HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

                                                                               (C) 2024 Dale DiMauro
 

With this busy holiday season I have not been able to draw or paint as I would have liked. Plus my wife is still recovering from the surgery she had earlier in December. However, the various snow accumulations have freshened up the local landscape on these shortest days of the year.

Sometimes I simply put down a quick watercolor study as this one in my small watercolor book that I purchased at the Brattleboro Food Co-Op. I like this bound-book put out by elseware as it is a thicker paper with a nice texture. 

This combination of burnt umber and winsor violet creates a lovely dark red which sets a nice tone for the overall landscape. I have taken to adding lavender to my sky's on occasion and sometimes with payne's gray. It adds a pale color and offers a minor amount of drama to the overall scene.

Maple Picture Frame

                                                                                            (C) 2024 Dale DiMauro
 

Recently, I made this maple picture frame at a local workshop at the hatchspace in downtown Brattleboro, VT. It has a spline in the corners to strengthen the miter joinery. This frame-making experience led me to join the hatchspace with their promotional offer. They have four floors of tools, work stations and spaces.

The hatchspace has a machine that makes frame profile stock out of your wood. This is a machine I want to learn more about. In addition, I have a corner joiner at home which I want to put to good use this Winter.

So there is a lot to learn about for me regarding frame-making. In watercolor that also includes cutting glass and mats and assembling this sandwich all as one unit.

I apologize for the glare in the upper right of the image. I tried to use the cropping/red eye software to minimize or eliminate this glare but it didn't take me as far as I would like too. However, I do think the watercolor looks pretty good within this frame.

Cobalt Blue & Burnt Umber

                                                                               (C) 2024 Dale DiMauro
 

When you study the landscape you begin to see things for what they are. Over time you develop a clearer lens and this informs my decision when choosing what to paint and how to go about painting. Or at least that's how I feel about my painting.

It takes a great restraint to paint with a limited palette. Particularly when you limit yourself to two colors. Yet there is a great harmony of color when you use a simple palette.

This watercolor was painted with only cobalt blue and burnt umber. I like the light in this picture, it reminds me of the mid-winter noon hour. I have cross-country skied many days at this time of day. All the landscape elements are clearly defined by the light and the contrasting colors.

Color Swatches

                                                                                               (C) 2024 Dale DiMauro

In the past I have posted about the importance of painting color swatches in order to have a greater understanding of your color palette. With this practice my palette seems to continually expand.

For example, there are countless grays which can be produced as in the above photograph. However, there is such a range within the grays: warm and cool versions which add so much to a painting.

When I paint color swatches of plant combinations I turn them into miniature landscapes as a way to put them to use in painting. I paint these very intuitive and in a free-flow manner so as not analyze things too much.

Over time I realized I can get by with a limited palette as I better understand what I can do with the colors at my disposal.

Anders Zorn

                                                                                                 2024 Dale DiMauro
 

Anders Zorn(1860-1920) was a great artist from Sweden known for his mastery of watercolors and portraits in oil including United States presidents. He painted President William Taft and was a contemporary of John Singer Sargent.

This watercolor I did was inspired by a Anders Zorn watercolor, Sea Study, 1894. It was a small study 5" x 7-7/8". Zorn seemed to use a limited palette with a direct painting technique which caught my attention. I don't know his actual palette so I tried to replicate his colors.

For the sky I used ultramarine blue/raw sienna/paynes gray. And for the water I used ivory black and paynes' gray. I did my watercolor in one quick passage which I suspect Zorn may have done as well.

I saw Zorn's watercolor study in a book I purchased years ago titled: Anders Zorn: Sweden's Master Painter.

Retreat Field

                                                                                                (C) 2024 Dale DiMauro
 

Capturing the landscape in pencil or paint is both an obsession and a meditative state for me. The act of recording a scene makes me pay attention to what I see and then the practice of painting calms me down so that I am in the present moment like no other activity I can think of.

I just started this watercolor an hour or so ago and like how it is progressing. Like most artists the light is what caught my eye with this composition. That light makes the whole landscape seem special or at least noteworthy.

There is such a freshness to this watercolor with the pleasing pigments and the blending of colors that the warmth of light seems to be a result of the act of painting. That heavy shadow in the foreground seems to sharpen the view of the distant landscape.

