Fitz Henry Lane

                                                                                       
 

Fitz Henry Lane(1804 - 1865) was a leading marine painter of the mid - 19th Century. A great draftsman who could render a ship's portrayal in such detail with rigging as well as anyone in his day. Also, he was masterful at capturing the late day sun whether a ship was docked for the night or the setting sun cast across the harbor and distant landscape.

These are the qualities I think of when someone mentions the name - Fitz Henry Lane. Last week at the Portland Museum of Art, in Portland, Maine, one of his paintings on exhibit drew my attention. His painting: Annisquam Marshes, Near Gloucester Massachusetts, 1848(oil on canvas), has this warm glow of light toward the horizon with a river zig-zagging and meandering through the salt marches. This line of movement draws your eye deep into the picture.

I found this composition and Lane's mastery of color so captivating I studied it later in the week when I visited the museum a second time. Ironically, there are no ship's portrayed in this painting which was his trademark.

Sebago Lake

                                                                                       (C) 2023 Dale DiMauro
 

Recently, I spent some time in Portland, Maine, with my wife. On one of the hottest days we were there, we headed out to one of our favorite beaches. Sebago Lake, nearly an hour west of Portland is a good-sized lake with a beautiful, sandy, yet shady beach. It has a grove of tall pine trees lining the shoreline.

It was refreshing to swim and bob around in such clear water. The beach is so relaxing as there are no rocks or shells with sharps edges to be concerned about.

The only thing missing from this watercolor are people. However, it was not a crowded scene as one might expect. Often there are children from summer camps who get bussed out from the Portland area but not on the day we visited.

Norman Rockwell

Norman Rockwell (1894-1978) certainly has a stellar reputation as a prolific illustrator and painter for nearly seven decades. I have always admired his drawing ability and was hoping at some point to acquire a book which featured his drawings.

This week I came upon that book and it is titled: Norman Rockwell:Drawings 1911-1976 by Stephanie Haboush Plunkett and Jesse Kowalski. Not only is it well written but it has many, many of his drawings of figures and models in his classic compositions for his commissioned works.

I just love his pencil drawings. His figures are so masterfully composed, I could look at the pages all day long. I am hoping to improve my figure drawing by practicing with some of his figures in my sketchbook.

 

Early Watercolor

                                                                                       (C) 2023 Dale DiMauro
 

Pen and ink with watercolor makes a dramatic statement. It adds a very illustrative quality to the finished appearance. Or at least the way I typically use pen and ink.

This watercolor was done many years ago during a time when I was also into colored inks. The colors are clearly defined just as the ink is.

This is another example of how diverse watercolor can be utilized. You can layer washes or blend pigments or as in this case paint by numbers pretty much.

Watercolor Studies

                                                                                       (C) 2023 Dale DiMauro
 

Watercolor studies are so important in developing your composition. In addition, simply recording a scene with direct painting is real valuable. I routinely do both of these practices.

However, I make other studies which consist of experimenting with color mixtures. There is an endless quantity of color swatches to explore. Ultimately, I turn these color swatches into landscape paintings.

Learning as many color combinations as I can creates a whole data bank to draw upon. Often times, subtle changes in color can make a major difference in your painting.

These four landscapes began as color studies which evolved rapidly as a way to experiment in how to use them in my paintings.

Plein Air

                                                                             (C) 2023 Dale DiMauro
 

Plein air painting is a great experience if you are willing to paint outside. However, painting outside for me this season has been a real challenge. Between poor air quality, rain and allergies like I have never experienced, it has been downright difficult to paint outside.

In addition, with a constantly changing schedule, it has been difficult to establish a routine. Hopefully, late summer and fall will be a different story.

This watercolor was painted at a boat landing along the Connecticut River. There is a freshness of approach in color and expression that I like in this picture.

Quinacridone Red

                                                                           (C) 2023 Dale DiMauro
 

Painting the landscape is the most rewarding. Tweaking the landscape to make it a stronger composition is even better.

Lately, I have been experimenting with quinacridone red and viridian as a mixture which can be seen in the foreground. Also, it is seen in the background in the woodland edge. It may look similar to a 'red brick' color. However, it is a lively color I intend on using in the future.

I have veered away from using payne's gray on it's own. It seems best when mixed with other pigments. So, I have turned to other pigmentations for most of my shadows. Here you can see I have applied the red and green combination.

It is very satisfying to try new colors and experiment with new techniques and brushes.

Sketchbook Drawing

                                                                                (C)2023 Dale DiMauro
 

It always feels great to do some drawing. If I haven't drawn for a few days I feel like something is missing from my life.

With such a strange Summer due to poor air quality, a nasty prolonged allergy season and rainy periods it doesn't seem like July. After all these are the longest days of the year.

However, drawing captures some aspect of the Summer which I can refer back to. Also, it is a great meditative activity.