Watercolor Workshop

                                                                                 (C) 2024 Dale DiMauro
 

From time to time it is a good practice to take a watercolor workshop with an established artist. On Saturday, I was fortunate to take a workshop with Annelein Beukenkamp in Woodstock, VT through the Vermont Watercolor Society.

The theme of the workshop was painting florals(or flowers) in watercolor. This flowering quince was the subject of my painting. I don't usually paint flowers so it was a real stretch to dive into this subject matter.

However, I like the composition, coloring and soft focus of this watercolor. In addition, I have learned to appreciate leaving the white of the paper somewhere umpainted. Also, I don't usually paint from the middle of sheet and out which was a very different experience for me.

Searching for New Pigment Combinations

                                                                                          (C) 2024 Dale DiMauro
 

Discovering new pigment combinations is an unending, yet exciting experience. Basically, color is an expanding vocabulary which one can go to when they feel the need arises. The subject matter or what's on your palette may direct you in which path to go.

Therefore it is important to build an eye for color out in nature and be able to draw upon whatever pigments you can to establish your painting practice.

I find these random color doodles turned into little landscape quite important in my daily life. This green-blue above, is a new discovery created by combining raw umber and winsor blue.

The Brattleboro Common

                                                                              (C) 2024 Dale DiMauro
 

The Brattleboro Common is a favorite spot to paint watercolors out in the open air. It has lovely open spaces, dappled light from a wide-range of mature trees and ever-changing light. Also, it has interesting people from time to time doing intriguing activities and picnic tables to paint at.

With such lovely warm, colorful fall days it has been a great season to paint the landscape. I have run about outside with my camera at times because I know the color and light is so fleeting.

I painted this landscape from both memory and the use of a reference photograph. You can't just make up this stuff. The explosion of color and well-defined shadows makes the landscape so warm and inviting. 

This was painted on rough paper which makes the surface feel very grainy and interesting at the same time.

Arches Travel Journal

                                                                                            (C) 2024 Dale DiMauro
 

Drawing or painting has become pretty much a daily activity in my life. I feel like I need to get better and more decisive at capturing the figure. In addition, it is important to get it down on paper quickly. I am always making adjustments as I move along the process.

Recently, I have adopted a technique, when needed, to paint fast, with a loaded brush and leave certain marks on the paper as it appears, without noodling about. This makes for some expressive painting and is important to let at least some of the colors blend into each other.

For warm-up exercises and portability I have been using this Arches travel journal which I have taken a liking to. I paint figures, color swatches and try new techniques all in this littler book.

Browns & More Browns

                                                                                            (C) 2024 Dale DiMauro
 

For me brown is an elusive color. In my sketchbook I right down color combinations to experiment with and document what I come up with. I want a rich, lively brown not so much a poop color.

I find that brown makes other colors sing so in essence these are neutral colors.

Recently, there are two color combinations that I save come upon which I like: raw sienna/ultramarine blue/burnt umber and new gamboge/prussian blue/permanent red. These are both lively combinations and look well on their own against the white of the paper.

Retreat Meadows

                                                                                 (C) 2024 Dale DiMauro
 

Painting fall colors in watercolor can be challenging. The colors are so intense and the saturation of pigment is important as in watercolor the colors want to bleed into the surrounding areas. However, you also want that wet wash to give you that fresh feeling that only watercolor can provide.

I took a bold chance and tried to see what I could do with this scene in watercolor. I dropped in more pigmentation before the surface dried and even then it was not enough. Brilliant orange and cadmium red were the pigments I used to try to portray the red hillside.

The setting sun made the foliage and hill look almost electric. This energy caught my eye when I drove by the Retreat Meadows. It made me pull over, park my car and run down and capture the scene with my camera before the light changed.

Local Field

                                                                               (C) 2024 Dale DiMauro
 

It is rewarding to experiment whenever I can in watercolor whether it is with the paint, the paper or with new techniques. I lifted paint from the lower sky with a damp brush and paper towel. Also, I painted pure pigment in the upper sky to make more hard-edged clouds which I think added a touch to the painting.

These are things I would not have done a year ago yet I feel add much to my current practice of painting. In addition, the shadow in the foreground is much freer than I would have done previously.

This watercolor was painted on 'The Masters' Choice' an economical watercolor paper with a nice rough texture. I really do like this paper.

Along the West River

                                                                                 (C) 2024 Dale DiMauro
 

This has been a glorious fall full of great fall foliage with quite a run of mild weather. With the lack of rain it seems the foliage just lingers on the trees or on the ground. There are times late in the day when a magical glow radiates across the landscape.

This watercolor was inspired by the tawny colors along the West River Trail in Brattleboro, VT. Recently, late in the day, I caught a full rainbow traipsing across the dramatic sky over the local wetlands.

I painted this watercolor on Arches 300 lb cold press paper. Usually, I prefer the 140 lb paper but I gave this one a try. The thicker paper gave me more time to work the pigments into the paper which was beneficial in developing a richer saturation of colors.

Fort Dummer State Park

                                                                                (C) 2024 Dale DiMauro
 

Fort Dummer State Park in Brattleboro, VT, is a lovely state park to camp or hike in. I usually go there in the off season when it is closed to the public. Thus, I often go for a hike or jog free of charge.

I always thought it closed for the season on labor day weekend. It actually closed for the season this year on October 14, right after the three-day weekend which had included Indigenous People's Day. 

When I went there it was a lovely fall day with mild temperatures and colorful foliage making it perfect conditions for plein air painting. There is a convenient picnic table(actually several) placed in this open field which I paint from. 

This is a study I painted before painting my actual watercolor. It ended up turning out better than my larger piece. This was painted fast and my colors blended on the paper yet kept a good degree of saturation which reminded of my experience that day.

Along the West River

                                                                                           (C) 2024 Dale DiMauro
 

Painting with black is not universally accepted in watercolor groups. I don't know why not. Many people say that painting out of the tube in black provides a dull and flat color. However, if you blend ivory black with other pigments such as sepia or sap green you can get a much richer pigmentation.

Recently, I had this back-lit experience along the West River in Brattleboro, VT. The memory of a colorless experience was so strong I had to try and capture it on paper. In this case I blended some variation of ivory black/permanent sap green/sepia and payne's gray to achieve a very rich dark.

I put it down quickly so I would not come back and fuss with it later. It was such a stark experience that I didn't want to develop a biased opinion to painting with black and white. In addition, I believe it is always good to develop an expanding palette for when the occasion arises.

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.