birds, mountains & water

(C) 2015 Dale DiMauro

Earlier today, I came upon this little watercolor doodle on Arches 140 lb cold press paper, which was done a few months back. This close-up view reveals the texture of the watercolor paper, which was done on a scrap of paper the size of a large bookmark.

The abstract quality of this image is what caught my eye. The loosely painted sky with the simple tree-line and the reflections on the water remind me of some of Winslow Homer's Adirondack watercolors. The birds provide scale and movement to the scene. 

I may be mistaken but am pretty sure I used just two pigments for this: Payne's gray and ultramarine blue. Sometimes with experimentation you can learn a lot through these little studies.

Before Winter

(C) 2015 Dale DiMauro

This is a local scene here in Vermont. It is walking distance from where I live. I amble through the back woods and climb to an old expanse of corn field belonging to the Brattleboro Retreat. It certainly doesn't feel like late December with such mild weather and soft earth beneath my feet. I cannot stop thinking about the fact that in a couple of days, after a winter storm of one sort or another: freezing rain or snow, it will all look so different.

Earlier this evening I started this little watercolor. I had been meaning to do a picture with an absence of buildings, and this sunny field caught my eye. All the raw earth colors of this time of year, which include the yellow ochers, raw siennas, and umbers, are exposed before they are covered with a deep blanket of snow or swaths of white and gray, creating a patchwork of ice and bare ground across the local landscape.

I appreciate the natural light at this time of year when the sun is low. It is a limited resource, yet it still makes the birds sing and highlights the open spaces.

Happy Holidays !

(C) 2015 Dale DiMauro

Often less says more. Sometimes a simple sketch or line drawing is just right. With spring-like temperatures here in Vermont, on some of the shortest days of the year, it feels like paddling weather. In front of our house a huge puddle has formed from tonight's rains. Our home faces south, and this week new growth has emerged, primroses and poppies. Unbelievable. 

Merry Christmas and happy traveling to all you people out there. Thank you for following, reading, sharing and offering your critiques. This all enriches the blog. Everyday I am amazed at people who are accessing the blog, from far flung countries across the globe to neighboring towns.

Self-Portrait (Study)

(C) 2015 Dale DiMauro

Recently, I started this watercolor study of myself. My wife and I had been in a local corn field this fall on one of the most beautiful days of the season, when we took some photographs. 

This is a study for a larger painting I intend to do with a horizontal format. I have even considered doing a vignette, which is a picture with soft edges or an incomplete background. A vignette draws the eye to a focal point, such as a face with detail or an object worked on to a more complete state. 

I do not know how you can paint a self-portrait without referring to a photograph. It is interesting how we see ourselves in two dimensions yet exist in three dimensions. The self-portrait is a staple for artists, yet I find it a strange experience to be so focused on my own physical form.

What appeals to me are the colors of my skin in contrast with the blue of my shirt and the sky. I also like the shadows that cross my face, arms, and upper torso. 

One of the dilemma's in doing a portrait is what to include as well as what not to include. Should I include the hands or should it be a shoulder and head shot? How many cornstalks and where should they be located? 

Positioning the face on the paper is exciting, but how big shall I make it? I find it necessary to make the head no bigger than life size. I don't wish to exaggerate my flaws, but neither do I want to seem arrogant by making myself larger than life.  

All aboard!

(C) 2015 Dale DiMauro

This painting was inspired by two train excursions my wife and I took earlier this year. We had a brief break from our travels when the engineer encouraged passengers to step outside and get some fresh air for many and a smoke for others. I was struck by the abstract form, shadows and industrial quality of what we were riding in.

When I started this painting I was attracted by the composition, with this gray mass dominating the page. However, I found painting the various grays to be quite challenging as there is minimal other color in the painting. As the painting has developed I have come to appreciate the subtle variations in gray and their application is critical to expressing the form of the rail cars. In addition, painting the red stripes was important as the viewers eye is drawn to this color, which is complementary to the various gray color range.

What gives the painting its final impact in my mind, are the darks that I have added since last discussing this subject. The dark area below the train and between the cars provides such depth and a cool feel to the changing light. The brush of green at the bottom of the picture was to offer some contrast without drawing too much interest yet provide seasonal context. I consider this painting essentially finished.

The question of where to sign a painting and how large to make the name is not taken lightly. I have been contemplating signing this watercolor in the lower left with a red pen on a modest scale. Yet the name cannot be lost to the viewer once it is framed so it needs to be in from the edge of the paper as if in a margin when typing a word processing document.

Lastly, the framing material I have on hand is a charcoal gray, which I think will harmonize with the painting and contrast nicely with a white mat.

Watercolor Study

(C) 2015 Dale DiMauro

All of the watercolor blocks that I have seen or used come with a cover and backing board. I painted this image on a corner of the inside cover of an 18" x 24" Arches watercolor block, which is their largest format. Since twenty sheets of watercolor paper are glued on all four sides of a block, artists generally do not need to worry about stretching the paper as there is minimal buckling. When you finish a painting all you need to do is separate the top sheet from the others with a palette knife.

