Reading the landscape...........

(C) 2018 Dale DiMauro

We have had beautiful, sunny days for the most part, to close out 2018. Lately, the landscape looks more like a late November day than some point in December. The snow has receded enough that I found I can walk through the woods without boots or the ice grabbers that often are required in the winter.

One can truly see the natural colors of nature if you really look. I hike through the woods and fields challenging myself. I ask myself what pigments on my palette would express these warm and cool washes found in nature. The long shadows are an important component of this landscape. 

I believe these colors tell us a lot about the regional landscape, the time of year and where we call home. Hopefully, I can manipulate these colors and patterns in subtle ways which will create stronger paintings and a greater connection to where we live and in the time we live.

And by the way, Happy New Year to you....

Latest landscape

(C) 2018 Dale DiMauro

Is Winter coming or going here in Vermont? It certainly has been cold. However, much of the snow we had last month is no longer with us. My wife and I did in fact, skate on the retreat meadows earlier in the day. We thought the conditions were great. The sun was out when we got there too.

This watercolor was started when we had more snow than we now have. I like the atmospheric qualities of this scene. There is an eerie quality in this watercolor which I find appealing. 

Often subtlety in the landscape speaks volumes. When there is a soft change in color or the edges of elements are less defined often make for a memorable landscape. When I think of these qualities the paintings of George Inness comes to mind.

Happy Holidays to All

(C) 2018 Dale DiMauro

This watercolor was inspired from a hike my wife and I took in 2017 on Mount Desert Island in Bar Harbor, Maine. For us the best time to hike is late in the afternoon during the hot, humid summer. At this time of day, the crowds thin out and we are not usually exposed to the sun. This is in part, because we favor certain eastern facing mountains. Of course, the view in all directions is stunning.

Hopefully 2019 will provide great opportunities to plein air paint along with some major studio works. As they say, you can't stand still. You gotta keep moving.

I want to wish all a Happy Holiday season and a great New Year. May 2019 be your best year ever.

Early fall field

(C) 2018 Dale DiMauro

In early fall while hiking I was struck by this scene. The grand vista across the field and into the distant hills with the varying degrees of light inspired me to try a much larger landscape.  

Throughout the summer season I painted many smaller landscapes. Each one I believe showed some sort of progress. Whether it was mixing richer greens or browns, more varied skies, or deleting unnecessary elements, to simplify the composition.

In this unfinished watercolor the middle ground is the challenge. It is important for the artist to make the viewer perceive the landscape clearly. This will require going back into the shadows and articulating some of the clumps of grass. In addition, the foreground will need opaque paint to suggest some of the blades of grass against the shadows.

Low light & long shadows

(C) 2018 Dale DiMauro

We are fast approaching the shortest days of the year. When the sun is in fact, out, I try to go outdoors and take in at least twenty minutes of direct sunshine, usually on a hike. Shadows so dominate the countryside at this time of year that it makes painting the landscape quite dramatic.

This is a plein air watercolor I painted looking through the bay window of our living room last December. The low light at this time of year reminded me of this picture. There is warmth and cool temperatures in this watercolor. Prior to painting this picture I toned the paper a warm yellow which gives the areas in the sun such as the snow increased warmth.

The slate-gray colored road at the bottom of the image provides a cool contrast with the vertical elements jutting up out of the snow.

Retreat cornfield

(C)2018 Dale DiMauro

This fall was really different here in southern Vermont. Or at least that is my feeling on the subject. 
At the end of a summer that brought many rainy days, the fall foliage was forecast to be quite good. However, the rainy weather continued. In fact, I do not recall many full days of sun or consecutive days with sunshine. After that, the early winter moved in.

I had hoped to plein air paint quite a bit as the humidity waned. The damp air and low light discouraged the outdoor painting I would do. I did paint, but it was mostly done indoors. 

This watercolor was inspired from a hike I took through the Brattleboro Retreat land on a pleasant late fall afternoon. This scene is what I think of when someone mentions fall in Vermont. It doesn't have the reds we tend to treasure but has much warmth in the landscape with the yellows and tawny colors.

Figures & Automobiles

In a previous post on October 31, 2018 I mentioned an admiration for the work of watercolorist David Curtis. He is an english painter steeped in the tradition of using neutral colors such as warm and cool grays with soft light in his work. I have his book titled, David Curtis: Light & Mood in watercolour and refer to it often. 

Figures and automobiles can provide a sense of scale in a landscape or suggest a time period. David Curtis paints these lovely figures and automobiles which appear so natural in his paintings.

I have been trying to learn his approach and color scheme where it might become useful in my work. These watercolor sketches are basically copied from his book. In addition, I have learned to appreciate the subtlety and range of grays that are available in watercolor.