At times the less you paint the more powerful the image can become. Would a figure in the foreground ruin this picture for you?

Retreat Meadows

                                                                                    (C) 2024 Dale DiMauro
 

This fall we had mild weather and amazing color on our deciduous trees which hung on the branches longer than usual. I think the dry conditions was the reason we had an extended, yet glorious season.

I simply did not have time to paint outside as much as I would like So I resorted to photographing the fall colors and fading light which lit up the landscape to amazing effect.

This color saturation forced me to broaden my color palette in ways I usually don't. I used 'brilliant orange', a Holbein watercolor pigment, to try to match the orange-red of the distant hills and it still didn't match the intensity of color I saw out in the landscape.

This fall scene does remind me of some of Winslow Homer's watercolors of the Adirondack Mountains occupied by hunters and fisherman.

Considering black in your watercolor palette?

                                                                                         (C) 2024 Dale DiMauro

Black is a challenging color in watercolor, at least for me. Most tube blacks in my experience are dull and flat out of the tube. Ivory black I have found useful when mixed with other pigments, such as payne's gray  when I need to develop a painting quickly.

However, I have come upon a new combination of ultramarine blue with burnt sienna and alizarin crimson. This makes a lively black wth some variation of dark tones. 

You can see this combination in the above watercolor study I painted recently. This picture has one wash and it reads as one variation of black except for the white of the paper.

 

Living Memorial Park

                                                                                      (C) 2024 Dale DiMauro
 

Living Memorial Park, in Brattleboro, VT is such a versatile and well-used park. In addition to numerous softball fields it has areas to play pickle ball, a skatepark, frisbee golf, a ski lift and snowboard area. I haven't even mentioned it has a swimming pool, ice rink and performance stage, too. 
Still, I am leaving out many activities of high value to folks such as the tennis courts, etc.

This watercolor was started at the end of summer but left unfinished for one reason or another. I started this painting on a thicker stock surface - Arches 300 lb cold press since I hadn't painted on this surface in a while.

Recently, with the colder weather moving in and the shorter days advancing I went back to this painting. I was inspired by this view across the landscape, plus all the green colors and the shadowy edge in the foreground.

This picture is not finished but close to being done. A little more attention to the wispy grasses poking out of the shadows in the foreground will make a big difference.

Quick Watercolor

                                                                                              (C)2024 Dale DiMauro
 

Watercolor is such a diverse medium. An artist can lay down many washes and build up a painting like in other mediums or s/he can paint with a few washes or on the go as compared to a studio painting. This versatility is impressive in addition to not really needing a lot of materials at hand. Ultimately, the best part may be the ease of clean up. No toxic chemicals are needed.

This quick watercolor was done in my travel journal on Arches watercolor paper. It really plays up the dry brush affect one can achieve by dragging the brush quickly across the surface of the paper with a steep angle.

The distant hill reads like it has accumulations of snow on it. I like the feel the texture conveys to the viewer.

A limited palette was used in this watercolor. The pigments used include: burnt sienna, burnt umber, yellow ochre, viridian and ultramarine blue.

Fabriano Artistico Watercolor Block

                                                                                  (C) 2024 Dale DiMauro
 

For some time, I had been interested in painting on Fabriano Artistico watercolor paper. This paper has been around for centuries not unlike Arches watercolor paper. Yet some artists only will paint on this surface. It has a reputation as a great surface for lifting color which is something I want to experiment with.

Ironically, I didn't lift any color as this was my first real experience painting on this paper. However, I feel like I can get some interesting clouds into my sky's by lifting pigment.

The subject for this picture is behind the Target Store in Keene, NH which is at the end of a series of stores in a shopping mall. If you study this landscape you will discover it is an interesting wetland along their rail trail with pleasing sunny, fall foliage.

For me, the blue of the water at the bottom of the picture is quite enticing.

Watercolor Workshop

                                                                                 (C) 2024 Dale DiMauro
 

From time to time it is a good practice to take a watercolor workshop with an established artist. On Saturday, I was fortunate to take a workshop with Annelein Beukenkamp in Woodstock, VT through the Vermont Watercolor Society.

The theme of the workshop was painting florals(or flowers) in watercolor. This flowering quince was the subject of my painting. I don't usually paint flowers so it was a real stretch to dive into this subject matter.