This cover sheet is a perfect place to try out new or different techniques such as painting with a palette knife or practicing a few brush strokes with a new brush to see which effects you can create. It is also a great space to jot down notes or references or make a quick sketch. Additionally, it is a valuable area to work out details you later need to paint.

I did this watercolor as a warm up as I had not painted for several days. These watercolor sketches are painted very freely and dry quickly as the paper is quite thin. This particular sketch was painted with a very wet brush on wet paper, which causes the obvious color bleed.

New Brushes

(C) 2015 Dale DiMauro

Recently, I purchased these watercolor brushes from Jerry's Artarama, a mail-order art supply company. These brushes were priced very reasonably, in particular the larger sizes, which can get quite pricey, and that is why I purchased them.

The red-handled brushes function just like a Kolinsky, which is the standard for quality in watercolor circles. A Kolinsky brush has a reputation for holding a lot of water or pigment while consistently holding the bristles into a point. However, these red-handled brushes, labeled Creative Mark are called Mimik Kolinsky and manufactured with synthetic hair blends, thus, much cheaper than the squirrel and kolinsky sable that has been on the market. On the train painting I have been working on, I have used these brushes and find they hold an excellent point, and I love the feel they provide in my hand.

The other two brushes, called Harmony Squirrel Quill in sizes 6 and 12, I like for putting down a quick broad stroke early on in a painting. I am not necessarily plugging these products but am quite pleased with their reliability and craftsmanship. For me the brush you hold or the pencil or pen you grasp is quite personal. I prefer a brush that will make a mark that I can count on.

Gray Matter

(C) 2015 Dale DiMauro

This painting at times has been a bit of a challenge. The form itself is like no other object I have ever drawn or depicted. This train has layers of metal stretched in subtle curves and molded forms that I do not see on a daily basis. The other thing about this picture, is that, it is all basically gray. Don't get me wrong. There are beautiful grays. There are cool grays and warm grays and industrial grays. There are shadows of gray upon other grays. There are pings in the gray metal and so on...

Once I got started on the watercolor, the painting was developing nicely, however, I have had other demands on my time and thus have only been able to work on it in bits and pieces. I do find it to be an unusually strong composition. There is life and mystery beyond the edge of the scene, in the shadows and down the tracks.

Recently, I have spent time contemplating the importance of gray in painting. The grays and neutral colors, at least in watercolor, do not merely set the mood or time of day but also enable the truly vibrant colors to shine. For example, the red stripes in the painting stand out in this color scheme. 

Based on habit, I either use Payne's gray, a cool, mixed with other colors or Davy's gray, a warm, right out of the tube. I have also mixed various other grays from sepia or cobalt blue but have lately begun to expand my range of gray. There is a world of rich grays, which I have been exploring, for example, from mixing burnt sienna and ultramarine. In fact, by combining any two complementary colors you achieve a gray or neutral color, which can be made warmer or cooler as needed just by incorporating the right pigment.

On the Avenue

(C) 2015 Dale DiMauro

This is a watercolor I have been working on over the last couple weeks with some interruptions from our kitchen remodeling. I had not painted a house in a while and was eager to get going on one. What appealed to me about this scene is the backlit landscape, the patterns of snow on the roof and the warmth from the sunlight on the hardwoods in the foreground, to the left.

I do not feel the photograph does justice to the painting. Days like today with heavy cloud cover and low light are challenging to attaining a good photograph. I have learned it is best to take pictures of my work outside in indirect light, when possible. The rainy day made this impossible.

(C) 2015 Dale DiMauro

If I have learned any great insight in painting it is that the subtle transitions of color from one element to another can have great impact. Color can communicate temperature, distance, and mood in relation to other colors, depending on how you convey it. In the above detail, from this watercolor, the stripe in the road is of significance. Some lines will divide a space into two, but this one just subtly directs the eye into the picture.  The opaque yellow complements the dark gray. The stripe for me adds some warmth to the pavement yet dissipates pleasantly into the shadows. To get the technically challenging
straight line, I used a ruler that was raised above the paper (supported by three pennies I taped underneath). I felt like it was too easy to mess up the painting if it was not convincing in its execution.

Painting Test Strips

(C) 2015 Dale DiMauro

Many painters that I know use a scrap of watercolor paper to test pigment mixes prior to applying them to a painting. I test my colors to achieve the value that I am seeking, which in essence is the degree of darkness. Since watercolor dries much lighter than the initial wet mix, this test strip is a valuable tool. In addition, I make notes in a little field book regarding certain pigment combinations that I come upon. This way I have a portable record for future reference. In addition to trying different pigment mixes I also use scraps of different paper as there is a wide range of watercolor paper and thus a great range of effects one can achieve.

The little portrait at the bottom was done quickly, primarily as a means to achieve a relatively accurate skin tone, which can be challenging. Doodling on the paper and testing out color combinations keeps me from thinking too much. It is also a resource which I can come back and build on if I end up going in a different direction. 

Winter on the Avenue( Detail)

(C) 2015 Dale DiMauro

Recently, I started this watercolor of a very local building in our neighborhood. This is one of those corner stores that offers basic staples such as milk, newspapers, and Ben & Jerry's ice cream. Clearly, some of the things they offer aren't really necessities. Also, the building is not actually on a corner.

