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| (C) 2017 Dale DiMauro |
There have been numerous commitments that have kept me from finishing this painting. Well, I finally managed to complete it, other than signing it.
There were several details that needed to be resolved. One was that the water bottle did not read as resting within a holder. Another was that the fanny pack was the same color as the shirt, thereby not registering as a separate element, drawing the eye unnecessarily to the bottom of the painting. The exterior pocket of the fanny pack had an angular shape, which did not look right and was distracting. I gave the area another darker wash with a neutral color and created a softer edge to convey distance.
When you work on a painting of this scale these elements become important, particularly when conveying the human form. I like this painting for its composition and subdued colors, which sparkle in contrast to the red bottle cap.
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| (C) 2017 Dale DiMauro |
This has been both a busy and tiring week for me. Not only was I thinking about the local landscape here in Vermont, but I have also been actively involved in transforming a couple's piece of Vermont into a place of greater meaning.
From developing landscape sketches for plantings to installing both free standing and retaining walls, I have been working to change their piece of the world. Although this is a creative process of its own, it feels good to step back and paint a simple little watercolor.
I have been trying to paint a plein air each Sunday, but today I lost my best chance to a heavy downpour. Pressed for time, I painted this at home as a substitute. This is one of those little imaginary landscapes that takes you to another place. Sketching from life, memory, or imagination is good practice.
Every time I work on a watercolor, even a simple sketch, I learn something, such as how the pigment behaves or moves around and settles into the surface of the paper. At times leaving the white of the paper says more than filling it with pigment. Pure color applied freely is reinvigorating.
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| (C) 2017 Dale DiMauro |
Recently, I paddled my kayak with a small group from the Brattleboro Outing Club on Long Pond, which is in Royalston, Massachusetts. With all the rain we have had lately, the water level was high, enabling us to paddle into areas you usually cannot access. We paddled over beaver dams with little trouble, saw nesting birds, including Canada geese and red-winged blackbirds, as well as great herons. In this pristine location we heard and saw significant waterfalls.
This little watercolor, inspired by that trip, was done in one hour, and I think of it as a postcard painting. It was a glorious day, preceded by a period of gloomy weather. The shoreline is not developed at all, making this paddle quite spectacular. This view is of one of the many bends in the river you pass through before the pond opens up.
Often I find myself attempting to paint the colors I have recently seen in nature. I find the best greens are made from mixing blues and yellows, not from the tube. Coming up with that strong shadow color projecting on the water is a challenge, too. In this case, I used a combination of ultramarine, Payne's gray and Prussian blue.
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| (C) 2017 Dale DiMauro |
Last Sunday my mother and I took our kayaks up to South Pond. After paddling, I thought it would be a great location to try a plein air painting. It was a hot day, approaching ninety degrees, which is unusual for this time of year in Vermont.
I have discovered that plein air painting can draw inquisitive onlookers who are eager to see what I am doing yet do not want to interrupt my progress. Perhaps it is only fair that we artists, who are always observing, are also observed.
Shortly after I set up my easel, a middle-aged man came along, took his canoe off the roof of his car and promptly capsized not once but twice, barely off the shore. Later, when he stopped to see what I was painting, I realized that I knew the unlucky fellow.
Although I did not have a large human crowd on Sunday, I had other visitors. I did not get far on this watercolor before the no-see-ums started to devour me. All over my body I found small bloody areas, yet I did not recall seeing any insects bite. In hindsight, I wish I had taken a photograph so I could finish this one at home.
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| (C) 2017 Dale DiMauro |
This little watercolor was painted plein air in the Ashuelot Park in Keene, NH. Once I started, it drew quite a crowd of onlookers. The vibrant colors and freedom of expression appealed to passers by. I find the paint dries relatively fast, preventing me from waiting around before the next application.
The sky truly had a bit of color in it when I started but as it dried it ended up much weaker. I do like the brush strokes in the foreground depicting the light on the lawn with the hard edges in various colors.
I made a simple pencil sketch of this scene when I began from a picnic table in the park. I have to say I am beginning to like this plein air business even though the bugs and changing light are challenging.
It can be hard to determine when the picture is complete but I generally spend no more than one hour on these.
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| (C) 2017 Dale DiMauro |
Plein air painting can be a challenge with the changing light and weather conditions but lately, I have been embracing it. Also, plein air forces you to paint directly as you have time constraints. You get these rich colors down on the paper and it dries quickly. However, there are areas where the white of the paper shows through which can be advantageous, such as the reflections on the water, in this case.
When I am painting outside in the elements I am so focused on painting that all other distractions I am oblivious to. I am thinking about what area to focus on next or when to drop pigment into an already wet area. This free and wild quality I definitely enjoy when painting in watercolor. Often to suggest with pigment is more effective than covering the whole page.
What attracted me to this subject was the moving water against the backlit river vegetation. In addition, that band of spring green was stunning.
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| (C) 2017 Dale DiMauro |
This week there has been progress on this full sheet watercolor. First of all, this picture does not have much color, which is the strength of the composition. The muted colors help to make the red water bottle cap come forward. The background has been kept simple and lacking in detail, to avoid conflicting with the figure.
Mask was used to preserve some white areas for the hair. It has since been removed and painted over. The shirt which dominates a majority of the painting has distinct folds of fabric.
There has been much positive feedback regarding this watercolor. When matted, framed and hanging on the wall this picture will have an impact on the viewer. The posture, scale and water bottle details command your attention. However, there is still work to be done on the shirt, fanny pack, face and hat.
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| (C) 2017 Dale DiMauro |
Last winter, I turned this drawing into a little watercolor in my sketchbook. Looking back at this image I find the shadow below the chin to be stunning. Is it a warm shadow or a cool one? The photograph does not do justice to the image. However, when I look at this warm shadow as I see it, I feel the time of day which was a mid-day shadow. For a little watercolor done in one sitting with a minimal amount of pigments I am quite pleased with the overall affect I attempted to capture.
There is something about the lips and skin tone which are quite pleasing, too. It is a challenge to make the lips look like they weren't pasted on. They can lack dimension which gives them a flat appearance. I am not saying they were greatly painted but that they have a warm feeling to them.
Regardless, it is good to thumb through work in the past either to see your progress as well as consider how you would approach things differently. I do think drawing and painting makes you see things more clearly for what they are.
The subject of this post was conceived because I could not stop thinking about those qualities I find in this image. I do believe meaningful art goes beneath the surface to some deeper understanding or conveyance.
