Spring forward

(C) 2015 Dale DiMauro

This is a watercolor I did at the end of last winter. I love the angle, looking up at the house, elevating the degree of reverence to the structure, while the ground drops off the picture in the foreground. The sky lends so much to this picture with the variation of cloud cover and patches of blue contrasting with the faded, barn red color. The snow has a sort of weathered and aged look as it has largely melted off the roof and receded on the ground. Winter is largely behind us at this point, but there is a certain charm in the portrayal of the elements through the subtle warmth of color in the fence and deciduous shrubbery. 

I actually took this photograph after it was matted and framed with glass. Usually, once framed, you get glare from the glass in most photographs. So clearly I lucked out. I really like the charcoal-gray colored frame which you the viewer, cannot see, which makes a handsome complement to the off-whites, earth colors and red of the picture.

Burt Silverman

(C) 2015 Photograph Dale DiMauro

When my wife and I were in Washington, D.C. this week, we visited many of the Smithsonian Institutions (appreciating their lack of fees), and we were most drawn to the art museums. We visited the National Portrait Gallery twice, as it contains such a large collection and requires time to properly absorb the offerings.

I was particularly fond of this drawing by Burt Silverman (b. 1928) of the novelist Philip Roth. He used charcoal and white chalk on paper for this piece done in 1983. Clearly, he used toned paper with white for the highlights, to great affect.

This picture interests me in part because recently I bought several charcoal drawing pencils, which I was told do not smear. This is a revelation, because charcoal traditionally smudges and can be hard to handle without making a mess. In fact, I have much experience applying spray fixative on charcoal.

This new charcoal product comes in white, black, sanguine, and sepia from Jerry's Artarama, which claims it will not smear. So far, I love working with these pencils, but I have not finished a drawing with them. When I come up with a nice and juicy portrait, I will post for all to see.

Merv Corning

(C) 2015 Photograph Dale DiMauro

This is school vacation week for many students and faculty in our area. My wife, an English teacher in New Hampshire, certainly earned this hiatus. Thus, we decided to head south to Washington D.C. for warmer weather, spring blooms and to visit some museums. 

Yesterday, while visiting the National Portrait Gallery, we saw some amazing paintings of both historical figures and celebrities. One of the first paintings we saw along the long corridors was a watercolor by Merv Corning (1926-2006) of Johnny Unitas, a famous quarterback from the National Football League. Corning, over the course of his career, went on to paint over 200 National Football League Players.

I personally had never heard of Merv Corning nor seen his work. Yet, to see his work in person, it was evident he had tremendous drawing and painting skills. His composition captures Unitas under deep concentration while his brushstrokes are bold and direct. There is no fussing around or going back into the painting. The profile of Unitas' face and hand are convincing, while occupying the full picture with his presence. The artists choice of value, in his color selection, are spot on in achieving depth in the portrait.

A pleasant outlook

(C) 2015 Dale DiMauro

One evening my wife and I were watching the evening news when I started drawing this portrait from a photograph in a Vermont Life Magazine we had on the coffee table. The photograph is attributed to Chris Cammock, in the Spring 2014 edition. I liked how the drawing developed and carried it further by starting a watercolor of the portrait. Instead of using the usual 140 lb. Arches watercolor block, I decided to try it on a 300 lb. block, which is a much thicker paper that holds water more easily. Initially, I was going to paint a very different background, perhaps even just a rich dark color. 

However, the real issue was how to portray her hair as it got lost in the background if that were a lighter color. Ultimately, I painted it as it was in the photograph with the brick wall lending a sense of depth to the picture. I do like the individual hair strands that project from her head against the red of the brick. Believe it or not, her hair is painted with ultramarine blue.

Another issue is coming up with a name for a painting. At times the subject or atmospheric effects suggest a name. Often I just type in a name in the beginning of a post, and as the writing develops, I am able to come up with a more suitable title. What would you title this picture?

Ashuelot Park

(C) 2015 Dale DiMauro

I like the Ashuelot Park, in Keene, New Hampshire at this time of year. In particular, I enjoy the trail that runs from the park in Keene up towards the Cheshire Hospital. Once the snow melts and mud subsides, it is a lovely walk or bicycle ride on soft ground with the Ashuelot River on one side and wetland areas on the other. Often the sound of the first peepers of the season I find here, along with the new arrivals of birds out in the sunshine. This is the embodiment of spring. 