I had not painted a building in a couple of months. I like the light behind this structure, which really amplifies the complementary colors of blue and yellow. There is a lot of temperature in this painting from the pavement to the snow, shadows, distant hills, and sky.

If you live in Vermont, as I do, you have to embrace the piles of snow everywhere because they are not going away until late April or perhaps even May. Within those piles of snow are a fascinating range of color. Recently, I have been using cobalt, ultramarine, raw umber, and Payne's gray to express the warmth and coolness of the snow I experience.

Portrait drawing in pencil

(C) 2015 Dale DiMauro

Recently, I purchased this book, Draw Faces: in Fifteen Minutes by Jake Spicer, an author from the United Kingdom. I am not necessarily plugging this book or author but find its layout and principles to be sound and readily communicated. Anyone beginning to draw or seeking to improve their skills will find this book as a good starting point. 

I have studied many of the great draftsmen throughout human history such as Durer, Da Vinci, Sargent, and Wyeth, to name a few. When I am drawing a face either from a picture or from life, I find the nose to be the most challenging. The nose really has no lines but projects a range of shadows. I noticed that Andrew Wyeth, for example, used reference marks to rapidly proportion the face as he began a portrait drawing.

Since drawing is a solid basis for painting and developing a composition, I find routine drawing to be important in developing one's abilities. Thus, I am always searching for subjects to draw and books that will help me improve my understanding of painting or the human form.

I had always relied on drawing with an HB pencil, the pencils you are provided in public school to write with or fill in the ovals of your S.A.T. exams. Recently, I have been exploring a greater range of pencils, particularly the B range, which provide a softer mark for greater expression. The above drawing was done with an HB and a B pencil.

Train travel

(C) 2015 Dale DiMauro

My wife and I traveled on Amtrak twice this past year, to Washington D.C. and New York City. It was fascinating to perceive the landscape in a way other than from the road. There are people traveling by train you would not meet on the road as rail transport is more inclusive. These trains roll through the countryside and right through the center of our major cities. We noticed the rapid growth of invasive exotics such as knotweed swallowing up the backside of neglected bridges and framing graffiti or, as my wife clarifies, art. As you are traveling, you can get up and use the bathroom or walk back to the train car with the café in it. At one point I looked up and we were traveling over the East River, parallel to the Brooklyn Bridge, while at other points we were below grade, moving through a tunnel.


When I started this unfinished watercolor, I was struck by the range of grays and the subtle variation within this color range. There are cool grays, warm grays, and industrial grays with pings or dents included. The grays define the form, yet I find the stripes of blue and red really make the picture. Early on I detected the abstract shapes of the rail cars and saw how trains are truly moving containers. I do like how the cables and hoses dangle barely above the tracks.

Flat files finished

(C) 2015 Dale DiMauro

Recently, I wrote in a post that I was pushing to finish this flat file that I had started several years ago. I had constructed twelve drawers, installed handles and applied preservative while the frame was yet to be complete. The heat and humidity of the summer discouraged progress; then I felt pinched with the decreasing length of day and ensuing cold of winter approaching. I felt pressure to complete the flat file in part, because our unheated garage is the best space I had to work on it. Well, I finally completed it about a week ago. As a result, it has freed up space in our garage. I desperately needed the space that the flat files provide as well, to better organize my paintings and storage of unused watercolor paper. Also, I don't like leaving my watercolor paintings in the sun of my south-facing studio space.  

In the above photograph, the flat file I completed is on the left. It is constructed mostly of red oak with several coats of polyurethane to preserve its condition and reveal the lovely wood grain. Several people have commented that it is a fine piece of furniture. The flat file to the right is one I had purchased several years ago. It has provided space for drawings in addition to paintings, but it is filled to capacity.

The watercolor resting on the flat file is a copy of an Ogden Pleissner painting I did to force myself to paint bolder and larger in scale. It was done on a rough sheet of watercolor paper, which I usually do not use. I prefer to use cold-pressed paper, which has some texture but not nearly as much as a rough sheet.

Kitchen Utensils

(C) 2015 Dale DiMauro

This is a little watercolor I just painted in the last forty-five minutes from start to finish. I set this ceramic container with our kitchen utensils on my studio desk, set up a lamp to project the light and resultant shadows and painted it quickly from life. 

We are replacing our kitchen counter and double sink with a much improved version. Thus, our kitchen is in disarray. Seeing familiar items in unusual places makes me perceive them differently. Our ceramic container with its varying colors of ladles, wooden spoons and spatulas seemed like it might be quite attractive in warm interior light.

To get the speckled blue look of the container I sprinkled table salt immediately after I applied the blue wash. In the first wash, the warm tan color you see in the background was applied wet-on-wet. That is wet brush on wet paper. The other technique I used was wet brush on dry paper for the individual utensils. 

I like the fresh look and simple composition. It is a nice change of pace to try to create a painting so quickly.