Monument Square

(C) 2018 Dale DiMauro

This is a different subject matter than I usually tackle. It is both a large self-portrait and an urban scene. In addition, this painting has a lot of color in it. More color I believe than other watercolors I have done.

The background with all the angles and planes was challenging. There is a contemporary quality with the water bottle, chip bag and sunglasses which I like. In the end, more paint was lifted in depicting this scene than on any other watercolor I have ever worked on.

Except for signing the painting, it is finished. I must say when it rests under a mat it looks impressive, both for it's size and pleasing colors.

Practice sheet

(C) 2018 Dale DiMauro

Any scrap of watercolor paper is valuable to me, assuming it is good quality paper such as Arches or Saunders which have been manufactured for centuries. If I lose interest in a watercolor for whatever reason I often turn it over and paint on the back. The other alternative is to divide the piece into smaller remnants which I can use as a test sheet for sampling color mixtures.

This is one of those test sheets. In fact, in this case, I used Arches watercolor paper which is a reliable friend where an artist can achieve an unlimited range of marks.

I had started a portrait on the back but had lost the excitement of how this watercolor was developing. Not only do I experiment with new color combinations but sample different brush techniques. For the speckled area in the sky I was experimenting with dragging the brush across the paper with a sharp angle. 

It is fun to just play with the pigments and different brushes without any expectations. This intuitive approach is particularly rewarding as a way to loosen up if you have been away from painting for some time.

A Virtual Gallery of Paintings

(C) 2018 Dale DiMauro

Recently, I spread out some of the watercolor paintings I have worked on lately. They were on my large drafting table where I work in the winter months. I was both impressed with the collection in general and how colorful many of my watercolors are. Since I have mostly been painting landscapes during the summer months, my palette has evolved to reflect the greens and blues of the season.

Since many are of odd sizes and shapes, they may be a challenge to mat and frame. Regardless, I have embraced the exaggerated horizontal and vertical formats when it seems appropriate. For example, a figure standing up reflects a vertical orientation when you are focusing on the individual. However, if an artist includes other figures or the larger landscape then that may lend itself to a horizontal format.

In my daily travels I make a note of colors I see out in the landscape and how I would approach a given subject. In addition, I may read or happen upon a color combination that truly moves me and find a way to incorporate this into my painting. 

Practice Sheet

(C) 2018 Dale DiMauro

This a watercolor without layers of glazing to build up the forms.  I have been experimenting with different ways to develop a watercolor when time is limited, involving direct painting. Sometimes it is best, as in plein air painting, to get something down quickly before the scene or light changes. There is a freshness with this approach, in the application of the paint as well as in the colors of the mixtures. 

In watercolor, how you handle the edges of your washes says a lot. You can achieve hard edges or soften edges or little of both depending on which affect you are seeking to achieve. 

Lately, I have been experimenting with dragging my brush at a steep angle across the surface of the paper. As seen in the photograph above, when you drag the brush an artist can achieve a rough edge which gives a sense of texture to your painting. As a side note, I prefer a cold-pressed watercolor paper over hot-pressed or rough sheets as it provides some surface variation, yet can be drawn upon, if needed.

This photograph was taken inside at night with artificial light. As a result, I find the photographic qualities are limited, as far as achieving a strong contrast in light. I had misplaced my camera for several hours earlier in the day. Thus, with the days become shorter, I have learned it is important to utilize natural light whenever possible.

Placid(by definition): quiet, calm, tranquil

(C) 2018 Dale DiMauro

A few months ago I took a photograph of this scene while gliding across the water in my kayak. The composition of the three main landscape elements: sky, water and trees was stunning. Add to that the reflections from the tree-line and the placid water and you have a timeless scene. Every time I look at this photograph it stops me in my tracks. 

It seems when you have two-thirds of the composition in sky or water(or landscape in other contexts) you can't go wrong depending on what you want to emphasize.

Earlier this afternoon I found a discarded, unused, sheet of watercolor paper and sought to see what I could come up with. It doesn't have the same proportions as I discussed above, but tweaked the pigments for subtle affect.

The light area in the sky has a wash which includes cadmium yellow and cobalt violet while the water has some indigo to enhance the value. 

At the foot of the ski jump......

(C) 2018 Dale DiMauro

How the seasons change. Quickly I may add. At least this year in particular. 

This watercolor developed over the weekend, in between getting prepared for this early Winter. It is not that I was unprepared for the coming Winter but the shock of ice along our frozen roads has settled in and will no doubt be with us for quite a while. My occasional walk will not be as intuitive as it has been. Now I must truly be prepared for the elements.

