A View From Mt. Wantastiquet

                                                 (C) 2025 Dale DiMauro

 

Every spring for decades here in southern Vermont we have had something called Mountain Day. It is sponsored by Blue Cross/Blue Shield as an incentive to get people moving out in nature and as a way to improve their overall fitness. Annually, they give away t-shirts, apples, sandwiches and prizes.

Mountain Day usually happens on a a Saturday in May. This year it is on Saturday, May 10, 2025.

This is a watercolor I started a while back. It is inspired by one of the those mountain day hikes. However, it never got finished. In general, I feel comfortable or at least no hesitation in putting down some finishing touches. There is a freshness in this piece which I equate with spring as the the colors and leaves of the season emerge with a sense of joy.

Colors of Spring?

                                                                                                 (C) 2025 Dale DiMauro
 

Spring is coming. Or at least winter is ending.

I painted this watercolor shortly after a hike behind the Brattleboro Ski Jump. Even though the colors of nature are subdued they were vivid in the natural light. Some of the colors are actually alive with a richness such as that mud in the foreground or the blue of that sky.

The lengthening of day and warmth of temperatures are bringing an increased optimism which spring affords. It is so welcome considering the political environment we are living through. To that end I can't wait to be able to resume plein air painting.

To a fresh start to spring.....

Unfinished Watercolors

 

                                                                                  (C) 2025 Dale DiMauro

There are always some watercolors I and other artists don't finish. Often it is due to time constraints or the inspiration fades towards a certain subject.

Many simply become studies which I learn from one way or the other. Sometimes I wanted to experiment with a different approach or paper which yield differing results.

Often I will come back at a later time and add more paint to an unfinished work and even complete a watercolor.

This watercolor I started at South Pond in Marlboro, VT, after a summer paddle. I painted this from the shore on my easel.

Watercolor Palette

                                                                                        (C) 2025 Dale DiMauro
 

Even though I have been painting in watercolors for years I just discovered my folding easel fits nicely into a butcher tray. That may sound odd to the reader. However, it means I can carry around and store my palette much more easier than before.

I find the small folding palettes often drip or leak which leads to spillage in undesired locations. As the photograph demonstrates I can also transport a sponge and brushes all with one hand easily.

The butcher tray featured above is 11.5" x 15.5". Butcher trays are available in an assortment of sizes. I have several and they are very handy to have around.

When I paint outside I do utilize a folding palette as portability and limited space are factors in carrying my painting supplies.

People in Watercolor

                                                                                     (C) 2025 Dale DiMauro
 

Painting people can be a challenge. Much of the time I aim to capture their posture and sense of movement. A little color here and there can go a long way.

It is important to include people from the start in your painting process. In painting the people who I painted above I did not want to show much detail - just capture the essence of the scene.

I try to sketch and paint people on a regular basis. That way I can become better at it but also, more intuitive in capturing the human body in motion. 

In addition, at times I like to incorporate the white of the paper as part of someone's outfit. I feel the white of the paper provides a special quality which I can't come up with on my own.

Fabriano Artistico Watercolor Block

                                                                                                 (C) 2025 Dale DiMauro
 

Since late fall 2024 I have been experimenting with color lifting on some of my watercolor paintings. This is an exciting development I find when lifting color in a small targeted area. It may be the suggestion of smoke in the distant hills or the white trunk of a birch tree. 

This technique interrupts dark massing in areas with some contrast or introduces atmospheric affects to the overall picture.

This Fabriano Artistico watercolor paper has a reputation for being good for color lifting. So I purchased a block of this paper to see what I can do with this technique. This is one of my first paintings on this surface so I am learning as I go.

This is a watercolor of a local agricultural field off the West River Trail, in Brattleboro, Vt.

LOCAL FIELD

                                                                                     (C) 2025 Dale DiMauro
 

Often my subject matter to paint originates from going on a hike, walk or cross-country ski. Much of the inspiration comes from the natural light I experience in that moment. In the warmer weather I am fortunate to paint outside right in that moment. Otherwise, when there is challenging weather(ie.wet or cold) I take a photograph or have to rely on my memory of an experience.

Recently, we have had beautiful mild weather - which I am not prepared for. I want to go outside and do something active and then realize there is a pile of melting snow, ice and mud all over the ground.

So this watercolor is in essence a painting of the West River trail field a couple months down the road.

I find I like to experiment and welcome painting on all kinds of surfaces. This is a rough (140lb) Baohong watercolor paper but I also like using hot, cold and soft press papers. In addition, I like painting on illustration board.

Smith College Museum of Art

 

Last week I visited Smith College in Northampton, MA to view the bulb show on display in their greenhouses. As usual it was a lovely and needed exhibit to get a whiff of Spring as Winter marches on here in southern Vermont.

Shortly afterwards I visited the art museum on the same campus. The permanent collection has quite a variety of paintings and objects in their collections. In one of their back rooms they have a lovely collection of drawings on exhibit.

This figure drawing from the collection caught my eye and imagination ever since I saw it. The accuracy, gracefulness and mastery of the line work is amazing. With just a few lines of pen this artist captures the character, fashion and time period of the subject matter.