Postage-size pencil studies

(C) 2015 Dale DiMauro

When preparing for a painting it is important to consider alternative compositions, such as the combining of many elements into just a few. Sometimes a little refinement can provide great impact in a composition before you even start painting. A few doodles or simple pencil studies while you are waiting at the dentist's office for example, get the juices flowing. You may change from a horizontal to vertical format because it strengthens the overall layout or enhances the focal point.

The above pencil drawings are two of four I drew on the back of an 8 1/2" x 11" sheet of paper I received at a meeting. These sketches are about 2 1/2" x 4" and were completed in about five minutes. 

In the top sketch I considered shifting the entry drive so that it sweeps across the foreground from the left to the right of the picture while making a more pleasing approach along the contours. In contrast, the existing drive diagonally cuts across the foreground in such a linear fashion that it divides the picture into two.

In the lower sketch I considered positioning the entry drive so that it sweeps into the scene from the lower right with subtle shifts in the lay of the land to create greater variety and depth as you arrive at the focal point, the barn. 

In addition, I considered adding a fruit tree along the drive to add more depth to the picture. Should it be in the foreground where it would be very visible or to the middle ground where it has less presence?

Heading Down River

(C) 2015 Dale DiMauro

This is a watercolor I started in early October which was finished the other day. I had the good fortune of paddling with a group of outdoor enthusiasts, in September, from the Brattleboro Outing Club, on one of the most beautiful days of the year. The humidity of Summer was gone, the colors were vivid and the water was sparkling. 

I was struck by the quality of the reflections projecting from our colorful kayaks and the mesmerizing patterns of the moving water. I have painted scenes of placid water before with some skill, but had yet to tackle dark, moving currents. The vertical format seems to strengthen the movement and clarify the colors. 

Friends have told me this is my best watercolor to date. They like both the composition and the way I went about painting the watercolor. I personally, like how the trees and vegetation above the paddler were handled. I am considering entering this picture into an American Watercolor Society competition.

Halloween

(C) 2015 Dale DiMauro

We greeted eighty-four trick-or-treaters last night to our Vermont front door. My wife finds it's odd that this one evening every year Americans feel entitled to bang on people's doors and demand candy and even money for Unicef, but she also finds it impressive that the community comes together to make it all happen. There were some great costumes that came to our house, including a Donald Trump. The little ones certainly were cute and had great outfits.

There is something appealing about dressing up for this Halloween tradition to change our identities and even spook people we know or don't know. Changing our perception of ourselves and others can be quite exciting. What we see is a reflection in part, of who we are, but it certainly is not the whole story. 

This is a detail of a drawing I did recently.  It is understood that our two eyes are separated approximately by one eye's width and that no two eyes look alike. From the above image can you imagine what the rest of the face looks like or what you would like it to be? Can you tell if this man is frowning or smiling? What is revealed in this small glimpse?

Fall Colors

(C) 2015 Dale DiMauro

Last week I hiked on the trails behind our house, here in southern Vermont. I wanted to catch all that fall color before it passed us by. What struck me was the amount of yellows that dominated the tree canopies. 

I picked these three leaves which caught my eye, off the forest floor and set out to paint their colors and shapes. The day before I planned on working on this painting I put the leaves under a heavy book so they would not curl up on me. To start I put a wash of quinacridone gold over a wet watercolor block providing that warmth you see projecting from the paper. Next, I studied each individual leaf and leaf margin with their colorations, holes and blotches. I had to build up watercolor washes to arrive at the vivid colors which I saw.

As I write this, it is pouring out. I imagine much of the remaining deciduous foliage, full of color, will be washed away. My perspective shifted earlier this week from individual leaves to fall clean-up when I needed to start raking some of our leaves in time for our town's leaf pick-up.

GOUACHE

(C) 2015 Dale DiMauro

In watercolor there is not a white transparent pigment, so artists either preserve the white of the paper or add gouache. You can mask an area of a painting to preserve it from the staining of pigments, but I find this approach frustrating.

Gouache is an opaque paint that cleans up like watercolor. It comes in a range of colors from the primary colors--red, blue and yellow--to other pigments such as green, black and white. Illustrators have long used gouache to convey their stories. Some artists do quick studies or even drawings in gouache. I even use the same brushes for gouache as I do for watercolor.

When there are white areas in a painting such as the white caps in an ocean swell, a buoy or white beads on a women's necklace, white gouache can come in handy. By identifying a few specific areas in a painting, you don't have to plan every detail in advance, knowing you can add a few touches of white at the end.

In a late summer painting of a lobster boat I used a razor blade to remove the paint to create the effect of sunlight reflecting off the water. You have to scratch the paper as if drawing, to enhance the perspective with greater marks in the foreground and smaller less frequent touches in the distance.

Noam Chomsky

(C) 2015 Dale DiMauro

Recently, I attended the Brattleboro Literary Festival (October 1-4, 2015). Also, I helped set-up various venues for the readers and authors, who, as you can imagine, have diverse backgrounds, literary genres, and subject matters. For example, author Laura J. Snyder, a TED speaker, discussed how in seventeenth-century Holland, scientists and artists alike sought the discoveries of nature through the microscope, the mirror, and the camera obscura. While another, Nina MacLaughlin wrote about the challenges of being a female carpenter in a male dominated occupation. 