To me, this picture has the look of an oil painting even though it is in fact, a watercolor. The angular marks in the foreground make it appear as if a palate knife had been used. Perhaps it even has the look of a french landscape in technique and subject, yet is the land at the base of the Brattleboro ski jump. I do like how a river or path leads the viewer into the landscape.

Color swatches

(C) 2018 Dale DiMauro

These are two color combinations I have adopted this past month. I have a very small notebook which I jot down color combinations when I read or hear about what other artists are using. However, I am not sure where I came upon these, but they certainly are useful to draw upon in your palette.

The top one consists of cadmium red and permanent sap green. As you can see from the photograph it provides the artist with a warm yellow. It is well-known that some colors right out of the tube can be rather flat and unexciting. When this particular combination is mixed on my palette it appears so rich and full of life. This pigment combination is so new to me that I am still trying to figure how to best utilize it's qualities. Certainly, it can be useful in painting landscapes such as for fields or in the details of grass. Next to a dark blue such as a surface of a lake it may be stunning.

The lower swatch consists of cadmium red and veridian. It provides the watercolor artist with a warm gray. There are such a range of grays that can be made but this one seems to be a gem. A gray like this can make other more outgoing colors sparkle. Next to a red or dark green this gray is quite pleasing. When used in the foreground, for some reason, I like this gray best.

Lowell Lake

(C) 2018 Dale DiMauro

In late August on a hot and humid day I joined a meet-up group to paddle on Lowell Lake near Londonderry, Vermont. It ended up being the perfect day to paddle and swim away from the heat in southern Vermont. We ended up eating our lunch at a picnic table on one of the many islands in the lake.

This landscape doodle, developed into more of a study, for hopefully, a larger watercolor. The reflections on the water and the exuberant growth along the shore caught my imagination. The water is not blue at all, but attractive with it's varied colorations and cleanliness.

When my time is limited, I have taken to experimenting with various-sized scraps of arches watercolor paper, at my disposal. In addition, I am determined to become proficient in the use of masking fluid by the end of the month. Watercolor artists use this to preserve the white of the paper in certain areas while continuing to applying washes.

Field of Dreams

(C) 2018 Dale DiMauro

In the early fall, I heard we New Englanders, would likely have a strong foliage season. With all the rain we had since the middle of July or so, we were primed for vivid colors. 

After hearing this on the radio I felt an obligation to hit the local trails. I had avoided hiking in the woods primarily, because of the lyme tick threat. The day I was out was one of the most pleasant days of the season. In fact, I thought there would be many more leading up to peak season.

This is one of the last unused skinny watercolor sheets I had at my disposal. I like this slice of the landscape with it's vertical orientation. 

Artists say that burnt sienna is an essential color for painting landscapes. Recently, I  have increasingly embraced this pigment in depicting fields and sun-drenched foliage.

South Pond

(C) 2018 Dale DiMauro

Summer in Vermont seems like a long time ago now. This watercolor was inspired from a September paddle when it was still quite humid out. I feel like I captured some of that humidity and moisture in the greens of the foliage.

Over the course of this summer season, with all the moisture in the air and the plant growth on the land, my green palette has expanded. Some of my favorite green pigment mixes have become quinacridone gold/Payne's gray, and aureolin/Payne's gray. Also, I have taken to using Hooker's green on occasion with browns to achieve that green you may come upon in a sunny field. 

In addition, shadow green was used for the water, above, which brings out the yellow-greens of the foliage along the shore.

Often I hear artists say that green is their most challenging color to work with. In watercolor it can be a grayish color or on the other spectrum become quite garish.

David Curtis: Light & Mood in Watercolour

The British have such a rich history in landscape painting in the medium of watercolor. From the golden age of watercolor which spanned the mid-eighteenth century through the mid-nineteenth century, many accomplished painters emerged. Some of these watercolorists include Paul Sandby, John Constable and John Sell Cotman. Meanwhile, that tradition has carried on through the modern day.

One contemporary British painter which I have come to admire is David Curtis. This led me to purchase his book, David Curtis: Light & Mood in Watercolour several years ago. I like both his studio and plein air approach. Many of his recommended color combinations I have put to use.

These British watercolor painters are noted for their expression of warm, soft light, strong neutral colors(warm & cool grays & browns etc.) and limited in areas of strong contrast.  

I have painted some watercolors based on his approach. Some of these most likely will find their way into a future post.

Mount Desert Island

(C) 2018 Dale DiMauro

There is no better place to hike than on Mount Desert Island. I truly mean that. Except this year the trails were overpopulated. My wife and I read the National Park Service is going to limit private vehicle access by instituting an extensive bus service in the future.

