 |
| (C) 2016 Dale DiMauro |
Watercolor paintings take time before they develop into an image I can be proud of. It is important to get the composition as strong as possible. I find the best watercolors have strong darks in them because they bring out the light which is often the focal point.
The above painting I started in the winter, in part, inspired from the lack of snow we had. We had so little snow this past winter it was easier to get around. If you paid attention, we had an irregular patchwork quilt of exposed earth most of the winter, in contrast to where we did have snow. This abstract landscape may seem all too ordinary but I saw it as an opportunity to enhance the figure both in his presence and in temperature.
The skin tone of the figure's face plays off the pink post planted in the ground. I altered the color of the figure's jacket to make it warmer and contrast with the blue background. With the help of Gerard Doucette, my art mentor, I was able to tweak the angle of the face to convey a stronger presence. In addition, the posture and body shape of the man was altered providing a greater sense of movement across the snow.
 |
| (C) 2016 Dale DiMauro |
I live in a small town in southern Vermont, Brattleboro, which hosts a ski jump which attracts thousands of spectators one weekend a year. Much work goes into preparing for this ski jump and then making sure it goes smoothly. There are countless volunteers who help pull off this event. I am one of the volunteers who helps in marking where the skiers land on the hill. The patrons stand in the cold air along the side of the hill and the landing area and watch the jumpers with amazement. The dress and posture of the spectators I find fascinating.
This setting provided the inspiration for this watercolor sketch. I enjoy trying to capture the posture of a figure or figures in pencil and watercolor, whether as a pencil sketch, a quick watercolor, or a refined painting.
I love the texture of the paper that is evident in this photograph. I think it truly adds some dimension to the impression of this scene. The figure in the foreground is both in the sun and projecting a shadow. I can feel the shift in temperature from his shoulder to his feet. Can you?
 |
| (C) 2016 Dale DiMauro |
The southern section of the Vermont Watercolor Society is exhibiting the works of nine local artists. This exhibit will take place from June 2 - 30 in the Crowell Gallery at the Moore Free Library which is in Newfane, VT on 23 West Street. There will be an artists' reception on Saturday, June 25, from 1:00 - 3:00 PM.
Gallery hours are Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, 1:00 - 5:00 PM
Thursday, 2:00 - 7:00 PM & Saturday, 10:00 - 1:00 PM
The exhibiting artists include: Carolyn Allbee, Maisie Crowther, myself, Nancy DiMauro, John Dimick, Stephen Lloyd, Molly Martin, Lois Phoenix and Cath Stockbridge.
I will be exhibiting three watercolors. Hope to see you there. It will be a lovely exhibit in a great gallery. I exhibited in this space a few years ago in the fall.
 |
| (C) 2016 Dale DiMauro |
Sometimes painting what is local and under your feet is the best. We had by Vermont's standards a short winter but it seemed long. This past winter we had very little snow accumulation and then in April, one last storm arrived after it seemed like spring was upon us.
This watercolor I enjoyed working on. I used the much thicker 300lb Arches watercolor paper which gave me more time to work as it stayed wet longer and seemed to attain a greater freshness of color. The vegetation and background was painted very wet and in a free manner. I like the perspective where you are looking up the road and towards the light. The glimpse of a reflection adds dimension to the scene.
People from a local art group in Keene, N.H thought I got the values spot on. That is the degree of darkness in relation to other objects depicted. Viewers seem to become quiet when they stand in front of the picture which I assume is a good thing. I think it does make you take it in as it captures your attention. I pride myself in not painting with gaudy colors but a more natural palette.
 |
| (C) 2016 Dale DiMauro |
With all the rain and gloomy skies last week, here in southern Vermont, a flowering quince in our yard, really stood out. Both my wife and I on our separate comings and goings, took note of the brilliant red against the rather gray backdrop. It grows up along a fence in our front yard and has not been as prominent as this year. We even have it's fruits from last year laying on the ground. In fact, prior to last season, I do not recall it ever fruiting since it was planted many years ago.
I was too tired last night from working outside to finish the picture but thought the timing of the subject was important to post. The vivid pinkish-red is hard to achieve as I don't usually paint with such intense colors. I do like the red against the gray background which essentially harmonizes the picture. As a result there is a calm quality to the watercolor. I think the simplified composition gives the flower more of a stage to shine on.
With a little more work done to the leaves I think the red will really shine as green is it's complementary color. The picture may look a little sloppily painted as I experimented with the background. This painting started as a study where I developed the woodland edge with different pigments than I usually do in cool colors as a technique to enable the flower to project forward.
 |
| (C) 2016 Dale DiMauro |
With the passing of winter come new inspirations for spring. I have started three little watercolors since friday. One is a flower painting, another a study for a self-portrait and the last is this little picture above.
Around my birthday in April I bought a new plastic palette with big wells for paint, which I need to break-in. I had been looking for some time I must add, for a good quality palette. The palettes I have used are hard to clean, particularly all the difficult to reach corners of the little wells. Many palettes stain and even crack over time. Regardless, I find the mixing areas to be inadequate for my use. The new palette is a John Pike palette with sturdy construction and seemingly accessible paint wells and two large mixing areas.
Recently, I purchased and read Mastering Watercolors: a practical guide by Joe Cartwright, which I learned of through facebook. I took from reading this book the importance of having a good quality spray bottle. Not your typical household plant spray bottle but a small container which conveys a fine mist instead of a jet stream. The little dark container in my photograph above, towards the bottom, is my atomizer, as my wife states. My wife was given this little bottle many years back when it contained some sort of perfume. It has been rinsed out numerous times yet still contains a subdued fragrance. However, the spray mechanism works great and the container is a nice portable size for outdoor painting. This atomizer is valuable for two reasons. First it is great for misting your dry pigments just as you are about to start painting. The other reason it is useful is for keeping the area of your painting moist that you want to work on.
 |
| (C) 2016 Dale DiMauro |
Drawing hands is a challenge. Most artists would consider it the hardest part of the human anatomy to convey with accuracy. It is important to get the proportion of the fingers correct while getting the angles of the digits believable. In addition to the five fingers with varying lengths, knuckles, fingernails, creases and shadows project from this complicated form. Finally, mixing an accurate skin tone can be a challenge in of itself.
Many artists have told me to minimize the hands unless the focus is on the hands. In this painting you can see that the darks on the perimeter of the fingers bring out the light color of the hands. I often mix yellow ochre with quinacridone rose and a touch of raw umber on my palette to come up with my skin color. Of course, if the hand is in a shadow I put a wash of ultramarine blue to cool it or set it back somewhat.
Regardless of the difficulty in conveying hands in drawing and painting, they communicate much about the individual. Some people have weathered, callused and discolored hands while others have slender, smooth and unblemished ones.
 |
| (C) 2016 Dale DiMauro |
Last fall I did some paddling after the summer season ended, when we had a run of beautiful clear days. The colors of nature were vibrant and the shadows were distinct. This inspiration fueled the subject matter for this painting.
I have been working on this painting of late in fits and spurts with no consistency. However, the taste of the warmer weather has gotten me charged up to both get out and kayak and finish this painting. Every wash of color seems to add a layer of dimension to this scene.
I was attracted to the warm, transparent color of the boat against the blues of the water, which naturally, are complementary colors. In addition, I like the cool colors of the evergreens in the distance and the cool greens along the shore.
This photograph does not do the picture justice. I usually take photographs of my watercolors during the daylight but was unable to do that in this instance. The artificial light is not the same.