I discovered a photograph of Noam Chomsky featured in the Brattleboro Literary Festival booklet. He was pictured in a promotional piece for his Requiem for the American Dream, with no identified photography credit. Between two of the readings I was taken by the depth of emotion that is evident in his expression, so I began to draw Chomsky from this photograph. The eyes in my version are a bit more reflective or contemplative than in the photo. I find subtle unconscious changes emerge as I draw, whether in tweaking an eye or aging someone. Drawing regularly can provide powerful insight; it is fascinating to look at someone and imagine how they may age.

I'm not sure if I will bother to complete the top of the head.  I have learned along the way that there are occasions when you do not have to draw the whole head to get the essence or the expression. The shape of the mouth and the eyes convey so much. In fact, capturing the eyes alone with accuracy can be enough. There is much truth in the cliche of the soul being in the eyes.

Sun on the hill

(C) 2015 Dale DiMauro

This is a watercolor I started two years ago. I like the angles of the building, along with the sun and shadows. The downward view appeals to me too. I attempt to be true to the colors I see. Of course in watercolor the pigments dry much lighter than when they are wet.

As I often do, I move trees around to hide unsightly objects, enhance open space or to match the scale of a structure. In this case, by moving the evergreen behind the house, it makes the building come forward, particularly since it is such a light color. It also clarifies the form of the house. Basically, I try to enhance or simplify the composition when I can.

I like to include power lines, street signs and guardrails amongst other road amenities because they are cultural and historical references. Some of these utilitarian elements, such as a guardrail, can become quite dated in appearance. We take them for granted in our environments, but they become noticeable again when placed in a painting. 

On the Water

(C) 2015 Dale DiMauro

This is a watercolor I have been working on recently. I had joined a group of Brattleboro Outing Club paddlers on a September outing when the weather was fabulous, with clear blue skies and low humidity. That experience was the inspiration for this picture. I posted on this painting when it was in its early stages (October 4th, "On the Water").

The vertical orientation with the dark water, reflections and surface movement seem to draw the eye towards the paddler. The colors are dynamic and their is something very appealing about the sense of floating on the surface. I also like the woodland edge in the background. It gives the picture some context for the middle ground.

I did not mask any of this painting as some artists do. This involves preserving the white of the paper using masking liquid or tape. I have very little experience masking and am not particularly seeking more, at this point. I prefer the traditional approach of anticipating the negative space.

I do not yet consider this picture done. I feel the ripples on the reflection from the kayak need a little more definition. The paddles need a little more dimension where the fins meet the handles.

The color of the paddles was not an easy decision. Red is a complementary color to green, which is seen in the woodland edge. However, the red would compete with the orange skin tone reflection on the water, so I went with lemon yellow because it is a complementary color to the blue of the water. The lemon yellow is to separate the paddles from the richer yellow of the storage bag in front of the paddler. The lemon yellow in its pure color also looks artificial with a simple wash, which is intended to differentiate the paddles from nature's colors.

Newly Framed

(C) 2015 Dale DiMauro

Recently, I framed this watercolor which was done over one year ago. It was intended to be a study for a larger painting with some compositional changes. The larger painting I envision has a drive entering the picture from the right foreground, sweeping along the contour as it settles before the barn. In the above picture, the existing road juts by the barn in a harsh manner. However, this painting sat on my desk with other watercolors yet to be completed. Since I had a pre-cut mat sized for it, I figured it was a good time to frame it.

Since I often paint in standard sizes, (this particular one is 12" x 16") it is relatively easy to find pre-cut mats and existing frames discounted in this size. Indian King Framery in Keene, N.H. a regional framing shop, has on the last Saturday of the month, a discount day, which I have been taking advantage of, recently.

I had purchased some pre-cut mats from Cheap Joe's, a mail order art supplier, at the end of summer. I then found a frame and purchased picture glass from the Indian King Framery at thirty percent off enabling me to simply assemble the frame and have it ready to be exhibited.

It was brought to my attention that I must have completed or nearly completed over fifty watercolors in the last two years or so. Over this period of time I have begun to paint larger and more compositionally sound paintings than before. My drawing ability has improved along the way too. I seem to attain a closer proximity of the values(the degree of darkness) I see from life or drawn from a reference photograph. In addition, my use of color and the pigments I mix have continued to evolve. I seldom use any colors straight out of the tube. Also, I have noted how the darks and the quality of darks in a picture bring out the light and warm tones.

Flat Files

(C) 2015 Dale DiMauro

Several years ago I started to make a bunch of flat files, twelve drawers in actuality. I made the drawers, added two coats of polyurethane to them and installed pull handles. They are faced in oak. However, I have had a hard time finishing the cabinets that hold the drawers. Part of this delay is because I do not have a formal workshop--I use my unheated garage. Once spring arrives there are other demands on my time, and the garage gets really hot in the summer. In addition, there are complications due to the precise dimensions of the sides, drawers and back (dust cover). Also, they require the use of nearly every tool I have: table saw, compound mitre saw, router etc.

