sky. The drama and variation of the clouds draw one's attention. I have been experimenting with an atomizer to achieve soft edges to distant clouds. I need more practice but feel like I am heading in the right direction.

For this watercolor I used Prussian blue for the water in areas which lent a rich dark. This pigment has a high tinting strength. Winslow Homer preferred using it in his later watercolors.

The Retreat Meadows

                                                                                 (C) 2024 Dale DiMauro
 

The Retreat Meadows in Brattleboro, VT can be a dramatic landscape. Late in the afternoon, during the Summer, strong shadows often move across the water framing Wantastiquet Mountain in the distance.

The lush green vegetation in the distance makes the water appealing and usually quite tranquil.

The sky was one of the things most interesting to me. It had a pinkish glow along the mountain with a richer blue the higher you went. The water has a bit of Antwerp in it, a preferred color of Winslow Homer.

Imaginary Landscape

   

                                                                                   (C) 2024 Dale DiMauro
 

Painting the landscape is truly a gift. Over time you begin to notice subtle changes out in the landscape or in your palette preferences which lead to profound changes in how you approach your compositions. Much of this is unconscious at the moment but upon reflection I notice an evolution.

For example, for the most part, I paint a landscape from the top down. That means the sky goes in first and I blend in colors as I see fit to hold an edge or create a dark separation. There are areas where the paper is left dry so pigment won't run all over the place. At this point this practice is intuitive so I am not actively thinking about this process which enables me to be flexible in my next steps.

By now it doesn't really matter what paper I am using. However, I love the weave of this paper. When wet with pigment this paper has a lovely quality to it. This watercolor paper is called Elseware. I found it at my local food co-op. I wrote about this paper back in July. For me it is useful as a test sheet or for painting warm-up landscapes. Also, it can come in handy when you are painting outside.