This is one of those late afternoon hikes we took to escape the heat of the day. This year in particular, the heat felt unrelenting day after day, even in Maine. 

The views of the water are always captivating. It always a pleasure to see one of the large schooners glide by with their mast peeking above the tree line or glide behind a clump of evergreens.

This is a classic landscape subject with sky, trees, rocks and water. There is an intimate quality to the foreground space with the larger landscape in the background. I like it when the whole story is not revealed in one glimpse. It is better to leave something for the imagination.

A little more progress....

(C) 2018 Dale DiMauro

There is a lot of color in this painting, which I like. There is also a lot of space above my head which is important in this composition. It gives this picture context with all it's urban lines. In fact, there are few soft materials expressed in this watercolor.

However, it is good to take on new subject matter. Not only is it a self portrait, which is a challenge in of itself, but the perspective is complicated. 

This watercolor is painted on a full sheet which measures 22" x 30". On this scale the viewer is immediately drawn into the scene.

The building behind me is One Monument Square. Thus, this location feels rich in history. A cross roads, literary, of travelers, fire and cultural relevance.

Sketchbook drawings

(C) 2018 Dale DiMauro

This is the time of year when I truly dig into my sketchbook as the days become shorter.
I am always eager to improve on capturing the human anatomy. Or at least I aim to.

Lately, I have been adding watercolor washes to some of my portrait studies done in pencil. This gives life to the drawings. I am usually thinking about composition and which color combination to consider when working on these. 

This is also the time of year when I do the bulk of my book reading. In the last month I have been actively reading six books. Two that I finished. One, Grant, by Ron Chernow, is nearly one thousand pages long. Often information from these readings seeps into my drawings. For example, how can you not sketch Grant without considering his involvement during the Civil War.

Charles Wilson Peale

Photograph Dale DiMauro

Last April my wife and I took the Amtrak to Philadelphia, PA. We toured the city largely by foot, primarily exploring the historic sites. I had won two free nights at a hotel of my choosing. So Philadelphia seemed like a logical destination as Spring would be further along than here in Vermont.

While touring some of the old buildings we came upon an exhibit featuring the portraits of Charles Wilson Peale(1741-1827). I learned that he was not only a painter, but a scientist, inventor, politician and naturalist.

However, we learned that he was a prolific, portrait painter. He is best known as a painter of the leading figures of the American Revolution including close to sixty portraits of George Washington.  In addition, Peale painted Ben Franklin, Thomas Jefferson and Alexander Hamilton amongst others. 

Recently, I learned that Peale's full-length portrait, Washington at Princeton, painted in 1779, sold for $21.3 million. This sale, in January 2005, set a record for the highest price paid for an American portrait.

These paintings are not watercolors but done in oil. 

Sketchbook drawing

(C) 2018 Dale DiMauro

This weekend in southern Vermont we had our annual Brattleboro Literary Festival. Writers and readers from all over converge on our small town. I worked this event setting up and taking down venues all weekend. As a result, I am tired and did not do much painting lately.

This drawing I did many years ago. It is in essence a planting plan for a small, local garden with a new retaining wall. Most landscaping you find around peoples homes use a limited variety of plants. The selected plants here are allowed to grow to their natural state instead of being hacked back all the time. In addition, these plants bloom at overlapping times, throughout the growing season.

I posted this image because it demonstrates the power of drawing. A drawing can move people in ways no other means of communication can. It leaves an indelible print on the mind. In fact, I have had people attempt to steal my landscape drawings as they were so compelling in expressing ideas. 

With a solid drawing your watercolors are so much more impressive. You can address problems areas earlier in the painting process or eliminate them altogether.

Not far from Camden

(C) 2018 Dale DiMauro

A few summers ago, my wife and I were taken by a relative, to this prime blueberry picking field in Maine. The landscape was lush with moisture in the air and on the ground. There was even an old, stone structure commanding the high point in the field, capped with a green roof. In the distance is the site of the notorious dragon concrete plant.

Capturing the atmospheric qualities of this landscape may perhaps, best be achieved in watercolor. If I exaggerated the misty horizon, you the viewer, may have had a better sense of what this place was like on this particular mid-summer afternoon.

One of the challenges to communicate in this picture is a sense of depth or perspective when there is
no road or river to draw the viewer into the scene. If done well, the patterns of growth and coloration
will meander across the field and upon the dark green foliage taking you to the distant body of
water.

Revolutionary War re-enactment

(C) 2018 Photograph Dale DiMauro

It was a beautiful morning on Saturday, September 29, 2018 when my wife and I headed out the door. I did not truly grasp in advance what we would experience. We decided to attend a Revolutionary War re-enactment in Charleston, New Hampshire.