Well, I am pushing to get them done before the snow flies and it becomes too cold to work in the garage. I really need to use them to store unframed paintings, sheets of watercolor paper and even mats. There is another flat file in my studio/office space which is well used. Even the top surface is a great place to look at paintings in process and to store large watercolor blocks.

On the Water

(C) 2015 Dale DiMauro

This past September when we had such a great stretch of beautiful days with low humidity I got out and paddled my kayak. I paddled both by myself and with a group from the Brattleboro Outing Club. I brought my old digital camera with me and snapped photographs with an eye for composition. Everyone who has a kayak these days, seems to have a vessel with bright and cheery colors, which create stunning reflections on the water when the light is good.

This recent weather and paddling inspired me to start this watercolor. The photograph I took as a reference, cannot be improved upon. Or at least that is what I think.

I particularly like the vertical composition with the fresh colors of late summer and early fall. The reflections conveyed on to the water from the boat and its occupant are dramatic. As a result I prefer to study the patterns on and of the water. I like how the focal point is high on the sheet almost pulling the viewer into the scene. It is also a forward looking perspective which makes the viewer look diagonally into the distance towards the next bend in the river.

I do enjoy the first washes, creating the placid water and developing the woodland edge with yellows, greens, and ochres. You can go on and on with all the variations of color and value on the water. I still have much more to add.

Paddling in the Great Outdoors

(C) 2015 Dale DiMauro

Most of September we have had beautiful, clear, sunny days here in Vermont. I paddled with a group from the Brattleboro Outing Club on September 16, at Tully Lake and Long Pond in Royalston, MA. This trip was about an hour from Brattleboro, Vt. We even portaged along the way and hiked to several impressive waterfalls.

I recently started two watercolors inspired from kayaking in this great setting. There was a paddler with us, depicted above in a small sketch, with a new canoe which only weighs eighteen pounds and is the size of a kayak. It even has foot pegs.

After this outing, I started a full sheet watercolor (22" x 30") on Arches 300 lb. watercolor paper and a smaller painting on a 140 lb. 14'" x 20" Saunders block. For me the two surfaces are very different. The Saunders watercolor block is like painting on silk. It is very smooth paper, which the paint brush glides over. In contrast, the Arches sheet has much texture, which allows for a wide range of effects that I am yet to master, but I do like the greater scale.

The above sketchbooks, manufactured by Strathmore, with a fine tooth surface, I have taken a liking to, at least for pencil.

Pen & Ink

(C) 2015 Dale DiMauro

There is something so basic that a pen provides. Pen and paper can go a long way. I do not need a pencil sharpener, and I seldom carry an eraser. Pen does not smear either. In fact, I have been at church services when the sermon gets really boring; as others nod off, I simply pull out my pen and start doodling. Before you know it ideas and images start pouring out. I can't keep up with the rapidly emerging thoughts that are evolving from my mind to my pen.

This is a drawing from one of my sketchbooks, back in 1993. Through the years I have done many drawings in pen and ink. For some doodles I have used such a basic writing instrument as a Bic pen. For other more elaborate drawings such as the one above, I have used technical and even fountain pens. Here, I used colored inks from a bottle where the pigment is really concentrated, with a brush to depict individual plants. This is a detail of an imaginary landscape. With a background in landscape architecture and hands-on experience, I have learned much about all kinds of plants and their growing habits.

Through the years I have evolved to using watercolor with black ink, which conveys an illustrative appearance. The pen provides the structure or perspective while the watercolor gives it atmosphere and temperature. In a future post or posts I will provide more examples, but for today I just wanted to talk about using a pen. So get busy -- because we all basically carry a pen with us most days. You will forever look at the world differently.

Off at Sea

(C) 2015 Dale DiMauro

When we were in Bar Harbor, Maine this past summer, we saw this sail boat pass while we were walking along the shore path. Earlier on our vacation, down in Portland, we visited some of the tall ships which had moored along the docks. There is much history in these tall ships with their strong tradition of training young sailors in all aspects of sailing. There is also, a strong sense of drama to be in their presence. The distinct forms of the sails, extensive rigging and discipline of the crew is evident as you walk among the ship's decking. This romance of the sea, inspired me to attempt some ocean scenes as marine artists have done for generations.

This is a study, I recently did, for eventually, a much larger watercolor. During the humidity and heat of the summer I decided this fall I was going to paint some full sheet watercolors. A full sheet is 22" x 30" which is much larger and requires more time to finish. However, the larger scale, as seen on a wall or an easel, really makes an impact.

Pen, ink & watercolor

(C) 2015 Dale DiMauro

I like to draw with a pencil, pretty much any kind of pencil. These days there are charcoal, conte, colored and even watercolor pencils. Within graphite alone there is quite a range from hard to soft pencils. For the last year I have preferred using a brand called cretacolor. I have been primarily using their HB and B pencils which make a mark that is scratchy but does not smear so much as to be bothersome.

However, I like to draw with a pen too. I have drawn with fountain, technical and micron pens which come in a wide range of colors. I actually sign my watercolor paintings with a micron pen. I try to find a color which is harmonious with the colors in the painting so the signature does not stand out. 