The Italian artist and architect sited is Lodovico Cardi(1559 - 1613) known as Cigoli. He trained in Florence and later moved to Rome. This is a study of Jacob from Jacob's Dream drawn with brown ink on cream laid paper.

West River Trail

                                                                                   (C) 2025 Dale DiMauro
 

The West River Trail in Brattleboro, VT is a lovely walk right after a fresh snowfall. The sun coming off the Connecticut River or from the East produces a lovely warmth with the local birds flitting about. 

I like the agricultural field which you soon pass by for it's color changes throughout the seasons. Also, the smaller water channels which parallel the Connecticut River add much value when I am exploring the sights and sounds of nature.

I like painting on this 'Master's Choice' watercolor paper. In particular, I like the 'rough' surface they have which has a nice bead to it. If you use your brush right you can get nice dry brush effects across this textured surface.

Tough Winter

                                                                                               (C) 2025 Dale DiMauro

Winter is a great time to paint watercolors. I find the snow a great source of inspiration with the light patterns and the landscape, in general, viewed from a different perspective.

However, this winter has been a real challenge, at least, for me. Days and days of bitter temperatures, the absence of snow and then frequent storms requiring endless shoveling has made this winter exhausting. 

This winter my house was so dry I couldn't keep my eyes and skin moist enough. I had to do an exhausting eye treatment of drops every fours for nine days or so and then I got not one but two respiratory flu-like colds which dragged on forever.

Other than that it was a good winter. I did get some watercolors painted but not nearly as I intended as the house was so cold. We had many gray days where the snow stayed on the roof and our solar panels become ineffective. However, I am beginning to appreciate the mid-day sun and increased length of daylight. Before long I will be able to paint outside again....
 

Monadnock Table Cover Artist

                                                                                      (C) 2025 Dale DiMauro
 

Since January I have been the featured cover artist on a local magazine called Monadnock Table. This magazine is published by the Keene Sentinel (Keene, NH) and primarily distributed in Cheshire County, New Hampshire.

Overall it has been a positive experience from the initial interview through emails and seeing it published. I relish the exposure it has created and the feedback from people who have seen it.

The theme of the publication was 'comfort foods', winter and snow. To fit this topic I supplied many watercolors of snow which were painted several years ago when we had snowier winters. Little did I know we would have a 'true' winter this calendar year.

Landscape Painting

                                                                                             (C) 2025 Dale DiMauro
 

When visiting coastal Maine last summer I noticed this woman in the distance dressed in red amongst a tangle of green. The green growth almost looked tropical in contrast to the woman's orderly appearance and behavior.

That flash of an image or memory sat with me for some time. Recently, I decided to put down that experience on paper. The mystery of what is happening out towards the ocean adds another layer of intrigue.

I like utilizing the complementary colors whenever I can. The red/green combination for me really balances out the composition.

LOCAL FIELD

                                                                                         (C) 2025 Dale DiMauro
 

There is a nice warm glow to this watercolor. I come back and can gaze at this picture endlessly. I don't know what it is - but I think it is that creamy yellow in the middle. There is warmth even in the shadows in the foreground.

Here in Vermont we have had a gray, cloudy, winter. Not to mention the coldest winter I can recall. So to look at that bright, sunny picture above makes me calm and focused.

I like the combination of yellow ochre/burnt umber for the woodland edge feathered up from darkest at the bottom. 

Experimenting with Painting Skies

                                                                                     (C) 2025 Dale DiMauro
 

Often I will turn over an unfinished plein air watercolor painting and just start painting on the backside. This is the case with this watercolor.

I keep developing my approach to painting the sky in watercolor. It is very easy or instinctive to paint a graded blue wash for the sky. However, most days are not truly full of blue skies. Also, the sky really conveys the mood for your scene so there is a large opportunity for me to seize.

In this sky I lifted out paint where the streaks of white are. Also, as the pigments dried I dropped in water or sprayed mist which created cloud-like shapes with soft and hard edges. These are some approaches I look forward to developing in the future.

Stepping back from this painting I can see how a J.M.W. Turner (1775-1851) influence may have seeped in. Turner was a landscape painter who left a vast quantity of watercolors, in addition to his oil paintings.

But no -I have not even thought of J.M.W Turner, in some time, even though I do find his work intriguing.

Landscape Painting

                                                                                      (C) 2025 Dale DiMauro
 

Nothing inspires me more than painting the landscape. The changing natural light and seasonal color can be endlessly fascinating. There are a limitless amount of techniques to adopt which can make your paintings evolve.

However, painting fast in watercolor is a thing. This approach is more about putting down pigment, minimizing detail and not fuzzing about.

This painting was done in about forty minutes. It was painting rapidly and very satisfying in execution. There is a directness and freshness which I like about this approach.

Test Sheets

 

                                                                                       (C) 2025 Dale DiMauro

In a post years ago I wrote about the value of test sheets. An artist can test a color combination, develop a value sketch or refine their composition on a test sheet. These are all important steps in the painting process. 