I suppose it was somewhat like going to Gettysburg without the crowds and heat. We basically went back in time which was really neat. The enactors not only dress true to the time period but are approachable and engaging. They came from all over the country and Canada. Some even slept over night in tents of the period.

This photograph was from the battlefield re-enactment which played out before our eyes. The vivid colors of the uniforms and the troop movements caught my imagination. Not to mention the smoke from all the shooting. Before we left I thought this would be a great scene to capture in watercolor. 

The figures set against the cloud of smoke with their individual postures, casting strong shadows on that green grass make for a strong composition. I was thinking it might be best to go with a horizontal composition with added lawn to the right enhancing their presence. What do you think?

Saxtons River Art Group Exhibition

(C) 2018 Photograph Dale DiMauro

Members of the Saxtons River Art Group will be exhibiting their paintings for the month of October at the Moore Free Library(Crowell Gallery) in Newfane, VT. This Sunday, October 7, 2018 from 1-3 PM, will be our opening reception, held during the Newfane Heritage Festival. The public is encouraged to attend.

With the help of my mom and another kind volunteer, I helped hang the forty odd paintings. The three paintings on the right are the watercolors I have on exhibit. The three watercolors on the left are my moms. Regardless, it is great to see all the paintings hanging in a gallery, as there is such a wide range of subjects and styles to take in.

This exhibit is not limited to watercolors as their are many done in oil, pastel and in multiple media. Simply noticing all the different kinds of frames and approaches to mounting ones work is quite eye opening.

Living Memorial Park

(C) 2018 Dale DiMauro

When I started this picture it seemed to me this might be a gem of a watercolor. I loved how the road meandered over the land and drew the eye into the picture. The colors seemed pleasing and I liked the warm shadows in the foreground cast from the dense growth.

This plein air painting was started in June and by the end of my outing the light had changed so much that the shadows were in a different place than when I started. When the paper dried the picture looked very different than when it was painted. The vivid colors and shimmering paper dried flat with bleached out colors.

As a result, the question is whether I want to carry it further. I figure there is something learned each time I work outside as the weather is so variable from one outing to another. In addition, working out in the elements makes the painter simplify their process, painting and composition.

The other dilemma is that I use a different palette for plein air painting than when painting in the studio. Outside I use a Sennelier paint set consisting of fourteen pigments with rich watery colors. While inside I primarily use Winsor Newton with up to forty tubes to draw upon.

I have become inspired to go back and finish some watercolors started outside. The recent post depicting Robin Hood Park in Keene, N.H was a painting with a satisfying end result. There is an ephemeral quality which is unique to painting outside. To carry forward this spirit of a place captured outside I find exciting.

Gray or is it green?

(C) 2018 Dale DiMauro

In watercolor painting I find coming up with grays a real challenge. Of course, you have warm and cool grays to utilize. Other painters say green, for them, is problematic. I do find many greens on the low value range synonymous with some grays.

Often I let pigments on my palette run into each other. This way I have pigment mixtures that I would not normally come up with. As a result there is often pools of gray accumulated in my mixing wells that I can draw upon.

I have learned that grays and other neutral colors enable other colors, such as red to sing. Grays if applied skillfully can emit a soft atmospheric quality in your painting. The greenish-gray seen here is a combination of some variety of cobalt blue and burnt sienna.

This is most likely a dull post but I believe it reflects the dreary weather we are having lately. The shorter days with decreased light levels due to this cloudy, rainy patch highlights a limited color scheme. Particularly, if you are an astute observer of nature. At this time of year I look out the window and try to come up a color that matches what I am seeing. 

Coastal Maine study

(C) 2018 Dale DiMauro

Painting the shoreline has been a fascination of mine for sometime. The coastline with it's wall of trees and sand rich with ocean smells is imprinted on my psyche. This landscape is full of atmospheric qualities such as fog and moisture which are perfect to convey in the medium of watercolor.

I draw inspiration in capturing the coast from some of the great watercolorists of our time. These include Stephen Scott Young, Dean Mitchell and Andrew Wyeth.

In this watercolor I continue to expand my color palette. I applied royal blue for the sky, wet on dry so the hard edges would give variety above the tree tops. The beach has warm and cool pockets where I added olive green or diluted cobalt to emphasize the contrast with areas that are in the sun. Lastly, all kinds of pigment were added when painting the trees to get variation in temperature and massing. These include ultramarine, payne's gray, raw umber, aureolin and quinacridone gold.