I have drawn as long as I can remember. The above image is from a watercolor sketchbook going back nearly ten years. The combination of pen with watercolor can be quite pleasing. With the addition of color you can introduce atmospheric effects and temperature into a picture, even a simple sketch.

The above watercolor drawings are of imaginary landscapes full of life with lots of activity. There are fountains with spraying water, lots of bird life and an abundance of vegetation with long-blooming fragrant flowers. Water is what unites all the spaces and determines what plants are used and where. 

Curbside pickup

(C) 2015 Dale DiMauro

I started this watercolor recently because I really wanted to capture the layers of green foliage that we see in summer. I have mentioned in past posts that the color green is the hardest for me to paint. In the last year I have been attempting to improve upon my greens. At this point I do not use any right out of the tube. I do not prefer the golf course or graphic design greens, which you see in many publications or in advertising. 

Thus, for now, I have settled on three mixtures that provide varying degrees of green. For a rich, earthy green reminiscent to me of Albrecht Durer's large piece of turf, I use Prussian blue with aureolin. For a shadowy green offering a more muted effect, I prefer mixing Payne's gray with new gamboge. For large evergreens such as a spruce I use phthalo green with Payne's gray and alizarin crimson. This provides a strong sense of presence, which counterbalances the lighter areas in a picture, such as in snow. I have learned that if you add burnt sienna it will darken the color.

There is a shadow green that I purchased on our vacation to Maine this summer, which I like to mix for dark ocean effect. There are so many other greens available that I periodically use, such as viridian, olive, Hooker's, and sap but I have learned to appreciate the richness and variation from mixing my own.

Of note in the above watercolor, is that the greens seem to be the darks in the picture. I traditionally use green as a complimentary color or in a lesser role such as an accent of a feature. The brick path is complementary to the greens around it, thus creating an overall harmonizing effect. Anyway at least that is what I have noticed.

Hiking at Acadia National Park

(C) 2015 Dale DiMauro

This is a little figure study I painted of my wife, taken from a photograph, the summer before last. This watercolor sketch was done very quickly, so I could not fuss around with much detail. I think it does capture the dappled light, which was prevalent on this beautiful day.

We were in the process of hiking around Jordan Pond, at Acadia National Park, in Bar Harbor, Maine. We were not far from the Jordan Pond House, where we later had popovers, out on the patio. However, the trails were quite crowded, and we had to step aside frequently to let other hikers pass amongst the intersections of trails and along the narrow boardwalks.

'Rigger' brushes

(C) 2015 Dale DiMauro

Most painters use some combination of round and flat brushes to paint in oil or watercolor. There is quite a range of options in terms of size and shape. These are great for painting large areas and even some small sections in a painting. For details, I rely heavily on rigger brushes. 

The rigger brush got its name in the days of sailing ships, when artists painted the ships rigging. A rigger or liner brush is a thin brush with long bristles, often made of sable. These brushes come to a sharp point but can have a flat or square tip. These rigger brushes have a longer tuft than rounds and do not belly out, enabling artists to paint with consistent stroke width. In addition to defining a ship's rigging, these brushes are great for painting fine tree branches at the end of a limb, grasses, or grass-like effects at the edge of a field. 

Recently, I did an ocean scene with an anchored lobster boat (See "Cool Cove" from Wednesday, July 29th and "At Rest" from Wednesday, August 19th). I used rigger brushes to detail the wave patterns and create perspective, as well as to depict the quality of the surface of the water. As seen in the above photograph, I make use of riggers in sizes 4, 6 and 10. All of the doodling and watercolor sketches in the above image I made by using a rigger brush or brushes.

Art in the Park

(C) 2015 Dale DiMauro

This is my booth set-up for Art in the Park in Keene, NH, on Saturday, September 5th & Sunday, September 6th. We had fabulous weather, even though it got hot late in the day, on both days. We were able to keep the tent, with our new display panels and tent weights, in place on Saturday night, which saved us time and labor. The tent weights, long white cylinders, one of which is visible in the photograph above, worked out well. I had spent the better part of two days mixing cement and constructing these weights so the tent and art within them would not blow away.

I had about thirty framed watercolors on exhibit. My wife and I spent time trying to keep these watercolors out of the direct sun by installing and pinning up the sidewalls at various times. I received lots of positive feedback on the work and the professional appearance of my display space. We had a good steady, stream of viewers through the day, on both weekend days. We met and talked to many fellow exhibitors as well as other artists and art lovers who passed through. We learned a lot during the event to draw upon for the future, but we are certainly glad to be done for now after two very long days.

(C) 2015 Dale DiMauro

Framing watercolors for Art-in-the-Park

(C) 2015 Dale DiMauro

It has been a very busy week, actually two weeks, preparing for this weekend's art show. The Monadnock Area Artists Association is sponsoring the 58th annual Art in the Park on Saturday, September 5 and Sunday, September 6, 2015.  It takes place in Keene, NH from 10:00AM - 4:00PM on both weekend days, across from the Colony Mill Marketplace, on West Street, at the Ashuelot River Park.

