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| (C) 2017 Dale DiMauro |
Recently, I began using Winsor & Newton watercolor blocks for plein air painting. So I figured it would be a good idea to try their little watercolor book to acquire more experience with this paper and test out color combinations.
As I understand it, there is a bit of a resurgence of interest in watercolor. This is due, in part, to the sharing of information over social media, accessibility and the ease of portability that the medium offers. In addition, the influence and development of technology which is constantly impacting our lives is improving paper and preservation techniques etc. I am stating all this because the materials I have to choose from are quite different from day to day.
This imaginary landscape is a vehicle to experiment with this new tube of indian yellow I have been eager to try out. It was used in the foreground on it's own and in combination with prussian blue to paint the green of the tree on the left.
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| (C) 2017 Dale DiMauro |
The deadline for the mother of all watercolor shows is fast approaching. November 15 is the deadline to enter the 151st Annual International Exhibition of the American Watercolor Society. This exhibition runs from April 9 - April 28, 2018 at the Salamagundi Club in New York City.
This is certainly a prestigious show with lots of prize money. However, I am undecided about which painting to enter.
This is one of many compositional studies explored through quick pencil sketches. Perhaps, I will produce a new painting on short notice. For some reason, I am leaning towards starting a painting on a half sheet, which is 15" x 30".
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| (C) 2017 Dale DiMauro |
Late this afternoon I started this plein air watercolor. I was in Keene, NH, finishing some errands when I settled on this spot in the Asheulot Park. It may look a little amateurish, but I like the decisions made along the way. The days are getting so short that the window for painting is narrowing rapidly.
Since the yellow foliage was so fresh and dominant, I wanted to put down a vibrant wash and leave it alone. When plein air painting, it is important to utilize the old adage: warm colors advance. and cool colors recede.
When I started the sun was in my eyes with the landscape backlit, creating interesting shadow patterns and that mist-like quality on the right side.
Last week I drove to Kent, Connecticut not once, but twice. This is where the North East Watercolor Society holds it's 41st International Exhibition. Many people have told me this is a prestigious show and that I had as good a chance as any of winning an award.
The first time I went to Kent was to deliver my painting and the second was for the opening reception. Since I had never been to Kent, I really did not know what the area was like. However, on the drive down I became impressed with the landscape of the Housatonic River as you drive beside it for stretches at a time.
On my first pass through the area, on Route 7, I saw a fly fisherman standing in the middle of the river with waders on, casting for his catch. I have since learned that this river is a popular fly fishing destination, on par with many western rivers. Apparently, it has among the finest trout in the eastern United States. You will find some remaining covered bridges along the way too. With my wife and mom, we did visit Kent Falls, a state park with seventeen different waterfalls.
When I go to retrieve my painting I plan on doing a plein air painting and fitting in a hike.
This little watercolor was inspired from a photograph I saw in a Vermont tourism guide.
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| (C) 2017 Dale DiMauro |
Today was the opening reception for the North East Watercolor Society's 41st International Exhibition. My wife, mom and I traveled down to Kent, Connecticut from Vermont to attend the show. Kent is a lovely, rural area to drive through with much history to be found.
I was eager to see my watercolor hanging on the wall alongside many great paintings. I was hopeful to possibly win one of the many awards handed out, even if a modest one, indeed. However, that was not to be the case this time.
Out of four hundred plus entries, one hundred eight paintings were selected for the exhibition. I was one those artists who made the cut. You can see my painting in the background, titled 'My Brother'. On exhibit are paintings from China, Singapore, India, Taiwan, France, Canada and many from the northeast. In addition, there are paintings from the mid-west and even Oregon.
The exhibition is open to the public through Sunday October 29th at noon.
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| (C) 2017 Dale DiMauro |
Well, I finally finished this watercolor. There is a little study of the subject's head which I included when I posted this. That little glint of sun across the paddlers neck makes the profile convincing.
This composition with the paddler off center I find endlessly captivating. He seems to glide cross the surface of the river from light into dark as the ripples lap towards the viewer. The depiction of water as inspired by nature can lead an artist in so many different directions. Water can be conveyed in so many ways from the calm surface of a pool, to swirls, cascades or waterfalls. Not to mention all its frozen qualities.
The inspiration for this painting came from a paddle I went on with members of the Brattleboro Outing Club. The water level was higher than usual enabling us to paddle farther into inlets and past floating logs and see nesting birds which one can't usually approach.
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| (C) 2017 Dale DiMauro |
This little watercolor is one of those warm up studies I do to get me going on larger paintings. There truly is little color in this picture. I used a limited palette of aureolin yellow, cobalt blue, payne's gray, ultramarine and burnt sienna.
This is a scene from a day trip this summer near the Berkshire Mountains in western MA. The absence of color in the sky provides a calm and serene quality to the landscape. I tried emphasizing darks in the foreground to give a sense of depth to the rural scene.
All summer and fall, I have been using these Kolinsky watercolor brushes, made by Rhapsody, for both studio and plein air painting. They hold a lot of water and spring back to a fine point when splayed out. I also drag them across the paper so they are nearly dead flat, creating interesting effects.
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| (C) 2017 Dale DiMauro |
This past summer I painted many plein air watercolors. I wasn't sure how they would turn out. I learned the process is very different than painting in the studio. As a result, I have accumulated equipment to provide a smoother plein air experience. This equipment includes lightweight easels, a tray that mounts on my easel for my palette and two shoulder bags for transportation and quick access.
In general, I paint outside for an hour or so and complete it at home, if necessary. There is a freedom of expression in plein air achieved through watercolor that I find no other medium offers.
This watercolor was painted in late July. In this picture, I like the combination of red and green which naturally, are complimentary colors. In watercolor you can go back into a wash for example, such as the foliage and darken it or expand the massing.
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| (C) 2017 Dale DiMauro |
It was a beautiful day here in southern Vermont, today. So I sought to take advantage of this favorable weather. A few weeks ago I started this plein air watercolor. When I started this, time was limited and the late afternoon sun was fading. When I first painted this, I stood on a causeway constructed of concrete while in the shade.
Well, early this afternoon I went back to this site and did more painting on this picture. However, when I set-up my easel on the same causeway, I was in the full sun. In addition, since last visit, some of the trees are beginning to acquire their fall color.
Regardless of the changes I have no control over, there is more depth added to the scene. From painting outside I have learned that marks here and there are just as effective as broad washes over a chunk of the paper. Many of these marks I add as other areas of the paper are drying. Ultimately, these marks can be interpreted as branching, reflections on the water or suggest direction in a scene.
