The Grouse Hunter

(C) 2014 Dale DiMauro

This is my attempt to paint an Ogden Pleissner-type watercolor. I posed as a grouse hunter in a local cornfield in early spring. I had my wife take a photograph of me as a reference. There was a lot of bird activity in the undergrowth behind us chattering away while incessantly moving about. From a Peterson Field Guide of Eastern Birds with its flight patterns, I dug up the profile on grouses. Grouses are distinguished by their fan-like tails and preferred habitat of an understory of deciduous or mixed woodlands. I will mention that I am no hunter so any inaccuracies of anatomy would fall on me.

It was critical to get the barrel of the rifle portrayed in the right direction. Other than that I feel the colors of the distant hills, clouds and foreground are relatively representative of the feel of the moment.

Originally, I was inspired to paint an individual walking through a field with a dog while talking on a cell phone, a common everyday experience around here and in much of America. I wanted to use a full sheet (22" x 30") for the painting and paint the subject as it was with no extra fussing around. The painting above is 14"x 20". Perhaps one day I will paint the other scene.

Late Summer in Vermont

(C) 2014 Dale DiMauro

This is one of my first photographs taken of my paintings with a new digital camera and you can tell. There is a shadow line -- on both the bottom horizontal and the upper left vertical areas. It was a humid summer day when I took this, and the watercolor paper would not lay flat. I try to take photographs of my work outside on overcast days in reasonable weather, not too cold or too hot.  Of course, when there is too much moisture in the air, the paper does not cooperate well.

At some point, I intend to convert this 12" x 16" study into a full sheet painting (22" x 30"). I aim to improve the composition by bring a curving drive in from the right side of the picture, which would draw the eye in towards the barn, and remove the existing "ramrod" road, strengthening the focal point. Finally, I would push the road sign off center.  

What I really like about this painting is the texture of the wood, created by the variety of hues and shades.  The traditional barn red is absent from the walls but still appears in the warped tin roof. There is something very appealing about an old wooden barn.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Stop Sign

(C) 2014 Dale DiMauro

This is one of my more popular watercolor paintings. Around a year or so ago I did a smaller version- perhaps one would call it a 'study', 9" x 12". My artist mentor, Gerard Doucette encouraged me to paint it much larger to see how I would handle the picture at a greater scale. In its final version it is 18" x 24" and with the frame it really makes an impact.

However, I struggled with the background for awhile but ultimately painted a wash of sepia to unite and push back the distant tree line. This really made the 'red' in the painting come forward. In addition to the red, I like the blues and grays in the picture. To me they give temperature and direction. The noon shadows give further definition to the objects on the land. 

We are often too busy running around to take in what is truly right in front of us.

Watercolor Exhibition was a success!

My recent watercolor show at the Moore Free Library in Newfane ,Vermont was a success! Of the twenty-five paintings on exhibit, all in watercolor except one oil, two were sold and two larger pieces may end up being exhibited at the Brattleboro Museum and Art Center in January. Also, there is interest in other paintings with inquiries about watercolor lessons and the possibility of a commission. People were intrigued with my landscape architecture portfolio which was on hand along with apple cider and doughnuts!

The opening reception had a dubious start as it started to rain and was rather chilly outside. However, as the morning unfolded more and more people came. I had the benefit of close proximity to the Newfane Heritage Festival which annually takes place on the second weekend in October.

NO TRESPASSING

(C) 2014 Dale DiMauro

When I started this painting a little over a year ago I didn't think much of it. I even submitted it in a regional watercolor competition, but it was rejected. It was one of my first larger watercolors - at 18" x 24".  It evolved from a 12" x 16" study done on an Arches watercolor block. In it's larger format as seen on the wall of a gallery it makes an impact. In my recent exhibition this painting attracted quite a bit of interest. Some people commented on the strong composition while others saw an eerie or mysterious element as there are no people in the picture. Yet there definitely is a human presence. It is also between seasons but which seasons? People have mentioned how the warm pastel colors draw the eye in yet the stark, harsh fence keep the viewer away. I did use artistic license to modify the shape of the hill in the background to help bring the building forms forward. What do you think?

LATE FALL LANDSCAPE

(C) 2014 Dale DiMauro

This little landscape is a watercolor (12" x 16") of a barn and outbuilding in a nearby town just before December. The days have shortened and the light is low.This stark landscape quality with the mist over the cornfields is reminiscence of early morning in the late fall in Vermont. I like the subtle shadows and moisture in the air, which seem to give the buildings a mysterious presence. I mixed blues and yellows to echo a cool green lawn area offsetting the barn red. It seemed important to really define the eve shadows under the metal roof in the foreground to convey weight and depth. The sky was washed in with a tint of red to exaggerate the stillness of the air.

One of the challenges in this picture was to keep it simple and not overdue it. This meant keeping the composition uncomplicated and readable. It also meant keeping the color palette really basic. I do not know if I succeeded, but I do like that the viewer is subtly drawn in to the picture and led to the distant mist.