Scott Farm

                                                                   (C) 2020 Dale DiMauro
 

Earlier this week I was fortunate to join the Saxton's River Art Group for some plein air painting at a nearby farm. Rain had been forecast, but the morning turned out to be quite conducive for painting outside.

The fall colors stood out in contrast to the gray skies. It made me realize how important it is to get outside before the deciduous trees all shed their leaves in the upcoming weeks.

When starting this watercolor, I didn't notice the outbuilding in the foreground. It is neglected and invaded by growth. Soon, I embraced it as an asset.

I like the overall character of the landscape and the sense of depth in this picture.

Hubbard Park

                                                                  (C) 2020 Dale DiMauro
 

Hubbard Park in Montpelier, VT is a 194 acre park north of the Vermont State House. It has lovely trails and open fields. In addition, it has a fifty-four foot stone observation tower which has since been added to the National Register of Historic Places. 

Since visiting this park in the late summer I keep having flashbacks of the lovely fields and open spaces which you would only find in Vermont. They are not filled with playgrounds and paved over but have wildflowers, organic configurations and minimal maintenance.

I painted this watercolor on rough paper, Arches to be exact. Rough paper has a strong texture to it's surface, as it's name implies, when used to great affect it can be quite expressive. With more practice hopefully I can take advantage of the numerous high points on the paper.

Watercolor Doodle

                                                                  (C) 2020 Dale DiMauro
 

It feels good to simply push the paint around sometimes. There had been some watercolor marks on this sheet of paper which had some abstract qualities. Yet, I could envision a landscape if I developed this further.

Watercolor painting I think is most successful when done in succession. There is a certain freedom of expression and looseness when one digs into a painting. Once one becomes hesitant or tentative I believe it shows in the work.

As a result this landscape felt good as I worked through it. It may not be my best painting but I enjoyed the process. Along the way I experimented with different ways to portray the water and the foliage in the foreground.

Sebago Lake

                                                                   (C) 2020 Dale DiMauro

Recently, I was perusing photographs I took over the summer. This summer has definitely been different from others in the past due to COVID-19 and it's lack of genuine social interaction, and this photograph stood out, representing the absence of people and the beauty of nature. It seemed worthy of a post.

I took this photograph when visiting Sebago Lake in Maine. This is the second largest lake in the state of Maine but one of the cleanest bodies of water and beaches I have ever been in or on. This photograph seemed like it could have been taken at a tropical beach far from Maine.

The vivid colors, ripples, and transparency of the lake water give this image the qualities you often find in a watercolor painting. My wife and I discovered this protective cove within the State Park late in the afternoon as the sun was getting low with spectacular light affects.

Plein Air Landscape

                                                                (C) 2020 Dale DiMauro
 

Earlier in the week I had the opportunity to paint outside with the Saxton's River Art Group. We met at the Four Column's Inn in Newfane, Vermont. The morning started off chilly, but it ended up being a lovely day weatherwise.

I like the location, subject matter, and composition that I settled on. However, this watercolor needs a little more work. The colors seem drab, but I feel as though they do capture the scene. I did take artistic license in eliminating certain features, specifically some small shrubs along the water's edge. 

Along the Passumpsic River

                                                                 (C) 2020 Dale DiMauro
 

During my Summer travels I learned the Passumpsic River which weaves through St. Johnsbury, Vermont is quite a scenic body of water. My wife and I saw the sun begin to set along this river after being passed by a gathering of girls softball players as they headed to their cars. Of course we had our masks on and kept our distance. 

The Moose River also in St. Johnsbury, Vermont merges with the Passumpsic River. While this is a smaller river it has lovely falls, ripples and pools along it's rocky shoreline. One need not ponder how this river got it's name. A woman who works at the local boutique in downtown St. Johnsbury told me moose have been known to cross the main streets in town.

This watercolor is of the Passumpsic River facing downstream with it's blue waters and lush shoreline.

Broadening the Palette

                                                               (C) 2020 Dale DiMauro

Earlier this Summer I bought a book on John Singer Sargent when my wife and I visited the the Clark Art Museum in Williamstown, MA. I have been studying Sargent's watercolors ever since. 

Along the way I have become curious about Sargent's use of yellows and browns in his watercolors. The use of yellows for the sky and browns in general have been a weak area for me. Part of the issue is that I haven't even considered going in that direction at all and the other factor is a lack of browns which I have found captivating. 

Lately, I have been experimenting with different combinations of yellows and browns to incorporate into my watercolors. Two color combinations which I have been playing with are red madder/aureolin yellow and paynes gray/burnt sienna. The first combination has a warm, lively orangish tint and the other is a cool brown. Both are much better than anything you would find in a paint tube. The value studies on the left side of the image show some of the tinkering around with these pigments.

Sunset Reservoir

                                                                           (C) 2020 Dale DiMauro
 

Paddling at this time of year is quite a treat. With such beautiful weather the atmosphere has been so clear and transparent. Along the shoreline of our local bodies of water you can see the bottom with such clarity.

The reflections from the sky onto the water is what attracted me to this subject matter. In addition, the greens of the foliage are so vivid and full of life.

I painted this watercolor rapidly as it was so much fun to work on. There are colors and natural patterns which take time to fully appreciate. However, once I delved into this scene I mixed pigments I had not combined before.

Plein Air Painting: Watercolor Study

                                                                  (C) 2020 Dale DiMauro
 

This past Monday I did some watercolor painting with the Saxton's River Art Group in Walpole, N.H. Since I was amongst all these historical buildings along The Common I figured it was a good time to try a plein air with an architectural focus. I didn't include the whole building as time would be limited and  the light was going to change rapidly.

The perspective is not quite right but I have done worse in the past so I was somewhat pleased with what I came up with. I tweaked the landscape so my focus could settle on the building's features.

It truly is a challenge to capture a building's details out in the natural light. First you have to settle on a composition that is not too involved. Then as you work on your picture you see things you didn't see when you began. However, there is a strong presence to the building which I find refreshing.