Local Woods

                                                                              (C) 2021 Dale DiMauro
 

This scene pretty much sums up the 2021 summer for me, here in southern Vermont. From my perspective it was very wet and humid, for long stretches, while even dark at times. I can't remember a summer like this and I hope it is way different next year, in all aspects.

On the other hand there is a quality to this watercolor which I find calming and refreshing with the various greens of the forest vegetation. Perhaps, it is that these recognizable colors and patterns of the local flora are familiar and recognizable. 

Seldom do I work on a painting that doesn't really have a sky. This is what may evoke an element of mystery to the whole scene. After all, watercolor is the medium for conveying atmospheric conditions.

Oil Painting

                                                                                   (C) 2021 Dale DiMauro
 

Lately, I have been getting the itch to paint in oil. I realize this is a watercolor blog but there are times when working in other mediums can improve your painting skills. 

What is most appealing to me is painting with a palette knife. Paint thinners are not necessary making clean-up very simple. You can even paint a whole picture with just one palette knife which provides room for a lot of creativity.

Last week during the heavy rains I thinned out some books and came upon this small book by Hazel Soan, titled Learn Oils Quickly. I immediately read it and in the process became inspired to paint in oil again.

Plein Air: Neighborhood Park

                                                                                       (C) 2021 Dale DiMauro

Of all the plein air painting experiences I have had, this was one of the most pleasant. You truly don't know what's going to happen - it could snow or an unfed dog could come bearing down at me.

Yesterday my wife and I decided late in the day we would walk to an outdoor concert - once we figured the rain would hold off. So I had about one hour and a half to settle on a site to paint and then paint it. This is a result of that time spent three blocks from my house. Fortunately, the park had only a handful of people as I had to focus on my task at hand.

This watercolor was painted on a small watercolor block so I had to simplify my composition. Many trees in the foreground I excluded from the picture both due to a lack of time and it would have made the scene way too crowded.

The colors were much more livelier and richer when the paint was wet, but I like the overall character of the scene and the vegetation in general. When you paint outside it is good to have modest expectations because you don't always know what you will come up with in the end.

Watercolor Study

                                                                             (C) 2021 Dale DiMauro
 

For some time I have been meaning to plunge into a watercolor without much planning and this is what I have to show for it. Mentally, I broke the composition down into thirds(as in a third of the paper), made a pencil mark and started painting. 

Actually, this is how I have been painting smaller landscapes for over a year with either one third of the composition dedicated to the sky or the landscape. If the sky is really interesting that area becomes more dominant but usually the landscape is two-thirds of the painting. I find this approach pleasing to the eye as the landscape has much variation with it color changes or gradations of light.

On the top of the sky I did have a mishap with too much red looking like a blob. I was able to lift most of the pigment out after it dried with a scrubber.

I do love the simple contours of the land and the vibrancy of the colors.

Watercolor Study

                                                                             (C) 2021 Dale DiMauro

The beautiful weather today led me to Guilford, Vermont - to the Green River and it's covered bridge. I hadn't been there in years and forgot how special it is to be there with the river, waterfall and historic bridge all in one location.

This watercolor was today's plein air painting. Often it is a challenge to finish a painting outside. However, I am pleased with how far I got with this picture. My only criticism after stepping back from the painting is that the river in the foreground doesn't quite read as water. It needed to be a bit darker in value but it has many of the colorings I found on site.

This year in particular seems to be a season of greens and browns with all the rain we have received. The river bottoms have been stirred up for much of the season and the greens are more vibrant than I can recall for so late in the season.

Abstract Landscape

                                                                                       (C) 2021 Dale DiMauro

If I am pressed for time I at least try to put down some washes on a piece of paper or make a quick sketch. This image is one such case. By doing this I continue to evolve or maintain engagement intellectually as far as color mixing or considering the next step in my painting process.

This landscape primarily has pigments I had not combined before. However, Cerulean blue is dragged across the paper to suggest the sky with no other pigments included. The foliage is the combination of Hansa yellow and Phthalocyanine blue which gives me a lively green. The beach color is the pairing of quinacridone red and yellow ochre which creates a substitute for raw sienna. On top of this I painted ultramarine blue which gives the water a grainy, yet transparent quality.

Lately, I have been limiting my use of cadmium colors while finding substitutes. It seems that cadmium pigments are being phased out for health reasons. Also, it is important to be flexible and make use of what ever pigments you have available even if they are not always neatly arranged on your palette.

In conclusion, I keep thinking about this little watercolor doodle as it has left such fresh and lively markings on the paper and in my memory. It is something to build on for future reference.

Middlebury, VT

                                                                     2021(C) Photograph Dale DiMauro
 

Last week my wife and I went on a vacation in Vermont. We spent time in Middlebury, Montpelier and Woodstock, Vermont. In Montpelier, we toured the statehouse, on a Saturday and ran into the Governor and a neighbor pretty much all at the same time. We learned that the original carved figure on the statehouse dome was created in Brattleboro, by a worker from the Estey Organ Company.

Not far from Montpelier, we hiked in the Goshen State Forest(26,000+ acres) and I dipped into the largest of it's numerous lakes on a deserted beach with the sound of loon calls in the background. Also, in Montpelier we climbed the tower in Hubbard Park above and adjacent to the statehouse grounds.

In East Middlebury, we stayed at an inn which was used as the backdrop for the opening sequence of the Newhart Show, back in the 1980's. In the morning on the last day before heading out, we learned that parts of Windham County, in Vermont, were inundated with more rain and that Governor Scott had toured some of the damaged areas. 

When in Middlebury, my wife and I just sort of came upon these falls which were roaring right through the center of town. There is a major construction project in town too. The train will be going under the town center which now has newly established gardens and parks above the tracks.

On the drive home we visited the Texas Falls which are located in a deep gorge on the edge of the Green Mountain National Forest. 

There was little time for painting but plenty of inspiration to be had each and every day. In retrospect, Vermont has a lot to offer it's residents and visitors alike.

Charles Reid

Charles Reid(1937-2019) is one of my favorite watercolor painters. He was known for his drawing skills and considered a master of watercolor. Reid was a successful teacher, workshop instructor and published numerous books. I own several of his books.

I admire his fluid, free flowing and direct approach to watercolor painting. In that vein, last month, I painted a copy of one of his watercolors, titled, Macy 2. My version is pictured above. I painted it in one sitting, which it seems like how he would have approached it.

Reid in watercolor did not build up too many layers of pigment so I tried this method, too. In addition, where possible, I tried to use the pigments he would use.

It is important for me to try other artist's methods as a break from my own routines.

Watercolor Sketch

                                                                                       (C) 2021 Dale DiMauro
 

Sometimes the absence of color can really work to your advantage. When painting water in the distance it often is either, misty or faint in coloration. This area is best left with soft edges. Also, it can create a greater sense of distance.

In contrast, smooth, rich saturation of color in the foreground can bring a lot of excitement to your painting. I am continually experimenting between these two extremes in landscape painting. The other aspect in landscape painting which has begun to capture my imagination consciously or not is the sense of space in a picture. The simpler the composition the more powerful one can be drawn into the atmospheric characteristics of a landscape.

What I like about this watercolor is the smooth, rich coloration with just a few washes of pigment. The freshness of paint one can achieve in watercolor is unlike any other medium.