Last week, I made tent weights in my back yard because we are not allowed to stake our vendor tents to the ground due to an irrigation system under the park's lawn. I scrambled to figure out what I would need to prevent my paintings from blowing away in a heavy wind. Long story short, I ended up purchasing PVC piping and cement from Home Depot and making my own twenty-five pound weights, which will hang from each corner of the tent. There are numerous YouTube videos on how to do this. 

Next, I purchased mesh display panels, which go up on three sides of the tent. They are pricey but handsome and you can hang pieces on both sides of the walls. When I ordered these, I was told it was best to use a tent with a steel frame, so I had to order a new tent, too. The one we have is aluminum and apparently is susceptible to wind damage. Fortunately, these display panels and the new tent have arrived in time. Last week, needless to say, was quite a week.

This week the learning curve has been steep too, but I have come a long way in a short period of time. Last Saturday, I became aware that Indian King Framery in Keene, NH, on the last Saturday of the month has discounted frames. I purchased six picture frames to go with pre-cut mats I had ordered from Cheap Joe's. Gerard Doucette cut the glass and shared some wire.  I bought brown craft paper from Staples for the backings.  I want to present my work well. The challenge was that I had never framed a watercolor on my own.

The above watercolor was framed yesterday. It was an exciting and rewarding process for the most part. I have discovered how critical it is to keep the glass clean and not get hair or specks of dirt between the glass and the picture. This requires not getting any fingerprints on the glass, so I used two small, clean rags to handle the glass.

This photograph is of the back of the frame from the picture above. I have installed the dust cover which is brown craft paper, stretched and glued into place. It is then trimmed after the glue dries. Then I installed eye screws and wire so the watercolor can be hung. Last, I attached a business card, which is the colored image in the lower right.

I hope I did not bore you with this rather wordy post. However, a lot has been happening so I put it out there for you to understand my process in preparing for this particular art show.

John Singer Sargent & Art-in-the-Park

(C) 2015 Dale DiMauro Photograph of John Singer Sargent painting

When we were at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, in the middle of August, there was and still is a major exhibit on John Singer Sargent. The above watercolor by Sargent, titled Young Woman with a Black Skirt, he painted in the early 1880's. This was displayed in a back room away from his more prominent portraits, which were oils on a grand scale and charcoal drawings, handled with authority.

I figured it would be wise to include a Sargent watercolor sketch, which most have not ever seen, yet fresh in my mind, as inspiration for this upcoming art show. In a prior post, I mentioned I would be exhibiting at the Art in the Park, in Keene, NH on September 5 & 6, from 10 AM - 4 PM. Thus, I have not been able to paint as much as my efforts have shifted to matting and framing works for exhibit. In addition, new mesh display panels arrived the other day, to showcase my work under my vendor tent. Hopefully, the weather will cooperate and make for a pleasant Labor Day weekend.

Tanglewood

(C) 2015 Dale DiMauro

This is a watercolor I started this week. It is a bit different. I have always loved to draw plants, but not necessarily all the splashy flowers. I don't mean to suggest that I do not appreciate the aroma and beauty of a magnolia blossom or a rose in high bloom, but I am drawn to plants that have a pleasing habit; that is, they have patterns of growth or twisting which is very structural. These plants exhibit a spatial quality or feel that is recognizable in relation to their neighboring plants. 

In my youth, I remember riding my bike along the Bronx River Parkway, where there was a bike path, and observing how greenbrier, a vining plant, would grow in a circulating habit from and between the mature hardwood trees. It had a simple presence, which was very recognizable and specific to the region. It had a strong character of growth, which I documented in pencil in one of my sketchbooks. 

The above painting reminds me to some degree of that youthful experience except the scene is much busier. I like the cool greens of the leaves and various canopies against the milky grays of the trunks during this recent heavy humidity period.

I like the wildness of the scene and am trying to balance some loose washes in contrast to tighter painting around some of the leaves. I will let you know what becomes of it. It has a sense of freedom, which I am hoping hard not lose.

I was forced to take this picture after it became dark and could not seem to prevent shadows from showing. I am still adjusting to our vanishing daylight, as I am in the habit of taking my photographs late in the day when the sun is not direct.

Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres

(C) 2015 Sketch of Ingres drawing Dale DiMauro

Last week, my wife and I visited the Frick Museum in New York City. It is a handsome museum fitted into an elegant mansion across the street from Central Park. Of the many lovely paintings on exhibit, which include Rembrandt, Vermeer and Whistler, I admire Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres work. I am fond of Ingres work, not only for his paintings but superb drawing abilities. When you look at many of Ingres portrait drawings it appears as if he did not lift his pencil from the paper until he was done. 

Ingres has been considered one of the great masters of all time. He has been credited with depicting the transformation of fashionable women for over half a century in France and witnessing the development of a consumer society. There is even drawing paper available today attributed to Ingres. This is a wove paper with a very smooth surface, which Ingres preferred.

At the Frick, I was reminded that I had picked up a book in the spring on Ingres, called Ingres: 162 Master Drawings by Blagoy Kiroff. Since I was pressed for time, I did a sketch from Kiroff's book on one of Ingres portrait drawings, titled Armand Bertin, dated 1842. It was an opportunity to study Ingres' technique while utilizing these smearless charcoal pencils, which I purchased at the end of last winter.