However, I like the composition, coloring and soft focus of this watercolor. In addition, I have learned to appreciate leaving the white of the paper somewhere umpainted. Also, I don't usually paint from the middle of sheet and out which was a very different experience for me.

Searching for New Pigment Combinations

                                                                                          (C) 2024 Dale DiMauro
 

Discovering new pigment combinations is an unending, yet exciting experience. Basically, color is an expanding vocabulary which one can go to when they feel the need arises. The subject matter or what's on your palette may direct you in which path to go.

Therefore it is important to build an eye for color out in nature and be able to draw upon whatever pigments you can to establish your painting practice.

I find these random color doodles turned into little landscape quite important in my daily life. This green-blue above, is a new discovery created by combining raw umber and winsor blue.

The Brattleboro Common

                                                                              (C) 2024 Dale DiMauro
 

The Brattleboro Common is a favorite spot to paint watercolors out in the open air. It has lovely open spaces, dappled light from a wide-range of mature trees and ever-changing light. Also, it has interesting people from time to time doing intriguing activities and picnic tables to paint at.

With such lovely warm, colorful fall days it has been a great season to paint the landscape. I have run about outside with my camera at times because I know the color and light is so fleeting.

I painted this landscape from both memory and the use of a reference photograph. You can't just make up this stuff. The explosion of color and well-defined shadows makes the landscape so warm and inviting. 

This was painted on rough paper which makes the surface feel very grainy and interesting at the same time.

Arches Travel Journal

                                                                                            (C) 2024 Dale DiMauro
 

Drawing or painting has become pretty much a daily activity in my life. I feel like I need to get better and more decisive at capturing the figure. In addition, it is important to get it down on paper quickly. I am always making adjustments as I move along the process.

Recently, I have adopted a technique, when needed, to paint fast, with a loaded brush and leave certain marks on the paper as it appears, without noodling about. This makes for some expressive painting and is important to let at least some of the colors blend into each other.

For warm-up exercises and portability I have been using this Arches travel journal which I have taken a liking to. I paint figures, color swatches and try new techniques all in this littler book.

Browns & More Browns

                                                                                            (C) 2024 Dale DiMauro
 

For me brown is an elusive color. In my sketchbook I right down color combinations to experiment with and document what I come up with. I want a rich, lively brown not so much a poop color.

I find that brown makes other colors sing so in essence these are neutral colors.

Recently, there are two color combinations that I save come upon which I like: raw sienna/ultramarine blue/burnt umber and new gamboge/prussian blue/permanent red. These are both lively combinations and look well on their own against the white of the paper.

Retreat Meadows

                                                                                 (C) 2024 Dale DiMauro
 

Painting fall colors in watercolor can be challenging. The colors are so intense and the saturation of pigment is important as in watercolor the colors want to bleed into the surrounding areas. However, you also want that wet wash to give you that fresh feeling that only watercolor can provide.

I took a bold chance and tried to see what I could do with this scene in watercolor. I dropped in more pigmentation before the surface dried and even then it was not enough. Brilliant orange and cadmium red were the pigments I used to try to portray the red hillside.

The setting sun made the foliage and hill look almost electric. This energy caught my eye when I drove by the Retreat Meadows. It made me pull over, park my car and run down and capture the scene with my camera before the light changed.

Local Field

                                                                               (C) 2024 Dale DiMauro
 

It is rewarding to experiment whenever I can in watercolor whether it is with the paint, the paper or with new techniques. I lifted paint from the lower sky with a damp brush and paper towel. Also, I painted pure pigment in the upper sky to make more hard-edged clouds which I think added a touch to the painting.

These are things I would not have done a year ago yet I feel add much to my current practice of painting. In addition, the shadow in the foreground is much freer than I would have done previously.

This watercolor was painted on 'The Masters' Choice' an economical watercolor paper with a nice rough texture. I really do like this paper.

Along the West River

                                                                                 (C) 2024 Dale DiMauro
 

This has been a glorious fall full of great fall foliage with quite a run of mild weather. With the lack of rain it seems the foliage just lingers on the trees or on the ground. There are times late in the day when a magical glow radiates across the landscape.

This watercolor was inspired by the tawny colors along the West River Trail in Brattleboro, VT. Recently, late in the day, I caught a full rainbow traipsing across the dramatic sky over the local wetlands.