Robin Hood Park, Keene, NH

(C) 2018 Dale DiMauro

This past weekend I played in a tennis tournament in Keene, New Hampshire. After a long Saturday match I found a spot in the shade and started this plein air painting. This watercolor was eventually finished in the studio. 

What is exciting for me was capturing a quality of the spirit of this place. I can't really say that I have done that before. However, I believe between the back lit light, water and figure there is something ethereal about this picture.

There really are few hard edges in this painting which I find difficult to achieve. This made me consider the great tradition of english artists who paint watercolors with a lot of neutral colors and minimal contrast. David Curtis is one such painter who came to mind when I was wrapping up this painting.

Sketchbook paintings

(C) 2018 Dale DiMauro

Recently, I visited Northampton, Massachusetts with my wife. They have a lovely art store in the downtown area called Guild Art Supply, which I like to frequent when in the area. Up the street is a lovely gallery called R. Michelson Galleries which I believe, in a former life, was a bank with a grand space for exhibiting art. 

When other people travel they may inquire about local fine cuisine which I appreciate. In contrast, I continue to search for new papers to experiment with. Either to draw or paint on.

While in Northampton, I purchased this relatively inexpensive spiral-bound book for watercolors. This paper is called Superfine watercolor, which for me, is useful for quick studies. It is a thinner paper than I prefer which seems best for quick washes as opposed to building up layers of paint. My preferred approach in using this paper is to apply wet brush on to dry paper.

Self-portrait

(C) 2018 Dale DiMauro

Painting urban subjects I have discovered is a real challenge. This scene has numerous angles from storefronts with projecting signs to reflections in the window, etc. Therefore, if the perspective is off it is obvious and diminishes the painting significantly.

It is a painting where all the focus should be on the individual with the background kept simple. However, all those beautiful colors are wonderful to depict in watercolor. In that regard, this makes it a real watercolor.

Clearly, this painting has a long way to go. However, it has a strong composition and is like no other watercolor I have attempted. The setting is outside, during the summer season, along a cafe in Portland, Maine. 

Nature at it's finest

(C) 2018 Photograph Dale DiMauro

This photograph was taken last week, while paddling on Lowell Lake, which is in Londonderry, Vermont. With a small group of people whom I'd never met, we sought to escape the hot, humid weather by kayaking and swimming. This was a chance to truly get out in nature. Isn't that why we live in Vermont anyway?

I was struck by the stillness of the water and the overall timeless quality of the composition. Perhaps this scene would have been similarly found one hundred years ago. There still remains a pristine quality to this lake as development has not been allowed to encroach on it's shores. In fact, it now is a lovely state park.

The other quality I saw within this photograph is a painting in watercolor. As if it painted itself. First of all, I could not improve upon it's composition. Therefore, all an artist has to do is get his or her paints out. I would paint a blue wash over the whole paper as the sky is reflected in the water. Then I would paint in the yellows and greens of the tree line. Next, I would put another clean wash of blue over the water, followed by the shadow from the vegetation. A total of three pigments could accomplish this. Perhaps winsor blue, aureolin and shadow green will do it. What do you think?

Another skinny watercolor

(C) 2018 Dale DiMauro

This watercolor was inspired after going on a local paddle. After all, this hot summer has put me on and in the water more often than most summer seasons. 

As you can see I am continuing to explore all kinds of landscape formats. With the length of day decreasing, I have observed the shadows moving in, earlier across the landscape. This seems to make for increased color saturation.

At the same time I have been painting with larger brushes, bigger sheets of paper and a more natural approach. In particular, I like the shadow across the shoreline which makes that sliver of green pop out. The warmer vegetation in the middle provides some depth to the shore scene. 

Unfortunately, the paper would not lay flat when taking the photograph, which makes the painting look smaller. 

Art in the Park

2018 Photograph Dale DiMauro

This afternoon, my wife and I attended the local Art in the Park, which is held in Keene, N.H. In the past I have set-up a vendor tent, but not this year. This year's artists were fortunate as the hot and wet weather held off for the weekend

We saw many familiar faces and met some new folks. Many people retain the same location in the park year after year. This way we can search for people we know.

Of note, for me, was a fellow watercolorist from the Nashua, NH area with winter painting scenes. He used ink when painting some of his trees, scraped paint away with his razor blade for interesting effects and used white gouache in depicting animals against the snow.

A ripple in time.....

(C) 2018 Dale DiMauro

In my travels I am always seeking to capture the light on the landscape or an object. When some element of the landscape is awash with natural light you notice things you normally wouldn't. 

Often I start a painting seated in a chair and get up to view my work from a different perspective. At some point along the process I often do quite a bit of the painting from a standing position. In this instance, I was struck by the graphic nature of this piece. 

