John Singer Sargent: Watercolors

Across the Connecticut River in Keene, New Hampshire, we have a great bookstore. In addition to new books, they sell quality used books at attractive prices. Yesterday, prior to ushering a show at the Colonial Theater with time on my side, I paid a visit to the Toadstool bookstore. I could not believe this Sargent book in hardcover was only ten dollars. Needless to say I purchased this on the spot.

This book is titled John Singer Sargent: Watercolors. The book was published in conjunction with an exhibition arranged by the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston and the Brooklyn Museum in 2013. It originally sold for sixty dollars at retail, just a few years ago. I was interested in this book when the exhibition was going on but not at the listed price.

Beyond the photographs of his watercolors in the book, I was curious what any new research might reveal on his techniques and use of materials. I have yet to read the book but am aware of how direct his painting method was in watercolor. Sometimes he would layout a pencil drawing before painting and other times he just put paint to paper. Also, he drew on the paper at times, after he did many washes.

There is a freedom to his execution of these paintings as he did not waste his time with unnecessary details or overwork areas. Sargent liked to paint plein air and one dominant characteristic throughout the book is his ability to capture light and the effects of light on his subjects.

Skinny watercolor

(C) 2017 Dale DiMauro

This skinny watercolor is a remnant cut off from a larger landscape painting. I try to not let anything go to waste. Since the remnant lent itself to a vertical orientation I was searching for subjects which compositionally would complement this format. There is another painting at the top with two boys standing along the shoreline.

Last summer on vacation I took a photograph on a beach near Bath, Maine as the sun was fading. However, I did take some artistic license by adding two birds in the distance to convey some movement to the picture. Also, I changed the women's shirt from navy blue to white to increase the contrast between the figures.

After I finished this picture I realized it looks similar to a Steve Hanks watercolor. Steve is one of my favorite watercolor artists who painted many beach scenes amongst others along the Pacific Coast. He was a master of conveying the human figure and was an amazing draftsman. Unfortunately, he passed away recently. 

Sketchbook drawing

(C) 2017 Dale DiMauro

I have been drawing in my sketchbook quite a bit lately. There is something about picking up a pencil and doing a drawing of a person or a landscape. When I am finished it is quite satisfying to look at the drawing and critique it on many levels. Does it look anything like the person? Did I capture the character traits of the individual? How did I do in conveying their expression? How would I do it differently next time? 

Overtime, I do believe there has been improvement in capturing the human form. Naturally, the proportions of the face from the nose to ears and eyes, I have become better acquainted with. Along the way I have experimented with all kinds of drawing papers and a range of pencils. I prefer to use artist pencils such as Cretacolor or Staedtler and even woodless graphite wood pencils simply because the tips will not break as easily as a Ticonderoga-type school pencil. They do not smear as readily either. I do not want to be caught working on a drawing outside where I need to sharpen a pencil. As far as drawing paper I prefer thicker weighted sheets such as 65lb or 80lb sheets with some tooth, over a smooth surface. Strathmore artist papers is one reliable paper manufacturer that can be found at your local art store that I like.

One other thing. I prefer to use an eraser as little as possible. Often I intentionally do not even bring an eraser with me so that t does not become a crutch. 

Hopefully, my experience in using some of these materials can be an aid to someone reading this blog.

Self-Portrait

(C) 2017 Dale DiMauro

This is a self-portrait I started in December. Except for my signature, I consider it finished. I have been told it looks like me, which is the ultimate compliment as it is hard to look at myself subjectively.

This was painted on an Arches watercolor block. With the heat on in the house, I find the corners of the blocks begin to separate from the rest of the block, particularly the larger sizes. Thus, the corner in the lower left is curled, making the perspective appear distorted in the photograph.

There is much that I like in this picture. I am pleased with how the hands came out. Many artists would not even include hands in a picture, particularly when they are front and center as in this composition. Also, I like that you can see the glasses on my face, but they don't dominate the face as there are lines that suggest the outlines of the frames.

In addition, you can feel the warmth of the sun on the bench and my hands without seeing its source. Lastly, I appreciate the way the lush green growth was brushed on so that it fades into the distance.  