I painted this watercolor on Arches 300 lb cold press paper. Usually, I prefer the 140 lb paper but I gave this one a try. The thicker paper gave me more time to work the pigments into the paper which was beneficial in developing a richer saturation of colors.

Fort Dummer State Park

                                                                                (C) 2024 Dale DiMauro
 

Fort Dummer State Park in Brattleboro, VT, is a lovely state park to camp or hike in. I usually go there in the off season when it is closed to the public. Thus, I often go for a hike or jog free of charge.

I always thought it closed for the season on labor day weekend. It actually closed for the season this year on October 14, right after the three-day weekend which had included Indigenous People's Day. 

When I went there it was a lovely fall day with mild temperatures and colorful foliage making it perfect conditions for plein air painting. There is a convenient picnic table(actually several) placed in this open field which I paint from. 

This is a study I painted before painting my actual watercolor. It ended up turning out better than my larger piece. This was painted fast and my colors blended on the paper yet kept a good degree of saturation which reminded of my experience that day.

Along the West River

                                                                                           (C) 2024 Dale DiMauro
 

Painting with black is not universally accepted in watercolor groups. I don't know why not. Many people say that painting out of the tube in black provides a dull and flat color. However, if you blend ivory black with other pigments such as sepia or sap green you can get a much richer pigmentation.

Recently, I had this back-lit experience along the West River in Brattleboro, VT. The memory of a colorless experience was so strong I had to try and capture it on paper. In this case I blended some variation of ivory black/permanent sap green/sepia and payne's gray to achieve a very rich dark.

I put it down quickly so I would not come back and fuss with it later. It was such a stark experience that I didn't want to develop a biased opinion to painting with black and white. In addition, I believe it is always good to develop an expanding palette for when the occasion arises.

Maine Landscape

                                                                                          (C) 2024 Dale DiMauro
 

Experimenting in watercolor is key to progressing with the medium. Along the way you learn techniques that can be advantageous to use when the situation arrises. 

For example, I have been adding a dark mixture at the base of vegetation to provide a substance to the root of the growth. Some of this can be seen along the far shoreline where shadows provide more interest.

Also, at the bottom of the picture, below the water, I used my atomizer to spatter dark value along the shore which offers a little movement in the air, too.

These developments in my painting practice get my juices my flowing. Also, they keep me inspired to paint and challenge myself to greater heights.

Mixing Browns

                                                                                              (C) 2024 Dale DiMauro
 

Brown is a challenging color for me to paint. It seems best to mix your own browns as the pigments explode to life with freshness. Finding good color combinations is key.

Often the browns I come up with lean either towards yellow or red. One of my favorite brown mixtures is sap green/ windsor violet and cadmium red.

Recently, I became excited to discover two new browns to add to my watercolor painting. The first, burnt sienna and cobalt blue is a very useful color combination. The other as seen in the above watercolor utilizes the combination of: ultramarine blue/new gamboge and cadmium red. I came upon this color combination by experimentation.

This coloring has a definite yellow influence and may even look a bit like an Andrew Wyeth painting. However, this landscape evolved out of playing with this brown color combination. It does not reference a specific place in the world.

Watercolor Brushes

 

                                                                                          (C) 2024 Dale DiMauro

Watercolor brush selection seems to be by personal choice. There are a huge range of brushes and manufactures to choose from. Some are cheap and come in sets while others are expensive and usually sold as individual items. However, most of the brushes I got were heavily discounted(or discontinued), given to me or I got with a gift card, which I earned.

By now I must have painted hundreds of watercolors - many small pictures on a wide range of papers from postcard-sized and up. Along the way I have developed my own preferences. For plein air painting I use a small selection of cheaper brushes for on the go.

The last several years I have been pushing myself to paint larger with bigger brushes when painting indoors. Regardless, I want brushes to last, so I treat them with the utmost respect. I rinse them out right after I am done using them and lay them down on a paper towel sheet.

The brush on the bottom is my most recent acquisition. It is called - da vinci - Casaneo - a liner brush I believe. I love this brush as it has a long flexible point which is great for painting power lines or straggly foliage. It is the most expressive brush I have.

