Watercolor Sketch

                                                                                    (C) 2022 Dale DiMauro
 

Watercolor is such a versatile medium. You can paint your watercolors on so many different surfaces from paper to boards to even Yupo, a synthetic surface. Gouache can be used with your watercolors if you need to achieve an opaque quality. This versatility makes it useful to record an experience or a setting right on the spot. And of course, you can paint from memory, too.

This watercolor was painted on one of the inside covers of a watercolor block I have been using. This smooth surface has nearly a cardboard thickness too it.

I enjoy experimenting with any surface I can find to see how the pigment responds to the paper. For example with hot press paper the pigment sits on the surface while with cold press or rough paper you can utilize a dry brush technique which can suggests texture such as on rocks or grasses along the shore.

Color Studies

                                                                                       (C) 2022 Dale DiMauro
 

After months painting outside, primarily, it feels good to paint indoors. Naturally, painting inside is an entirely different experience than in the outdoors. When painting indoors it is easier to paint larger and at your own pace.

I am constantly searching for new color combinations. In particular, rich, lively, darks are a gem if I come upon them. I like this new combination of phthalo blue and burnt sienna which creates a cool,  dark green.

The other thing I am interested in is the absence of color in some of those color swatches above. When you paint with interesting edges full of expression where you don't have paint suggests a landscape unto itself.

The Tunbridge Fair(The World's Fair)

Last week I spent a beautiful day at the Tunbridge Fair (Tunbridge, VT)with my brother and mom. The Tunbridge Fair is one hundred and fifty years old which was started during the Ulysses S. Grant Administration.

We saw pigs racing, horse pulls, baby calves, oxen and a myriad of other animals celebrated as part of the rural extended family. Also, there was a roller coaster and ferris wheel along with fried dough and blooming onions.

This photograph may not be of a watercolor but it may lead to a series of watercolors. There were so many community events which drew people together to reflect upon.
 

Sketchbook Painting

                                                                     (C) 2022 Dale DiMauro
 

It is that time of year to start using my sketchbook on a more regular basis. It is not that I have stopped drawing, however, with the days getting shorter there is more time in the evening.

I do like these Holbein multi-drawing books which take watercolor washes well.  In addition, to painting figures and landscapes I like experimenting with color swatches in these books. 

It is rewarding to page through these sketchbooks at a later date to see how you have progressed or where you were at during a certain time period.

Brattleboro Retreat

                                          (C) 2022 Dale DiMauro

 

The Brattleboro Retreat is an iconic institution in Brattleboro, Vermont. It has a long history of serving people and thus shaping their lives while simultaneously being shaped by the land. Also, it is situated within a lovely basin of water, fields, hills and forests.

Every time I drive along Route 30 near town I have an urge to paint in plein air, some aspect of the landscape. 

This watercolor was painted late one afternoon at one of the Brattleboro Retreat's picnic table's under a dense canopy of one of their maple trees.

The body of water, distant hills and reeds which edge the shoreline, make for a pleasant landscape in my mind and memory.

Late Summer Fields

                                                                                       (C) 2022 Dale DiMauro
 

Late summer has some lovely, rich colorations before the real fall colors move in. This local scene is full of greens including the canopy of blue-greens at the top of the picture.

In particular, I like the colors of the driveway with the warm shadows cast. That little bit of red makes all the difference in this watercolor.

I painted this on Langton Prestige(Daler Rowney) rough, watercolor paper. This versatile paper is made in the United Kingdom and had become difficult to find in the states. Many years ago it was readily available- even somewhat locally.

Higgins Beach(Maine)

                                                                            (C) 2022 Dale DiMauro
 

My wife and I spent part of our summer vacation this year at Higgins Beach in Maine. We experienced amazing sunsets and even a full moon. This really made us appreciate the time we were there and gave us a break from our regular routine.

This watercolor is not my usual kind of painting with a heavy dose of grays. However, you can see the drama we experienced each evening at the beach. All that is missing is the sound of the waves lapping or in some cases thundering amongst the rocks and beach. The incoming tide really changes everything, not to mention the shoreline.

As a footnote, I was not able to send out my post yesterday as our internet was unexpectedly down. It has not been fully restored but hopefully things will be back to normal soon.

Brattleboro Common(plein air)

                                                                              (C) 2022 Dale DiMauro
 

Summer has come to an end at least for most people. Schools are starting or have started and the days have gotten much shorter. 

On Friday I painted this scene on the Brattleboro Common from a picnic table. The greens and natural light were spectacular. However, it felt like the seasons was about to change. The Brattleboro Common at times became quite devoid of people.

I like the burst of color and intensity of greens which oozed across the moist paper. The shadows were full of life and character too. 

Often I find in watercolor you have to let the pigment do it's own thing. It's so easy to overwork the medium and it will show. The more you push pigment around the more diluted the wash becomes. This is one of those times where the freshness of the medium is very satisfying.