The New Minority Whip

(C) 2017 Dale DiMauro.
Photo credit: Marco Grob

Drawing the human face and figure is endlessly fascinating for me. The range of expressions, postures and individual characteristics from the color of the eyes to the shape of our noses is so varied. 

As much as I like to draw the human face, I also enjoy experimenting with various papers and pencils. I find myself wanting to draw on a larger scale all the time. I have drawn faces in pencil, charcoal, crayon, conte' and watercolor.

This drawing was done in my new reclining leather chair while watching the latest Sherlock Holmes episode on PBS. With new faces on the scene in a new administration, whether we like it or not, there will be new subjects to discover in pencil. 

This drawing was inspired from a photograph in a Time magazine issue we have had sitting in our living room. When I recycle magazines, I periodically cut out photographs of interesting faces as a resource. 

Fort Dummer State Park

(C) 2017 Dale DiMauro

Fort Dummer State Park is a great place to take a hike. Particularly, after it is closed for the season. Once labor day passes the hiker is free of any sort of fees. I have walked, hiked, run and cross-country skied on at least the park roads.

There is a secret little quarry with a little pond at the foot of these cascading rocks. The growth over the rock formation is real appealing to me. In the early fall I could not resist attempting to paint that rock face.

This watercolor started out rough but I think it progressed nicely. The surface of the pond is so still and murky yet it provides pristine reflections. I do like the opposite shoreline with it's warm pine needle color. To suggest depth to the foliage over the rocks I built up various washes of blues. 

I believe this picture is like no other watercolor I have painted. To me it is a pure landscape scene with no structures or people in it. These can be the hardest subjects to tackle without overdoing it. It is easy for it to become a cheesy picture or to lose the center of focus.

November landscape

(C) 2017 Dale DiMauro

Usually I find the everyday or common landscape to be the most inspiring. Great landmarks draw a lot of people and require travel time. Plus if you have an eye for it, you can capture a local scene from unusual angles which can make the subject fresh.

This is a watercolor I worked on two falls ago. I like that there is essentially an absence of color. The starkness of the landscape, for me, depicts the time of year when the structure of the land reveals itself. With watercolor you can capture the mood and atmosphere like no other medium. There is a stillness or serene quality conveyed by the muted colors.

However, this is one of those pictures and there are not many which I question whether I am finished or not. I do believe a little more work is necessary in the foreground to strengthen the presence of the tangled growth in the lowland area which marks the edge of the field.

Late fall in the field

(C) 2017 Dale DiMauro

This is a local field in Brattleboro, Vt, walking distance from my house. I have walked this field in all kinds of weather throughout the seasons. However, the sky is what I have learned to pay attention to. Sometimes there is bright light and it feels great to have the warmth of the sun on my face as I walk across the uneven ground. Other times the clouds are racing across the sky with strong winds and the desperate cackle of birds flailing in the air. 

With the advent of a new year, it is a great time to develop new techniques and try different things. One year ago I would not have used the color combinations in the above watercolor. I like the effect of dry brush in the mid-ground on the left, which I do not do enough of. I also used opaque white paint in the foreground to suggest corn stubble.

For Christmas I received a ukelele so perhaps over time as I learn that instrument my paintings will evolve in a new direction. However, since the new year I have been a bit under the weather. So this watercolor was intended to give me a quick little push into 2017.

Where did he go?

(C) 2017 Dale DiMauro

This past summer on vacation, in Maine, my wife and I came upon quite a sight. It was late in the afternoon with the tide largely out leaving open areas of sand with evolving pools of water. This photographer stood in one of the tidal pools as various shore birds circled around with some dive-bombing into the water to catch fish. The precision, skill and movement of these birds was awe-inspiring not to mention dizzying.

In the fall I did a little painting in my watercolor sketchbook(above) as a away to consider how I might develop the composition. I have since decided to invert the position of the figure so that he is facing to the right, yet is positioned off center. I have raised the individual's head above the shoreline thereby increasing his presence and raised the sky so that I can add a bird or two on axis with the direction his camera is oriented.

There is a stillness in the composition of the water, sand and individual which is a stark contrast to the sudden burst of movement provided by the bird activity.

Here in Vermont, we have had snow around for a while. Therefore, I thought it would be desirable to paint a summer scene.

Now I need to start the painting.