Covid Isolation Watercolor

                                                                                   (C) 2024 Dale DiMauro
 

After being stuck inside day after day with COVID for ten days straight I painted this watercolor as a sort of romantic landscape. It has the qualities of a late summer landscape with some color change yet no bare trees. The water is even enticing.

It has been so mild lately that a hard frost is not expected before the middle of October. Thus, the mosquitoes will have longer season, too.

I do find myself shifting my palette towards more reds at this time of year. Reds and warm browns or earth colors seem to signal the end of the summer season.

Customized Palette

                                                                               (C) 2024 Dale DiMauro
 

It is great to be able to paint on the go. These small palettes offer a limited palette which simplify paint mixing. They are super portable and easy to clean-up. Plus, they don't take up much space.

I bought this empty palette and then added the pigments of my choosing. I prefer the whole pan palettes over the half pan size which I find too small to dab my brush into.

This palette can be put into a ziploc bag, with a travel brush, sponge and a small watercolor block and tossed into a shoulder bag I am ready to go. 

Since, I am still recovering from COVID this has been my go to palette.

COVID & watercolor

                                                                                           (C) 2024 Dale DiMauro
 

This week I got Covid again. I thought I was well-vaccinated but I learned the vaccine doesn't protect me for a full year, yet barely ten months. So this outcome really changed my week.

After hours and hours of being housebound I was able to try out a new watercolor brush with these small watercolors. It felt great to be back at it even if in an abbreviated form.

I like the vivid colors and freshness of the paint.

Stunning Local Landscapes

                                                                                              (C) 2024 Dale DiMauro
 

During this dry stretch of beautiful weather, not far from home, I have seen some stunning landscapes. Whether in New Hampshire or Vermont the sights have been lovely, just the same.

In the last two weeks or so, I have been to the World's Fair in Tunbridge Vt, painted at The Madame Sherri Forest in Chesterfield, NH and ushered at the Colonial Theater in Keene, NH. All of these sights had a backdrop of glorious weather.

This photograph I took at the Madame Sherri Forest in Chesterfield NH. In all directions it seemed equally stunning.

These experiences re-enforce in me the desire to get outside in nature whenever possible. There is fall foliage changing colors as I write in this moment. It can all be so fleeting and yet so captivating.

Wetland Study

                                                                                          (C) 2024 Dale DiMauro
 

Watercolor is such a diverse medium. The paint can be applied in so many different ways whether with a brush, palette knife or atomizer, etc. 

Leaving the white of the paper can be a real plus when painting outside as the pigment is a little easier to manage. After all, John Singer Sargent said painting in watercolor is akin to making the best of an emergency.

This image was painted wet on dry paper while outside. I just wanted to get the colors of nature down quickly and capture the freshness which only watercolor can express.

Madame Sherri Forest

                                                                                         (C) 2024 Dale DiMauro

Madame Sherrie Forest is a special place. Located in Chesterfield, NH, it has a natural wetland, elevated pond and lovely trails with scenic views.

I find it an inspiring place to hike and paint outside. The wetland has a lovely pond which is quite tranquil. For me painting here is quite meditative. I can sustain my concentration for long periods of time when on site.

This watercolor was done late Friday afternoon with the light beginning to fade rapidly. Little did I know that a woman had been rescued from this very site within the last twenty four hours.

After I left I wasn't sure I liked this watercolor but stepping back from it, I realized there is a freshness and directness which only watercolor can deliver.

Living Memorial Park

                                                                                   (C) 2024 Dale DiMauro
 

Recently, we have had an unbelievable run of glorious days. I am speaking from southern Vermont where today was another winner.

This was painted outside at Living Memorial Park in the morning. This clump of trees, which I believe are maples, are such a landmark which can be viewed from all kinds of angles in the park. This was painted from the Kiwanis shelter which offers a dramatic view of the larger landscape.

The last time painting in the park I felt like I overworked the trees in the background. This time I was determined to keep those distant hills simpler with a basic wash. You can see there is now some fall colors working their way into the landscape.

I feel better about this picture. For me, it has a pleasing overall quality with a soft focus except that clump of trees which are the focal point. 

Blue Landscape

                                                                                    (C) 2024 Dale DiMauro
 

Painting the landscape doesn't have to be complicated or time-consuming. Particularly, once you have developed some techniques and can tweak the pigments to your benefit.

