Pencil study

(C) 2019 Dale DiMauro

Sometimes a pencil sketch says it all. A little drawing done in five minutes, with such simplicity, can communicate more than a large detailed piece. At least that is what I think when I come back to this drawing.

Without any color added, I feel the sun over the snow-draped landscape. Even the rough pencil marks remind me of the shaggy bark curling in every which way it can.

Originally, I was inspired by the sight of this deciduous tree with it's Winter silhouette, as I drove by my town's common. This tree has a life of it's own, just as each individual human being has a story to tell. From this experience I was looking to capture more of it's presence so others could notice it. However, I wanted to give it context and scale so I included the the woods in the background. I believe a painting will come of this but I am not yet completely sold on the composition.

Snow returns to Brattleboro, VT

(C) 2019 Dale DiMauro

Last week southern Vermont received  a major snowstorm. Even though we had an early start to Winter back in November, we really didn't have much snow on the ground to speak of. In fact, in early January you could hike through the woods without any boots on.

Prior to this snowstorm it had been a great season for ice skating. It also had been icy, in general. In fact, I fell twice this Winter just walking. The first fall was on ice buried under snow which I am certain gave me a mild concussion.

Needless to say, I was eagerly anticipating the landscape covered in powder. I had been longing to paint some Winter scenes with drifting snow and late afternoon light. I did get out and cross-country ski, though. Not long after the snowstorm, rain moved in before the ground refroze. 

In spite of the kind of Winter we have had, I have started a full-sheet watercolor from a local scene I came upon in 2017. It is a fresh winter scene with incredible light piercing across the landscape.

American Artist Magazine

(C) 2019 Photograph Dale DiMauro

As a birthday gift last April my father-in-law gave me several 1950 era American Artist magazines. Not only were there interesting articles on watercolor painting of the day, but the advertising was fascinating. 

Before the computer dominated how we communicated with each other, advertising was created primarily through hand lettering and drawing. Of course, this is not news to many of us. However, to page through these magazines you can really sense how important hand drawing had been.  

Not only were the ads created by hand but many of them were promoting drawing products such as charcoal, fountains pens etc., and how to use them. This appreciation of an aspect of the visual arts is no longer found in our current magazines.

Fortunately, there is in general, an increased appreciation for those with the ability to utilize freehand drawing.

The Connecticut River Valley

(C) 2019 Dale DiMauro

For this watercolor I am broadening my horizons. This birds eye view fills the watercolor sheet with characteristics of the regional landscape. We have the Connecticut River, fields, agricultural land and the distant hills of New Hampshire.

Viewing the landscape from a distance enables an artist to interpret basic shapes and then clarify them with values. I have been aiming to have clean washes of color where the open spaces occur. At the base of the wooded areas I have emphasized darker washes to give depth and height to the woodland edge.

There are foreground features I have yet to add which include two trees with their darker foliage and other foliage appearing above the river. I feel this painting has a good start and am excited where this takes me. 

Watercolor doodle

(C) 2019 Dale DiMauro

This is one of those watercolor paper remnants, after a painting has been cut down to size. It is exciting to draw or try out new color combinations, free of expectations. Often these are doodles when the mind is preoccupied with something else. 

Is the figure entering the picture or exiting the scene? Who is she? What is going on below her waist? These abstract qualities, for me, give the image all kinds of unforeseen possibilities.

I like to look at these images and ponder where I was artistically at this point in time. The other side of the paper is full of marks and images too.

Warmer horizons

(C) 2019 Dale DiMauro

After thoroughly cleaning my palette I am up and running again. I have introduced more warmer pigments as can be seen on the left. Yellows, I find useful in creating rich, vibrant greens as opposed to store-bought tubes of green. Nevertheless, french ultramarine blue is the pigment I use most.  

During the process of cleaning my palette I learned it was best to knock any dry pigment loose with a screwdriver or palette knife. Then, I had less pigment to deal with, which cleaned up well with a household spray. This approach was actually less time consuming, cleaner and used much less paper towels than any other approaches I have tried to date. 

Originally, it seemed necessary to clean my palette because there was a build-up of dry, cracked pigments. It was also an opportunity to introduce new pigments while parting with some that I do not use much. Since this change I am mixing more purples and a greater range of grays.

Recently, I started this watercolor on the right. This landscape felt more like a November scene than an early January one.

Late afternoon sun

(C) 2019 Dale DiMauro

At this time of year the setting sun can be magical. A slice of the late day sun across the woodland edge can warm the landscape and thus, your soul. It highlights and brings attention to an otherwise ordinary landscape.

When working on this watercolor I observed the sun warmed the landscape well up into the atmosphere. I put colors into the sky that I wouldn't normally consider. There is permanent rose, raw sienna, cerulean and a lemon yellow all in this sky. Regardless, the warm wash of the woodland edge against the cold landscape at this time of year radiates.

I have learned through trial and error that the landscape is best when a few values darker than the sky or the picture will come across as weak, lacking a solid footing. 

New colors for a New Year

(C) 2019 Dale DiMauro

This is a scene I have experienced throughout the seasons. I have recorded it many times on my camera and painted it on numerous occasions in watercolor, as well. It is good, I find, to go back and see things in a different light. 

Since cleaning and tweaking my palette as I entered the New Year, this is the first watercolor completed in 2019. However, the pigments used for the most part, have not been my usual choices.

In this case I used cerulean blue for the sky, which I find, is a pigment that mixes well with others. The combination of burnt umber and ultramarine, as a dark for the base of the woodland edge, I have been experimenting with a lot, lately. Perhaps, the most important pairing in this watercolor is indian yellow with winsor violet which provides the warm brown in the foreground. In the past, I could not for the life of me, come up with that foreground color. Now I am much more satisfied with the result.

New landscape horizons

(C) 2019 Photograph Dale DiMauro

As 2018 came to a close, I figured it was appropriate to thoroughly clean my palette for the New Year.  During this cleaning I realized it was a great opportunity to improve the layout of my paints as certain pigments are used more than others and thus, can be better located. As a result I have not painted much the last two days.

At the same time it dawned on me with this recent string of sunny days, I had taken some good photographs of the landscape. I keep thinking about these photographs as the Vermont landscape is stunning at this time of year with or without snow.

In this photograph, I love the character of the arched tree with its red buds, the swirl of grass and the distinct blue mountains in the distance. Clearly, it's worth getting outside into nature and putting aside that electronic device you have!