Tom Hill Copy

 

John Singer Sargent(1856-1925) was certainly one of the great American artists. While known for his great oil panels, he painted over 2,000 watercolors. Along the way he would copy an artists painting on occasion, to see what he could learn from their approach.

Last night I made a copy of a little Tom Hill(1925 -? ) watercolor titled Angler's Retreat 7" x 10.5". Recently, I purchased his used book Travels With My Paintbox: The Paintings of Tom Hill at a local bookstore. Hill wrote many books which depicted his lovely watercolors, painted on his various travels

In this watercolor I love the light he captures with the warm colors and the pleasing outdoor scene.

Travels With My Paintbox: The Paintings of Tom Hill(book)

 

There are a lot of great watercolor books out there not in circulation. Occasionally, I find a treasure in the used book section of a local bookstore or art shop. However, in Keene, NH, at the end of summer, the Toadstool bookstore seemed to have a large quantity of quality used books all at once. I took notice and bought many - all hard copies with a maximum price of ten dollars each.

This book: Travels With My Paintbox: The Paintings of Tom Hill, is an instant classic for me. This author wrote several books on watercolor painting but this may be his most inspiring.

Mr. Hill traveled often and painted on these travels. None of his paintings seem overworked. This book has a wide range of subject matter which I refer to often.

Butcher Trays

                                                                                                  (C) 2025 Dale DiMauro

Butcher trays have been around for years. Many experienced watercolor artists I know prefer to use butcher trays as a palette which they clean prior to starting a new painting.

Over time many different sizes of butcher trays have become available for purchase. The one seen here is 8.5" x 12.5".

I like this sized butcher tray to rest my paint brushes once they are cleaned and ready for their next use. A while back I cut a homosote board to fit in the bottom which I lay a section of paper towel on. This set-up keeps the brushes from rolling all over my table surface and falling on the floor. Also, this arrangement keeps the tips of my brushes in good lasting shape