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.