Along the Ashuelot River

(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.