These small watercolor books purchased at my local coop provide a similar service for me. They are great for on the go or painting outside in warmer weather. They are just so portable. 

However, they are equally good for testing paint mixtures and compositions etc. They become a great reference to return to when painting a watercolor. Also, these books are great for painting studies or just putting down on paper what you observe out in nature.

Without hesitation I paint right on these sheets of watercolor paper. Often, I don't sketch at all on this paper.

P.S - I have been recovering from a respiratory illness and was not able to post last Sunday. Out of routine I try to post on Sunday and Wednesday's with very few exceptions. However, with all the sneezing and coughing the last week has been a challenge. Hopefully, I am back on schedule.

Monadnock Table Cover Art

 

                                                                                     (C) 2025 Dale DiMauro

For the months of January/February(2025) I am the cover artist in a local magazine called Monadnock Table. Inside the cover some other watercolor paintings I have done featuring the winter season are displayed.

A writer from the magazine based in Keene, NH, came over and interviewed me earlier in December. Overall working with the folks from this magazine has been rewarding but little did I know it was going to be fourteen below as it was at my house last night.

I think the cold temperature displayed in the above watercolor is quite indicative of the winter season we are in the midst of.

Dark Greens

                                                                                                   (C) 2025 Dale DiMauro

After years of watercolor painting I just learned how to mix a dark shadowy green which I like. Mixing paynes gray with permanent sap green offers up a cool, rich green. I only learned this by constantly experimenting with different techniques and paint combinations.

However, it makes a huge difference when painting landscapes where you want to convey a sense of depth in your picture. Also, it helps brings out all the other rich colors in your painting.

The paintings above were really improved upon by adding that cool, shadowy green in the foreground. It provides the foreground with a solid footing for the landscape to emerge from.

It's not that there aren't other greens out there. There certainly are. It's just that when you mix a lively combination the page comes alive which no store bought pigment can compete with.

Sketchbook Studies

                                                                                                  (C) 2025 Dale DiMauro
 

Using a sketchbook on a daily basis is critical for artistic development and in sharpening your observation skills out in the world. This sketchbook is made with watercolor paper which is a real plus.

By trial and error I learned that this paper is great for lifting paint. Lately, I have been experimenting with the skies I paint. I wanted to emulate the skies above me which had these white streaks cutting through the blue sky.

It was so easy and intuitive to lift the blue from the paper. Also, I applied drops of water to the damp paper and it created cloud-like forms which was real encouraging.

By the way, the paper used here is: Elseware 300 lb cold press watercolor paper.

Winter Landscape

                                                                             (C) 2025 Dale DiMauro
 

After dealing with some eye issues it feels good to be back painting. The dry heat in my house has given me some dry eye issues. Dry eye therapy drops have helped but there is still irritation. Getting outside every day helps a lot, too. 

With limited snow on the ground it has not been an inspiring winter so far. I miss the snow blanketing the landscape and all the neat light patterns that come with it. The freshness of snow with it's drifts of accumulation along with reflections across frozen water and in windows has been a distinct regional characteristic.

This watercolor is painted from memory weaving many experiences cross-country skiing in the local fields and hills of Vermont. It has the dense evergreens in the distance buffering the winds and the small frozen ice pond in the foreground with it's windblown surface and scraggly growth on the shoreline.

I like the under wash of alizarin crimson showing through in certain areas. Also, the varied light I find interesting

Winter Landscape

                                                                                 (C) 2025 Dale DiMauro
 

The more experience I gain in painting with watercolor the greater understanding of what I can do with the medium. I continue to appreciate leaving the white of the paper when I can. The dry brush texture in the middle and the contrast with other colors makes the white of the paper sing.

Recently, I came upon the combination of alizarin crimson with burnt umber and ultramarine blue. This creates a soft black in the photograph, above as, in the distant hills. It came off the brush as a fresh dark which felt great to work with.

This watercolor has winsor violet in it which provides a cool feel to the overall scene.

HAPPY NEW YEAR

                                                                                 (C) 2024 Dale DiMauro
 

Over this holiday period I have been reading Eye of the Beholder: Johannes Vermeer, Antoni Van Leeuwenhoek and the Reinvention of Seeing, by author Laura J. Snyder. At one point she references Vermeer painting color into his shadows in one or more of his lovely interior scenes in contrast with some prior painters primarily using black or dark gray. 

This thought has lingered in my conscious over the last twenty four hours or so. In the past I have been encouraged by various art instructors in go back into my shadows and describe with color and texture the feel of the landscape and its contours. 

This above landscape, has a different feel, to me simply because of the use of winsor violet. Winsor violet is a color I use sparingly, except yesterday, as it is featured in this picture. It makes a nice dark when combined with burnt umber. Mixed with raw sienna, winsor violet makes a lovely tree trunk color as can be seen in the above watercolor. Also, I used it in a color mixture for painting the distant hills.

I like the cool color temperature of the colors here and in the shadows, as it is reminiscent of some of the hollows I walk through in our local woods. In particular, the stretches of winter when the ground is absent of snow cover.