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.