Bratttleboro Common

                                                                            (C) 2023 Dale DiMauro
 

The Brattleboro Common is a lovely spot to plant yourself for a few hours or an afternoon when you can - when the weather is good. I have come to appreciate this small park throughout the seasons - if nothing other than the lovely trees we have.

It felt great to get outside the other day and paint in plein air with good air quality unlike during the humid summer. The afternoon sun is special at this time of year. The shadows are longer but it is the warmest time of the day.

It is good to include some structure in my picture so I had to include the monument. I didn't get to finish this painting outside but I feel good about what I did in an hours time.

Autumnal Colors Starting to Emerge

                                                                          (C) 2023 Dale DiMauro
 

This time of year is one of my favorite to paint plein air watercolors. Between the seasonal color changes, the temperature fluctuations and the fog lifting off the rivers there is a lot of atmospheric effects which are suitable to capture in watercolor.

However, this watercolor was painted in my studio due to a lack of time. But I feel the urge to get outside as the season changes so fast.

Quinacridone gold is one of my favorite pigments. I use it to mix a variety of greens and browns. 
I don't know if I could get along without it. In this watercolor I used it for the green in the field, the tree foliage, the vegetation along the shore and for the shadow on the water.

As I have stated in previous posts I really like this Master's Choice watercolor paper. The rough version of this paper has a nice feel to it. Various pigmentations leave a lovely pattern on the paper.

The End of Summer

                                                                                       (C) 2023 Dale DiMauro
 

With chillier mornings and shorter days people are talking about the changing of the seasons. It seems to come so fast because it is. The quality of the light I see out in the land is so different then it was a month ago.

At the same time I keep thinking about this painting that NC Wyeth did which was found in New Hampshire. A woman purchased it for four dollars yet it was understood to have sold for around one-hundred fifty thousand dollars at auction.

This little watercolor I painted a while back for me sums up both thoughts. For me it has a Chadds Ford feel with its tawny colors and sparse life to it. The summer season has clearly passed on.

                                                                                       (C) 2023 Dale DiMauro
 

It is important for me to squeeze in some watercolor painting every day when possible. This continuity keeps things moving forward while keeping the mind engaged. A variety of ideas emerge while painting or reading the newspaper which is some cases, I can incorporate in one of my next paintings.

For example, many years ago I purchased an atomizer which when used properly you blow with your lips through a tube which can gently spray a film of pigment across the texture of the paper to great effect. I have not really embraced this painting device as I have not had much success with this technique.

However, on youtube I saw this being utilized to great effect. Now I am inspired to see what I can do with this tool.

The above photograph is a quick little watercolor I did recently while pressed for time. However, I like the warm neutral colors that convey the atmospheric qualities in this image. I put down a wash of brown before painting in the water along the shoreline which dictated how I would proceed.

A View From Cadallac Mountain(Bar Harbor, Maine)

                                                                             (C) 2023 Dale DiMauro

Bar Harbor, Maine is certainly a beautiful place to be - particularly in the summer. Obviously, with Acadia National Park residing on the island, it draws a lot of tourists.

Since my wife and I didn't make it up to Bar Harbor this summer, unlike most years, this watercolor is sort of a postcard or momento of years past. 

When in Maine this summer, I purchased this Rembrandt watercolor block in Portland. I really like how this paper holds the pigment and responds when the paper is wet. Previously, I was unaware Rembrandt even existed as far as manufacturing watercolor paper.

PHOTOGRAPH: Tropical Vermont

                                                                                   (C) 2023 Photograph Dale DiMauro
 

Early in the morning on Tuesday I went for a walk down into Brattleboro, VT. I saw the Connecticut River and the adjacent land shrouded in a mist reminiscent of the tropics. This experience blew my mind. It was such a dramatic event that I am still thinking about it today.

I keep thinking how I would go about capturing these elements in watercolor. After all, watercolor, to me, is the best medium for capturing atmospheric effects on paper.

Just looking at this watercolor I can feel all the moisture in the air. The cool green foliage looks so lush, too. Later on it became one of those heat advisory days with a heat index approaching one hundred degrees.

Scott Farm

                                                                                       (C) 2023 Dale DiMauro

Scott Farm, in Dummerston, VT is such a historic place. Not only was Cider House Rules filmed there but the buildings and landscape remain from a previous era. It is significant that some of the buildings and landscape have been repurposed for the time we live in.

They process from their orchards apple cider which they sell to the public. One of their buildings is rented out for wedding receptions and The Stone Trust teaches wall and patio construction on the grounds.

Also, it is a lovely spot to paint plein air landscapes. I painted this scene last year with the Saxton's River Art Group which organizes their own plein air outings. I don't know that I finished this painting but was off to a good start.

Worcester Art Museum

 

This past week my mom and I visited the Worcester Art Museum in Worcester, MA. One of the current exhibitions is titled Watercolors Unboxed, which runs through September 10, 2023. These paintings are from their permanent collections.

It is rare to see watercolors on exhibit, it seems, in a museum not far from home, in Vermont. In particular, I enjoyed studying the Winslow Homer(1836-1910) and John Singer Sargent(1856-1925) watercolors. My mom and I were lucky, timing wise, to join a group with a guide discussing aspects of many of the watercolors on exhibit.

This John Singer Sargent, above titled, Boats at Anchor, 1917, was one of my favorite watercolors from the show. It is rare to see a Sargent watercolor in person. His use of color drew me in to his watercolors. For example, I love the browns and neutrals in the foreground of this picture.

What I admired most about Winslow Homer's watercolors on exhibit, were the free-flowing brushstrokes and emotional portray of the atmospheric effects.