Retreat Field(a work in progress)

(C) 2017 Dale DiMauro

The woods and fields of the Windham Foundation are traversed by many in Brattleboro who are trying to get a walk in. I have walked across these fields many times, in all kinds of weather. Over time I have learned to appreciate the changing light with subtle and dramatic changes in the sky.

As I began to paint this watercolor, it seemed to have the qualities of an oil painting. There is a build-up of paint in the foreground while the tree line to the right has a glow as if from the light you see in oil paintings. In addition, I tried painting the sky differently, giving the clouds a layered and hard edged appearance.

The ground plane has been a struggle to get just right. I have learned that the landscape needs to be a distinct value darker than the sky to give it a solid grounding and separation from the sky.

At this point in the development of the painting I have come to realize the foreground needs something to give it a spark. I plan on adding an individual to the right foreground, looking towards the distant hill. I might even add a dog in front of the person to strengthen the focus of the picture.