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| (C) 2017 Dale DiMauro |
Happy New Year.
May you take on new challenges
Just as I have tried my hand at the ukulele.
May the Olympics carry on.
May political division diminish.
May progress and change be truly meaningful.
May the earth's wounds heal.
May we see the advent of a new golden age.
May we all contribute to a better and more beautiful world.
To all you readers out there,
Near and far,
Artistically inclined or not,
Athletically motivated or home bound,
And certainly those technologically challenged,
May this be the best year ever.....
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| (C) 2017 Dale DiMauro |
This watercolor was started early this afternoon. I like where this picture is headed, however, my start was cut short by time constraints. Lately, I have become clear in my thinking as to how I want to approach the start of a painting. For example, there are occasions when toning the paper is beneficial, such as painting a winter scene. Other times I focus on the landscape and finish the sky later.
I have become more willing and even perhaps, more adept, at dropping in color when a section of the paper is wet. The fall colors were created this way. Fall foliage can appear fresh which I prefer, or can it become overworked, which I detest.
The way the big pine tree on the right frames the scene was the inspiration. In addition, I like the sharp contrast in light across the landscape.
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| (C) 2017 Dale DiMauro |
Each of the last three days in Brattleboro, Vermont, we have had either snow, sleet or freezing rain. It is pretty much a mess outside. On that note, I thought it would be best to introduce a little summer to this winter, during the holiday season. I noticed the high temperature forecast for thursday at nine degrees with a low of ten below.
Last night I painted this watercolor from a photograph I took last summer. It is of a favorite local swimming and paddling spot.
Paint was lifted at the end to create the tree trunk reflections in the water. I like the little triangle shaped lush greenery on the right. There is lot of temperature felt in this picture.
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| (C) 2017 Dale DiMauro |
Yesterday, I set up my easel by the window, in our house and painted this outdoor scene. I approached this as if it was a plein air painting. Fortunately, the sun broke through in the afternoon creating all these beautiful shadow patterns across the land.
In the morning, I was eager to experiment, with an underwash, before painting this scene or even laying it out. The warmth in the foreground, which is more noticeable in the painting, than in this photograph, is a result of putting an initial, wet wash of yellow ochre across the whole sheet.
Usually, I start painting from a white surface but in this case it was already toned. This way I could exaggerate the warm qualities the sun was providing, in contrast to the cool blues and shadows, which characterize this landscape.
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| (C) 2017 Dale DiMauro |
Is this an english landscape painting? No, but to me it has some qualities found in the british watercolor tradition. British artists often paint without the high contrast in color or light. In fact, they may not paint with much color at all. The ground plane they depict is often gray or a muted green, which when you consider their climate, is quite fitting.
This painting was inspired by the lush foliage and greens at the foot of the Harris Hill Ski Jump in Brattleboro, VT. I noticed cool blues in the shadows of the maple trees, which I had not noticed before, on a hike through their trails.
Recently, I have been dropping the pigment, burnt sienna, into my washes of green for the landscape. I like these pockets of warmth and variety, which seem to reveal more substance from the land.
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| (C) 2017 Dale DiMauro |
With this sudden burst of arctic air and the advent of winter, here in Vermont, I went about organizing my studio for the cold months ahead. I came upon this little sketchbook from several years ago, which has many pen and ink drawings of ideas for local gardens. Many ideas in this journal are for ways to reduce the quantity of lawn and offer a greater source and better variety of plants to consider for plantings.
While revisiting this journal for a few moments, I felt a little warmth of spring. However, I do like the organic, natural quality of the drawings.
There is a special quality to the timeless use of stone, when crafted with pride, native plantings and trees allowed to reach their mature state, full of character.
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| (C) 2017 Dale DiMauro |
As it was getting colder and the days on the calendar were advancing, I was pushing to build this mini-flat file. A good chunk of the wood I used, which is primarily oak, was sitting around in the garage from last year. Any additional lumber I purchased from the local Home Depot, as they currently supply quite a selection of half inch stock.
Counter space, in my studio, is at a premium. Thus, this flat file was constructed to hold paint brushes and store small watercolor paper scraps. My studio is south facing which makes me leery when it comes to leaving watercolor paintings out in the sun.
For me, building things out of wood is very rewarding. I enjoy the process of figuring out how best to construct something. Finally, shaping the various pieces of wood and joining them into a finished product is very satisfying.
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| (C) 2017 Dale DiMauro |
For some time, I have been eager to paint an urban scene. The setting, believe it or not, is downtown Brattleboro, Vermont, right after a parade passed through. I took the artistic license and omitted other people from the scene. The white shirt brings out the dark complexion and vice versa, which on watercolor paper is stunning. In addition, I find the high-top shoes and the man's posture captivating.
For me, this is the point in a painting, at least, when the scale is significant, where the progress is exciting. Besides the figure, there is something compelling, about the background, with all the various surfaces in their differing shapes, textures and coloration.
The textured wall above the sidewalk, has lunar black, a color I have been experimenting with, which I wrote about in a previous post.
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| (C) 2017 Dale DiMauro |
With the Christmas season in full swing, I attended our local Community Messiah Sing. In addition, to getting into the Christmas spirit, it was an opportunity to sketch your neighbor or neighbors' profile between songs.
Capturing an individual in a natural pose can be a difficult task even if it is as simple as a two minute sketch. People constantly fidget about, not, unlike a bird. For example, people incessantly adjust their hair or glasses and run their hand over their face.
At this scale, I am trying to capture the essence of someone without getting technical. Sketching these doodles makes me want to do more and develop others into larger drawings.
