Ashuelot Park Plein Air

(C) 2017 Dale DiMauro

Plein air painting has transformed how I paint and view the world I am portraying. With the changing light it is important to not become distracted with all that is going on around me. This concentration can become exhausting if I paint for a long period of time. I generally plein air paint for a little over an hour and at that point it is time for a break. Usually by then the light has changed and I need to step back and take a fresh look at where I am on the picture.

This is a plein air painting which I started in Ashuelot Park, in Keene, NH. Yesterday I did some finishing touches at home. This view is in the vicinity of the waterfall with some buildings deleted. Mount Monadnock is very much in view.

On these outdoor excursions I have been experimenting with a Sennelier watercolor pan set which is different from my Winsor and Newton studio palette. The Sennelier set, made in France, limits the number of pigments I use to fourteen. In contrast, in the studio, I have at my disposal up to thirty five pigments from my Winsor and Newton palette. 

Until I worked on this at home, the tree trunks were so transparent that you could see the mountain through the base of the tree. I had to lift out the paint in this area and go back in with a darker color to correct this problem. Other than that, I love the vivid colors and how the paint gets absorbed into the paper.

The tree shadow gives dimension and roots the trunk into the earth. Unfortunately, the photograph does not do it justice. When painting outside you really don't know what the result will be as the paper is transformed through various wash cycles which brings the whole experience into the present moment.

The Watercolor Board

(C) 2017 Dale DiMauro

It was a gorgeous day here in Vermont. This afternoon I sought to get outside and take advantage of the good weather we have been having. I took a trail walk through the local woods and strapped my kayak on the car for an afternoon paddle.

This was my set-up for plein air painting, in the late afternoon, on a nearby pond. Recently, I purchased a new mount, which holds the paper in place as tight as a drum. This frame stretches the paper which is important in preventing buckling which causes pigment to settle in the low spots whether you want that to happen or not.

I felt like I got off to a good start on this picture except that passersby delayed my process numerous times. At this time of year I really notice the changing light. Regardless, of the results, I feel good about this painting and the utilization of this new mount.

Andrew Wyeth at the Farnsworth Art Museum

2017 Photograph Dale DiMauro

Earlier this Summer my wife and I visited the Farnsworth Art Museum in Rockland, Maine. This year Andrew Wyeth would have turned one hundred, thus, the museum celebrated by assembling a strong exhibit of his paintings. As much as anything on display, I found the exhibit on his drawings fascinating. 

This landscape drawing was done with such strong tonal values that it appears photographic at first glimpse. One can truly see where he pressed down hard on the paper. The shadows along the shore and those cast from the tree trunks give the viewer a sense of the mood of that day.

Many of these drawings or watercolor studies are the size of some of his finished paintings. Not only is the scale significant, but his draftsmanship was superb. For me, some of these more complete drawings are paintings in of themselves. 

To think he drew outside on this scale as a plein air painter would do, is unbelievable. Speaking from experience, to lug around large sheets of paper out in the elements is no easy task. One display panel mentioned that Andrew Wyeth painted one hundred to one hundred fifty watercolors per year which over the course of six or seven decades is a quantity hard to comprehend.

Long lost painting

(C) 2017 Dale DiMauro

This painting was begun towards the end of last winter. I was inspired by the quality of the light across the landscape and the dramatic perspective framed by the fence. Then I put it in a drawer in my flat files to keep it out of the sun as the days were lengthening, and I lost track of it for a while. 

Some of these large watercolors as they accumulate paint begin to bow. Thus, they don't want to lay flat. Due to this characteristic I believe they hang in the top of the draw, which makes them difficult to locate. This may seem bizarre, but I searched these flat files several times in early spring and could not find this painting.

Since coming upon this painting by accident a few weeks ago, I have moved the trunk of the big tree from the middle of the painting to its off-center location. The figure, which is me, is becoming more refined. I have further worked on the fence and strengthened the presence of the shadows. The foreground of the painting has acquired the cool temperature of winter, which makes the sunny areas feel warm. 

Brattleboro Common

(C) 2017 Dale DiMauro

This morning I spent some time plein air painting on the Brattleboro Common. I had some time as my appointment ended early. It was not even mid-day and the sun was above me, which is a time of day I seldom have the chance to capture.