This watercolor expresses that time of year when we finally have beautiful sun, warm temperatures, and the promise of a new season. This old tree casts interesting shadows in contrast with the undergrowth of thickets on the undulating forest floor. Over time people have carved out little trails along the river's edge while bisecting the forest.

In this painting I really tried to paint the variation of subject matter within the shadow of the tree. Instead of using a dark monotonous shadow, I attempted to suggest the contour of the land, the trail surface, and a bit of temperature in its silhouette.

I usually paddle with a buddy of mine in the Upper Ashuelot Canoe Race, which is typically the first Saturday in May. However, with my arm still undergoing physical therapy, I do not know if I will enter this year.

Back in time

(C) 2015 Dale DiMauro

Since today was my birthday, I figured I would go back in time and display a painting I did when I was in high school in 1982. With my mom, I took an evening art course with Gregory Lysun, a very accomplished oil painter, at the Westchester County Center in White Plains, New York. At the time I was inspired by Norman Rockwell's small town community scenes. My father even helped me build the picture frame out of "door stop" from the local lumber yard. We used a table saw to miter the cuts and hammered the corners together by hand.

I loved the postures and body language then, as I still do now. To some it may seem unfinished, but adding more grass blades for example, would not make much of an improvement. The picture has sort of an innocent, direct, yet unworked over quality to it. The particular wooden ladders shown above you do not see so much these days.

Although this old oil painting is quite different from my recent watercolors, there are some similarities. I am still drawn to buildings and people as my subject matter.  Relatively few of my works are the expansive landscape scenes that have been popular with so many painters. While I frequently wander in nature, I tend to paint scenes from my neighborhood.

Cedar Street

(C) 2015 Dale DiMauro

People have been asking me lately if I do any oil painting. Years ago, I mean decades ago, oil painting was the first medium I attempted. I had painted a snow scene and a couple of young men painting a red barn on ladders, amongst other landscapes. In high school I also did some acrylic painting, featuring downhill ski racers. For plein air painting I am interested in using water mixable oil color, which cleanup just like watercolor. You also can paint these upright on an easel which is important when painting outside.

The above painting I did a little over a year ago on a panel Gerarde Doucette had prepared for me. Gerarde hosts a small group of artists in his studio in Charlestown, New Hampshire from time to time where he goes around and gives individual advice to artists. Cedar Street is a busy side road in our neighborhood. This was painted as much with a paint brush as with a palette knife. I pretty much completed it in one afternoon, though I had transferred a line drawing to the panel in advance.

Towards the end of Winter

(C) 2015 Dale DiMauro

I had great fun developing this painting. The scene is drawn from my neighborhood. The length of day has been increasing as evidenced from the late afternoon western light. To me there is a balance of warmth and coolness in the picture. The color of the roofs have a nice gentle warmth to them, while also conveying an element of abstraction in their geometries. The snow, street and evergreens have a harmonizing coolness. 

There are undulating woodlands in the background which I tried to really play up with washes of sepia to make the building in the sun pop forward. The bleached affect on the wall in the sun further delineates the building.

I do love the older homes, with their distinctive detail, character and how they are situated in the land. No two older homes look alike. In the changing light and shadows over the course of the day I find them to be truly wonderful. Never a dull moment! For some time I have been entertaining thoughts of introducing a figure or figures into some of the pictures. Perhaps in a window or working in the yard. I don't know at this point but you never know......

Hopeful Signs

(C) 2015 Dale DiMauro

This painting I did a couple years back, but it reminds me of this time of year, the time of year when looking at old snow in particular gets old, fast. It seems unusually late to have so much snow around here or at least in Brattleboro. Having said that, I realize it is receding everyday on our property of late. Against the house on the south side we have daylily and iris foliage emerging. 

To me, this painting has a degree of optimism even though it may seem toned down with browns and subdued yellows. It has the light of longer days and increasing temperatures yet to fully arrive.

The old fellow in the van is bundled against the cold and enjoying the hot air blower of his vehicle while having a "driveway moment," as NPR calls it, listening to the radio before venturing out into the chilly gray day once more.