The absence of pigment created this movement of water on the surface of this pond. The other thing I noticed was the unified mass of washes which tie the image together. It has been said it is best to keep things simple and leave out the details until the end. Well these are some of the thoughts that have been going through my mind lately.

This watercolor was inspired from a popular, yet local swim spot here in Vermont. When I hop in my kayak I always bring my camera with me as I don't want to miss anything.

late summer heatwave

(C) 2018 Dale DiMauro

When I walked on the tennis courts in the late afternoon you could feel the increased humidity in the air. Mind you, this is not the site of flushing meadows(aka, the United States Open), but southern Vermont. This latest waft of humidity, reminded me, of what we are in for, the next several days.

My mind immediately returned to this watercolor painted not long ago. There is something enticing about cool green foliage and the sound of lapping water along the shoreline.

High humidity stifles my creative output. My arm sticks to the paper while the pigment can be slow to dry. In addition, my attention span wanders while I work on smaller paintings.

I long for a day, most likely in September, when I won't perspire as much as I have this summer. When that days comes I have all sorts of ideas to put down in paint. With a rapidly evolving palette I feel like my best days are ahead.

Great Head Postcard

(C) 2018 Dale DiMauro

This watercolor is a little memoir of my summer vacation in Maine. As mentioned in a prior post, my wife and I like to hike Great Head, in Acadia National Park, which is in Bar Harbor, Maine, when the sun is beginning to set. It is east-facing which in the heat of the day can be sweat-inducing. However, when the sun starts to go down, the light can become magical with a glow on the rocks and meadow areas.

This watercolor was painted on a damaged corner of Arches watercolor paper. I saw it as an opportunity to try out my Holbein paint palette which has vivid pigments. I like how the pigments run into each other.

I am cheap. I try not to waste any paper. If a watercolor becomes a dud, I either divide it up into smaller pieces to use as a test sheet or turn the sheet over and use the back.

Lowell Lake landscape

(C) 2018 Dale DiMauro

This summer, in Vermont, at least in Brattleboro, has been particularly strange. We had a late winter followed by a long stretch of sunny days with little precipitation for spring. Then towards the end of July it seemed to rain nearly everyday.

As a result of all this moisture, the landscape is verdant. This panoramic, I believe, conveys much of the range of greens we live with during this time of year. I do not remember a growing season where you could not skip mowing the lawn, one week, before it really gets out of hand.

Needless to say, I included a lot of yellow-greens and cool blues in developing this watercolor. The feeling of moisture with all it's atmospheric qualities seems to dominate this late summer landscape.

Great Head(Bar Harbor, Maine) Panorama

(C) 2018 Dale DiMauro

All summer I have been flirting with the idea of painting bolder landscapes. The other night I quickly painted this panorama on a scrap of Arches watercolor paper that has been kicking around. 

This watercolor is inspired from my recent trip to Maine. Great Head is one of my favorite hikes in Acadia National Park which is in Bar Harbor, Maine. My wife and I prefer this hike late in the afternoon when the glow on the rocks and vegetation is magical.

Painting the sky and water was truly an exciting moment for me. The paper was wet and the pigment was glistening on the surface. However, I wasn't so sure how the green in the foreground would turn out but am pleased with the result.

It seems like I learn something new each time I work with watercolor, whether it is the pigments, the paper or the impact a brush can make.

Robert O'Brien Watercolor Workshop

Photograph Dale DiMauro

In southern Vermont, we have an art group called the Saxton's River Art Guild, which puts together a calendar of art-related events. On Saturday, I attended one of these functions, a workshop in watercolor held by Robert O'Brien, a Vermont artist. Often Saturdays do not work for me, but this timing worked out well. This extended period of rain closed the deal for me, too.

This is a photograph of the watercolor Rob worked on as a demonstration at the workshop. He arrived with the drawing for the painting transferred to his paper so he could readily start painting. The circular white areas in the foreground are where Rob applied masking fluid which is removed at a later point in his painting process. Masking fluid is used to preserve the color of the watercolor paper from further staining.

I have had some success with using masking fluid but often find it frustrating. So far I have used it in small areas of my paintings. The issue for me is that most masking fluid dispensers clog easily and some dry the same color as the paper. It is important to know where it is on your sheet. This way when you remove it, you can be confident that you got it all.

I believe the workshop had thirteen in attendance including Rob, which is a nice-sized group. There were many familiar faces and quite a variety of artistic approaches. It is good to get out as an artist and broaden your perspective.

Winslow Homer

Photograph Dale DiMauro

This is a Winslow Homer graphite and pencil drawing, presumedly done as a study for a painting. It was created in 1879 and is titled Man with a Scythe. This depicts a period of mourning and renewal, following the civil war.