I am fascinated with watercolorists who can paint a picture in a few washes. This is something I increasingly think about when preparing to paint. This painting so far has just one wash - blue. However, I did lift some of the blue to reveal the clouds in the sky and thus, reflections on the water. Just with this one wash you can begin to see the main elements of the landscape.

This landscape was inspired by a hike I took around Goose Pond in Keene, NH, this spring, with my wife.

Today's Plein Air

                                                                                    (C) 2024 Dale DiMauro
 

On occasion I overwork a watercolor and that's the case with this picture. It was painted today, as we had a glorious morning, here in Brattleboro, VT. This was painted in Living Memorial Park along a frisbee golf tee-off platform.

I had been eyeing this location for some time, to set-up my watercolor stuff as there is a nice bench with a sweeping view across the field. The early washes were exciting and lively but I got lost in the distant trees as there are layers of tree massing in the distant valley.

As frustrating as this experience has been, I learn the most when things don't turn out so well. One of the problems I had was the paint was drying faster than I am used to and the light and shadows changed rapidly. On cloudy days, from my experience, the light changes slower giving me more time to adapt to the developing picture.

This summer I have taken to using a sponge which I find to be a real positive development. Sponges are great at lifting color when needed and preventing pools of color from collecting on the margins of the paper.

Keene(NH) Art-in-the-Park

                                                                               (Photograph) 2024 Dale DiMauro
 

This weekend was the Monadnock Area Artists Association's Art in the Park, held in Keene, NH. As usual it is a lovely community event. However, today, when my wife and I attended it was hot out, at least in the sun. Fortuately, we had the shade of trees and the vendor tents to keep from overheating.

It was a nice experience as we were able to reconnect with artists I have known for many years and meet new ones, too. There were many painters but others crafts people, too. I purchased a small clay pot from a new vendor who had moved to the area within the last year.

While I didn't have a vendor space this year it makes me consider one for next season. However, it usually seems hot on this weekend on an annual basis which is the one drawback in my mind.

Scott Farm Plein Air

                                                                                             (C) 2024 Dale DiMauro
 

Visiting the Scott Farm in Dummerston, Vermont feels like a walk through a point in history far removed from current times. While there, life seems slower and more attuned to our surroundings. And then the view of large slabs of stone and slate covered historical buildings create a backdrop one does not usually experience on a daily basis.

This week I had the opportunity to paint outside with the Saxton's River Art Group. Unlike during this summer in southern Vermont, when it was hot, humid and often wet, this outing had lovely weather.

It can be a challenge honing in on what to paint when outside. However, this site has many lovely vantage points to choose from. In the back of my mind I am most aware that the natural light is constantly changing so I need to work quickly.

I sat on a stone wall containing this pool of water and tried to record what I saw. There were lots of cool colors and shadows moving about in contrast to the lush greens all around me.

New Sketchbook

 

Choosing a sketchbook is such a personal decision. There are so many sketchbooks on the market in all kinds of sizes, thicknesses and utilizing a huge range of papers. This sketchbooks I found in the spring at a Barnes & Noble Bookstore in Hadley, Ma.

I love this sketchbook because the paper lays flat which is essential if are going to do any kind of drawing. Also, I do not prefer smooth paper for my sketching. as I go for paper that has some tooth to it. This gives your sketch a grainy quality which I really like when drawing a figure or landscape.

I draw on both sides of my sketchbook pages for the most part, as I don't want to waste any sheets. As you can see this sketchbook cost ten dollars which I am okay with. I have spent much more for some sketchbooks because they are larger, have a hard cover and even take watercolor washes.

I find drawing to be an essential part of my life. It immediately relaxes me and focuses my attention to where it needs to be. These sketchbooks document my process and hone my ability to see life for what it is in that moment. The act of drawing allows me to loosen up by experimenting and taking chances by drawing at all scales in contrast to the mundane daily tasks which dominate aspects of our lives.

New John Singer Sargent Book

 

John Singer Sargent(1856-1925) is one of my hero's of the watercolor medium. He certainly casts a huge presence for his great portraits of aristocrats and others over a long career. I appreciate the directness of his watercolor painting approach and his use of color.