It is always a challenge to paint outside. However, it can be very rewarding. Regardless of the outcome, it is always a memorable experience.

When my hour or so working on this picture was up I was swarmed by twenty or so young children brought outside with their adult supervisors. They climbed up the gazebo, ran around the monument and spread out over the lawn. Some of these children wanted to know what I was up to as I had settled in at a picnic table more or less in the middle of the Common.

One of the supervisors described this picture as a sketch or drawing as a way to entice the children to take in the view that I had chosen. The little building is a tourist information kiosk when the window on the opposite side is open. I tried to match as close as possible the changing colors that were before me.

Watercolor doodle

(C) 2017 Dale DiMauro

When we were in Maine on vacation last month I purchased this small Arches watercolor block (about 4" x 10"). I found it in Northeast Harbor at a science store of all places. I thought it would be a useful size to practice painting figures. Also, it seems desirable to add a cool car or two to some of my watercolors when they are called for. I think of these as little practice sheets.

There are important lessons I have learned in regard to seating figures into the landscape. Figures give motion and direction to a picture. Just that little bit of a skin tone to the face or arm makes it feel human. The lower leg or boot needs to be of a darker value to define the presence of the figure. Washes suggesting grass or meadow around the feet naturalize the image and offer a pleasing composition.

Automobiles need to be anchored into the landscape, too. Tires usually cast shadows, which unite the vehicle with the ground plane. These shadows typically are the same value as the tires. This underbelly value gives the vehicle substance and contrasts well with the color of the frame.

I hope to practice these figure and automobile studies until I am very fluid in their execution. They give a sense of scale and character to a watercolor.

Plein air challenges

(C) 2017 Dale DiMauro

Plein air painting in watercolor is a real challenge. I have mentioned in prior posts how the changing light, a sudden burst of wind or rain, can alter the scene in a moment. Well, late this afternoon I experienced all these qualities in my hour or so working on this piece. As a result the final version is much different than my start.

My first wash involved adding blue for the sky above the distant hill. I misted the top of the paper with my sprayer then dropped in blue and rotated the watercolor block around to prevent the pigment from running down the page. The sky was faint when I blocked in the hill, but as the weather changed, the hill was obscured. There were two guys playing basketball on the right, and I sketched in one of the figures but he scurried away as the clouds moved in.

Regardless of the challenges, I am embracing open air painting. It makes me really concentrate on the task while honing my observation skills. It also frees me to paint unlike any studio piece. I have learned to approach a plein air painting subject differently, with flexibility and a focus on simplicity. 

North East Watercolor Society Exhibition

(C) 2017 Dale DiMauro

Recently, I was informed that this painting titled My Brother was accepted into a major watercolor exhibition. The painting was selected for the 41st Annual International Open Exhibition 2017 by a jury of five signature members of the North East Watercolor Society.

The exhibit will take place in Kent, Ct from October 15th - 29th. There will be an opening reception on Sunday, October 15th from 2-4 pm. In addition, there will be an awards ceremony at this reception. The juror of awards this year is Mel Stabin, AWS, a nationally known watercolor painter.

Naturally, I am excited to report on this bit of news. Now I just have to get this painting framed.

Stickney Brook Falls

(C) 2017 Dale DiMauro

I found yesterday afternoon to be a hot and humid day in Brattleboro, Vermont, so I escaped to these little falls not far from where we live. I love the sound of the falls, the breeze they create, and being able to cool down on a hot day.

It was a challenge to paint this scene. I had two rambunctious girls circling around me while throwing stones. At the same time their energetic dog was shaking water from its body right at my foot, and licking my knee from time to time.

With many plein air paintings, you don't really know what you'll get until you're done. I worked on this a little too much since the light had changed and the sun moved directly into my eyes. The cascading water that zig-zagged down the hill was at times invisible to the eye yet audible as it flowed from one outcropping to the next.

By the end of my painting time, consciously or not, I was exclusively painting in purples and grays or black. After I got home and took a second look with a fresh eye, I was pleased with my result. The rock ledges have a cool, shadowy quality to them.