This photograph was taken last week when my wife and visited the Bowdoin College Museum of Art. We were impressed with the current exhibit on Homer's use of the camera during his life as an aid in his painting process. Seldom do you get to view paintings from such as master, at least in watercolor, these days.

I appreciate anyone who can draw, period. However, when an artist captures the human figure in motion with the correct proportions, scale etc, now that is impressive. 

When we were viewing the rest of the exhibition I kept wanting to come back to this drawing. Those simple pencil strokes captured my imagination.

Not far from the coast

(C) 2018 Dale DiMauro

Usually, I get some drawing and painting done when I travel, but this trip has been challenging. Each stop on this Maine vacation has been hot and humid. And I do not mean just during the days. There have been evenings and even nights when all of a sudden I start sweating because of the humidity. Perhaps, I take our heat pumps, which we use all summer, at home, for granted.

This watercolor, I started, one sticky evening, the other night. This picture I treated as a plein air yet was done inside. It has a freer nature than my studio work. What I do love about these are my willingness to try different techniques while my palette continues to evolve.

Since the Spring I have been thinking about better ways to incorporate opaque paint into my plein air paintings. When we visited the Bowdoin College Museum of Art recently, I studied this aspect of Winslow Homer's watercolors. 

For me, opaque paints are best applied after the transparent washes, but in limited areas. When painting outside this can simplify the painting process by making it more direct which is important as the natural light is constantly on the move.

I will discuss other revelations, to me, in my approach to working outside in upcoming posts.

Winslow Homer

(C) 2018 Photograph Dale DiMauro

The other day my wife and I visited the Bowdoin College Museum of Art, in Brunswick, Maine. We were impressed with their current exhibition titled Winslow Homer & the Camera: Photography & the Art of Painting. This exhibit runs from June 23 - October 28, 2018.

Winslow Homer was an American artist who lived from 1836-1910. Some consider him the most important artist in American history. In fact, earlier in the week, when I was at the Portland Museum of Art, one of the ushers told me that Homer is their most requested artist. 

This exhibition looks at Homer's lifelong fascination with photography and the use of the medium as applied to his paintings. Originally, Homer used the camera while fulfilling commissions for illustrations. He often used the camera as an aid in developing compositions and recording information.

This watercolor painting, Canoe in Rapids, was created in 1897.

Portland Museum of Art

2018 Photograph Dale DiMauro

On Friday, my wife and I visited the Portland Museum of Art in Portland, Maine. We learned that on Fridays, in the summer, admission is free, from 4-8 PM. This also gave us a chance to get out of the hot, humid air.

This painting by NC Wyeth(1882-1945) is one of my favorite paintings in their permanent collection. Even though they move it around depending on their current exhibition, we usually find it hanging in one of the galleries.

NC Wyeth was an American artist and one of this country's great illustrators. He studied under Howard Pyle and settled in Chadd Ford, Pennsylvania. During his lifetime, Wyeth created over 3,000 paintings and illustrated 112 books. He is well-known for illustrating twenty five of the scribner's classics, which included Treasure Island.  

This painting, Dark Harbor Fisherman, was created in 1943. It was painted in egg tempera on panel.

A majority of NC Wyeth's paintings are large and this is no exception. The scale of this picture draws the viewer in, particularly with the splash of yellow in the middle of the painting. Also, I like how the viewer is looking down on the scene.

Women artists in Paris: 1850-1900

 2018 Photograph Dale DiMauro

On Tuesday, my wife and I, made our annual pilgrimage to the Clark Art Institute in Williamstown, MA. We saw the special exhibition titled Women Artists in Paris:1850-1900. There were many solid paintings by women I never heard of. 

This painting is by Elizabeth Nourse who lived from 1859-1938. She was born in Cincinnati, Ohio and died in Paris, France. It is titled A Mother and was painted in oil on canvas. This image is of a working class mother and her child. It was hung at the saloon in 1888, 'on the line' which means at eye level. This is in comparison to others placed in less favorable positions.

We then viewed the permanent collection, to make sure our favorite paintings were still hanging in their usual location. Some of our favorite paintings from the permanent collection are by artists such as John Singer Sargent, Thomas Gainsborough, Winslow Homer and Alfred Stevens, etc.

In the evening we caught the play, Lempicka, at the Williamstown Theater Festival which profiles a painters life. This was followed by a 'talk back' where the cast and production leadership discussed the process of developing the play. 

On a side note, I learned that anyone can request to see a watercolor painting from their collection in advance. This takes place at the Manton Study Center for works on paper which is part of the Clark Institute.