Ashuelot River

(C) 2020 Dale DiMauro

While playing tennis late this afternoon I regretted not having my camera with me. I was playing in a local park, while the sky was overcast amplifying all this green growth on the sloping field. The distant hills were a blue-green. With clarity I could envision how I would go about creating this composition and paint it.

This experience emphasizes that often we don't have to look far for subject matter. A shift in perspective can make us see things more clearly.

I had posted this watercolor at an earlier stage but keep coming back to this scene in my mind. The Ashuelot River is one of my favorite paddling areas with it's sandy banks, lush foliage and placid water. In addition, the exposed tree roots capture my imagination. Often there are downed limbs sticking above the water.

The white in the middle of the painting is yet to be painted drift wood.

Landscape Study

(C) 2020 Dale DiMauro

These are the kind of watercolors I learn the most from. Playing with colored pigments and dragging the brush across the texture of the paper gives the artist many ways to develop their skills. Often you don't need to have much pigment as you can achieve a lot with a little. By adding water you have a greater range of value to play with. 

Often I will begin experimenting with a new pigment in these studies and before long I will have figured out how I would like to include them in my painting. For example, in the last year I have rediscovered permanent alizarin crimson. When combined with cobalt blue it makes a lovely varied sky. Not a true blue postcard type sky but an atmospheric wash in which to set the landscape under.

I have to say I like writing these posts about my painting process because it makes me think about what I am doing or how I operate. Hopefully, these ramblings will give you some inspiration in your own creative pursuits.

Landscape of Greens

(C) 2020 Dale DiMauro

This spring I have become much more attuned to the bird activity around my yard and neighborhood. At times some birds or groups of birds are downright loud. Simultaneously, there are days when the automobile traffic is either absent or going at a much less hurried pace. Time can almost seem frozen.

This watercolor seems to sum up how I feel at this time of year. The rapid growth we see all around us is amazing. Everyday the landscape changes. I have observed the greens change from a yellow-green to a heavier version by summer's end.

Plein Air Painting

(C) 2020 Dale DiMauro

We have had quite a string of beautiful days lately. This weather has inspired me to get outside and paint. 

This plein air I started this afternoon near a local quarry. As I was pressed for time, I expect to finish it at home in the studio. I had a tennis date that was equally exciting.

I think in an abstract way this watercolor captures some of the dappled light cast from the canopy of the local forest. Also, I was struck by the greens and browns which I was seeing. They give this scene an earthy quality.

Spring Has Finally Arrived in Vermont

(C) 2020 Photograph Dale DiMauro

This weekend in Brattleboro, Vermont, the weather has been as beautiful as it gets. This past winter began with snow before Thanksgiving and thus a long winter with mild temperatures. It seemed like winter might end early. However, cooler than expected temperatures persisted right up through last week. Overlapping this seasonal change, of course, has been the stay at home order making winter seem even longer.

So I couldn't resist posting this photograph I took on a walk over the weekend. Deciduous trees continue to unfurl their leaves rapidly. Finally, my wife and I were able to open our windows.

Allergies which have bothered my eyes for nearly a month are finally improving. This week will be the time to resume painting outside and in with greater consistency and clarity.

A World Above Us

(C) 2020 Dale DiMauro

Painting clouds in watercolor can be a challenge. On one hand I don't really want to draw much attention to the sky. Yet on the other hand, the sky sets the tone for the landscape.

For the last year or so I have been working on achieving greater variation in the skies that I paint. Sometimes a subtle variation in value or color can go a long way. In most cases it is fun to play up the abstract shapes of a cloud pattern. Regardless, of the weather depicted, I try not to include many hard edges in my sky. 

In this painting I used a combination of permanent alizarin crimson with cobalt blue in the lighter areas. At the base of the cloud I tend to concentrate more ultramarine blue to enhance the perspective.

One last point to consider. By habit I paint my sky first and then move on to the landscape. You certainly can paint your sky last. However, it is important to establish some atmospheric  qualities before one is too far along in your painting. Watercolor, is after all, a unique medium, for capturing atmospheric conditions.

Out in the Elements

(C) 2020 Dale DiMauro

Recently, I was painting outside when all of a sudden it started pouring rain. As a result, I was able to find cover under the canopy of a hemlock tree. 

However, this changed the trajectory of my painting. The landscape in the background became much simplified and the foreground was abruptly halted.

For some reason I like this little watercolor. This experience lives on in my memory. The blue in the sky makes me think of the cloudburst breaking up in the distance. Also, the band of gray in the middle reminds me of all this fog which was lifting off the surface of the water.

This experience out in nature broadened my perspective which I have come to appreciate. In addition, painting outdoors makes you realize your work is not some precious little thing. The artistic process can develop in a number of ways which you have no control of, if you are open to it.

The End of Winter(Season)

(C) 2020 Dale DiMauro

Today was an exciting day. I was able to paint some this morning. For nearly ten days I have had allergies bothering my eyes to the point where it was hard to read, write or even paint. 

During this period a new watercolor brush arrived which I could not use due to the pollen from maple trees. I have been told invisible pollen such as from a maple tree can be the most bothersome. In contrast, visible pollen from say a birch, is not so troublesome, even though the cotton-like balls which blow around are irritating to look at.

This watercolor was inspired by a visit to Living Memorial Park, in Brattleboro, just before the state of Vermont was shutdown, towards the end of March, due to COVID-19. As the days continue to increase in length while certain deciduous trees are yet to leaf out, we can experience this special quality of light projecting on the landscape.

Spring Rains

(C) 2020 Dale DiMauro

This past week I took the same walk on two successive days with very different results. The results I am talking about are atmospheric. 

The first walk was last Thursday on a cloudy, gray day. As flat as the light was the glow of yellow/orange coming off the the reeds in our local river was stunning. It cast a lovely warm shadow nearly thirty feet across the water. Unfortunately, I didn't have my camera with me.

So I settled for returning on Friday. It too ended up being a gray day with clouds. However, it turned into a rainy walk. I became struck by how green and brown the landscape is at this time of year. This time I had my camera but I was not met with a warm glow radiating across the river. 

This past week I have not painted as much as the pollen has been bothering my eyes. Hopefully, with drier weather I can get back to painting.