MAUVE

 

                                                                                      (C) 2022 Dale DiMauro

Mauve is a color of conversation that has come up in my life several times over the last ten days or beyond. So I decided to explore this color more.

Mauve is french for 'mallow' as it derives from the mallow plant. It is considered a pale, purple color which many people characterize as lilac. In painting it is created by mixing red with purple.

The above tree was made by combining red with purple. I don't know if I would continue using it as a tree color. However, this color does add something to the landscape. The tree doesn't dominate the landscape as other dark-toned colorations do.

However, I will consider using it as pigment down the road when the right occasion presents itself. How would you use it in your paintings?

Spring Landscape

                                                                             (C) 2022 Dale DiMauro

It is finally exciting to experience warmer temperatures as plants begin to leaf out. After a long winter and a cool April, we have a magnolia tree in full bloom and a plethora of daffodils lighting up the front yard. As a matter of fact, it is not uncommon to find someone in our yard sniffing or taking photographs(even from local newspapers) of our magnolia tree when my wife or I arrive home.

When the lawns and yards fill out with the yellow-greens of spring I am reassured the warm season is here to stay. Just a few years ago I would paint most of my shadows with a blue or cool color. With a broader perspective I expanded that practice to include rich browns which in many ways are the color of spring(along with green).

Brown has been an elusive color for me. However, not so much anymore. I have learned the browns of the earth - the soil and river beds really make the greens come forward in the landscape. 

One of my favorite color combinations to achieve a rich, lively, brown is sepia and permanent sap green.

End of Winter

                                                                             (C) 2022 Dale DiMauro
 

The West River Trail has been one of my local walking spots during the pandemic. To get outside in nature and experience the landscape, daily, if possible is important. During these walks you notice big and small things. From subtle changes in the coloration of the foliage to the ice breaking up in the late winter.

This is one of the fields along the way. In the summer the space is filled with eight-foot high corn which is cut down and opens up in the fall before mud and puddles collect in the spring.

The photograph shows the watercolor much darker and less colorful than it really is. 

Brush Storage

                                                                                       (C) 2022 Dale DiMauro

Brush storage can be a crucial element when painting in watercolor. It can be easy to lose track of a brush or carelessly pile brushes on top of each other, particularly if you paint outside.

I find it is important to clean my brushes thoroughly after painting and then lay them down so they dry with a good point intact. Also, I don't want my brush handles rubbing against other surfaces as they may chip or deteriorate.

For me, this has evolved into storing my brushes, when not in use, in one of these canvas sleeves. In addition, if I need to clear my counter for added space I sometimes store them in one of my flat files.

Spring is on it's Way

                                                                           (C) 2022 Dale DiMauro
 

Often I am not sure which is the correct side of the paper to paint on. Over time I have become willing to paint on either side and sometimes both. At least this is when using a good quality paper such as Arches, Saunders, Fabriano etc. I find that the texture differs from one side to the other. Often the watermark is not visible as I have cut a larger sheet down to a smaller size.

In this case I painted on the smoother of the two sides. The paper still buckled a bit so I wet the back with clear water and weigh it down with some heavy jars and it flattens out as it dries.

I have been experimenting by adding raw sienna into my sky as part of my landscape painting. I can sense the clouds acquiring more dimension and weight over time. It is definitely a good color to add on the underbelly of clouds in the foreground.

All of this idle talk is probably more than you want to hear but it does inform the painting process and the decisions one makes.

Out On the Water

                                                                                       (C) 2022 Dale DiMauro
 

Before long it will be paddling season. In fact, the Brattleboro Outing Club published their paddling schedule for the season in The Commons this week. I have already seen several kayaks on cars in town recently.

Last year I didn't get out enough. Part of it was due to COVID-19 as I wasn't fully vaccinated until June and there was confusion about who I could car pool with. Also, I got out of the habit of paddling and before long the season had moved along rapidly.

I like the simplicity of this composition. Nothing is buttered up. It is paddlers, the water and sky. Still, there is an unspoken dialogue between the body language of the two paddlers.

Along the West River Trail

                                                                                 (C) 2022 Dale DiMauro
 

The West River Trail has become a gem to walk or exercise along as well as a way to get out in nature. Off the trail there are many wetland areas in addition to agricultural areas.

This is one of the fields I like to pay attention to as the light and vegetation change on a daily basis. I often walk or bike the trail depending on the time of year.

However, the field is becoming more inviting as the mud begins to disappear and the vegetation is showing signs of re-emerging. The warm sienna and ocher colors of the landscape are what appeal to me.

Fabriano Artistico Soft Press Watercolor Paper

                                                                                (C)2022 Dale DiMauro
 

Last summer I requested a free sample of this watercolor paper made by Fabriano which has been manufacturing paper since 1264. I had heard good things about this soft press paper which apparently is between cold press and hot press texture-wise. The blank top sheet in the photograph is actually a cold pressed sample sheet.

With all the supply chain delays, I surprisingly opened the mail this winter and there was the sample sheet. I was eager to paint on this new surface. Considering the sample sheet is only 140 lb I thought it might buckle on me but it didn't. The paint went on smooth and I liked the way the sheet handled the paint.

I will be looking to paint on this surface in the future. The other quality I noticed is how vivid the colors are after the paint dried. I believe it is a great paper for painting landscapes.