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.