Outward bound

(C) 2015 Dale DiMauro

This is one of those houses I have walked and driven by in my hometown countless times. 
If you live in a small town like I do, with some history to it, you make note of it, because it defines the town. Most of the older homes are in a prominent location, in the downtown area, and in our case are fortunately kept up. This particular house is pleasing to the eye with the mansard roof, multiple dormers, old shutters and timeless architectural details. The way this home sits on its flat lot in contrast to the distant ridge and river valley below and beyond make it an appealing subject to paint.

However, I did not want to depict it as it truly is. Recently, when I started this watercolor I had aspirations of painting a large picture but was going to start with a study in order to work out some issues with the landscaping. I wanted to enhance the presence and mystery of the river valley, which is to the right of the building.  This is the area of the picture where I imagine the greatest light to be, in contrast to the building, which casts its own shadows, existing tree canopies, and the driveway, which juts across the foreground. I intend to delete all the little bushes of rhododendrons and other random plantings, which are detrimental to strengthening the experience of the historic home and the sequence of spaces, which lead the eye to the view of the river.

I am always trying different approaches to the sky as they are so important in the picture. Some really contrast with the building while others offer subtle effects that set a quieter mood. In fact, the first area I paint in a watercolor is the sky, and in many cases it involves many washes including several blues. In this sky I can feel the clouds passing the chimney as they clear away towards a beautiful sunny day. I will let you know how it turns out or in which direction it takes me.