This past week I came upon a newer biography of Sargent which has consumed much of my time lately. The Grand Affair: John Singer Sargent in His World, by Paul Fisher is such a thoroughly researched book that I get a much clearer view of how his life played out than any book I had read to date.

Since reading this book I view his paintings in a different light. Recently, I visited the Clark Art Museum in western, MA which has several of his oil paintings which were painted in his early twenties.

One-Hour Painting

                                                                              (C) 2024 Dale DiMauro
 

Watercolor is my medium of choice. I love painting with watercolors because the clean-up is easy and safe. Also, it is such a diverse medium with such a range of choices from it's portability to technical approaches etc, that it endlessly fascinates me.

However, often I am pressed for time and some days it is a challenge to squeeze in any painting. On these days I grab a loose sheet of watercolor paper and paint rapidly on a small sheet what I can. It really calms me down yet focuses me at the same time.

The subject for this painting was done from memory. My wife and I visited Gardiner, Maine earlier this Summer and took a hike along the Kennebec River which flows through the center of town.

South Pond(Cloud Study)

                                                                                             (C) 2024 Dale DiMauro
 

Painting the landscape is such a rewarding experience. The subtleties of color and value have a huge impact on your overall scene. How the sky is depicted sets the tone for the landscape.

This landscape is really about the sky. The drama and variation of the clouds draw one's attention. I have been experimenting with an atomizer to achieve soft edges to distant clouds. I need more practice but feel like I am heading in the right direction.

For this watercolor I used Prussian blue for the water in areas which lent a rich dark. This pigment has a high tinting strength. Winslow Homer preferred using it in his later watercolors.

The Retreat Meadows

                                                                                 (C) 2024 Dale DiMauro
 

The Retreat Meadows in Brattleboro, VT can be a dramatic landscape. Late in the afternoon, during the Summer, strong shadows often move across the water framing Wantastiquet Mountain in the distance.

The lush green vegetation in the distance makes the water appealing and usually quite tranquil.

The sky was one of the things most interesting to me. It had a pinkish glow along the mountain with a richer blue the higher you went. The water has a bit of Antwerp in it, a preferred color of Winslow Homer.

Imaginary Landscape

   

                                                                                   (C) 2024 Dale DiMauro
 

Painting the landscape is truly a gift. Over time you begin to notice subtle changes out in the landscape or in your palette preferences which lead to profound changes in how you approach your compositions. Much of this is unconscious at the moment but upon reflection I notice an evolution.

For example, for the most part, I paint a landscape from the top down. That means the sky goes in first and I blend in colors as I see fit to hold an edge or create a dark separation. There are areas where the paper is left dry so pigment won't run all over the place. At this point this practice is intuitive so I am not actively thinking about this process which enables me to be flexible in my next steps.

By now it doesn't really matter what paper I am using. However, I love the weave of this paper. When wet with pigment this paper has a lovely quality to it. This watercolor paper is called Elseware. I found it at my local food co-op. I wrote about this paper back in July. For me it is useful as a test sheet or for painting warm-up landscapes. Also, it can come in handy when you are painting outside.

Goose Pond

                                                                                            (C) 2024 Dale DiMauro

Goose Pond in Keene, NH is a lovely pond to hike around. It has been years since I explored this area but recently revisited this pond full of memories from the past. It actually has a dedicated parking lot and kiosk while in the past you just parked on the side of the road. 

The spillway or dam has been reconstructed but overall Goose Pond is such a lovely place with much active wildlife. My wife and I saw many birds, dogs and beaver activity in the late afternoon when people were on the trails.

I did this watercolor a day after walking around Goose Pond. The water had such vivid reflections and a richness of color. Seldom do I use turquoise as a pigment(right out of the tube) but the surface of the pond had such a vibrant range of blues.

                                                                                (C) 2024 Dale DiMauro

Often I only mix two pigments before my brush meets the paper. However, this pattern on the water in the above painting was painted using yellow ochre/burnt sienna/cobalt blue. It seemed like a fresh, natural kind of coloring.
 

I started this watercolor while on vacation in Maine and finished it yesterday. It became more abstract as I painted it which I think is a good thing. I like the combination of raw sienna and viridian in the distant hill.

Recently, I have been using a cellulose sponge to clean-up any runny areas of pigment which has been a real benefit to my painting. In addition, I have been experimenting by using an atomizer to create softer edges in my sky's.  Both techniques I have taken to readily and obsessed about advancing to a greater degree.

Art Supply Haul

                                                                         (C) 2024 Photograph Dale DiMauro
 

While vacationing in Maine it was great to visit some good old art stores with a wide-range of supplies. My favorite art store these days is Artist & Craftsman Supply based in Portland, Maine. I usually find some new art material which I can experiment with from this store.

I purchased several new watercolor blocks and a large watercolor brush on this trip. Since I have been lifting more paint from my paintings as of late I am eager to try out this new Fabriano paper which had a significant price reduction.

Before my trip I earned a gift card of over two hundred dollars from my health care provider which covered most of my art supplies. With the high cost of living these days I feel good about my purchases.

Rembrandt Watercolor Paper

                                                                                 (C)2024 Dale DiMauro
 

Last summer I tried out a new watercolor block called Rembrandt watercolor paper. Oddly, a corner of the top sheet is cut off intentionally on all their watercolor blocks. I don't know why they do this but I love painting on their surface which is cold press. 

The pigment seems to come alive on this surface once I put pigment on the paper. You can see in the above watercolor how fresh the scene appears. I love this quality about the watercolor paper.

I find it best to use a limited palette and paint as direct as possible on this paper. At first I resisted the blotting but have come to accept it as a quality to painting on this paper. 

Over time I have come to accept using a damp sponge as one of my best tools. A sponge prevents any wash from building up or running all over the place. It is particularly useful when painting outside as all kinds of mishaps can impact your painting process.

Thoughts on Painting a Night Scene in Watercolor

                                                                       (C) 2024 Photograph Dale DiMauro
 

Planning a painting in watercolor of a daylight scene is one thing, but doing it of a night scene is a very different experience altogether. First, it is important to settle on a composition that is simple, yet strong.

I have been thinking about this challenge for some time. I have taken photographs of snowy scenes in Vermont under dramatic sky's.

As in a daylight scene, the sky sets the tone or mood for the painting. There is not much white of the paper left unpainted. As a matter of fact, most of the paper is dark.

Some of the warmer colors may be more exaggerated than normally or even be garish. The key I think for me is not to overthink it or overwork the painting. Hopefully, I will be able to post a night scene before long.

Painting Figures in Watercolor

                                                                                           

                                                                (C) 2024 Dale DiMauro

Painting people in watercolor can be a challenge. Once a person is in the picture they become the focus and all eyes go to that person.

So it is of utmost importance to get the people correct. The drawing needs to be accurate or at least believable in proportion and posture, etc.

This summer I continue to make an effort to draw my people accurate yet bold at all scales. I think my figures are beginning to become fluid and less overworked. Grounding them to the landscape seems to help, too.

This may seem like a redundant topic for a post as I wrote about capturing figures recently. However, the figue and how to portray them on paper is a frequent consideration in my painting.

Quick Watercolor

 

                                                                               (C) 2024 Dale DiMauro

For some time, I have been practicing, at times, painting quick or fast watercolors. This requires full concentration and quick decision making. It is a good practice when painting outside to paint fast and direct while recording what one see's of nature as time and conditions can be quite limiting.

I have read where Andrew Wyeth aimed to complete a watercolor in twenty minutes. This is quite a feat when considering he often painted watercolors using a full sheet(22" x 30") of watercolor paper.

In this watercolor I like the defined areas of color and the granulation of pigment in the sky(cerulean blue) and water(ultramarine blue).

Figures In Watercolor

                                                                                             (C) 2024 Dale DiMauro

Drawing the figure is one of the most difficult tasks for an artist to master. In the warmer weather I like to travel with my sketchbook to concerts or outdoor events and sketch as freely as possible, what I see before me. At these events I get much input while sketching or painting. Most of it is complimentary and often it is disruptive but I have learned to let the feedback flow through me and move on.

I am committed to filling my current watercolor book and sketchbook with figures in watercolor. Hopefully, by the end of summer I will make progress on capturing the postures and proportions of the human body. This will enable me to intuitively capture individuals I see in my daily life. This requires rendering the human figure at different scales, contexts and media then I may have in the past.

These watercolors were done from life. I find drawing and thus painting these figures quite challenging. yet rewarding. Already I see more direct and fluid watercolor strokes than when I started in early June.