(C) Dale DiMauro

 

Sometimes there isn't much time to paint but you squeeze in what you can. Actually, I am trying to view as much of the current Winter Olympics as I can. They go by so fast - I have made a commitment in the evenings to watch what I can. At the same time, I am trying to get whatever cross-country skiing I can before the snow disappears.

Nonetheless, I usually record any new color combinations I learn of, on a daily basis.  I tried out some of them here. The warm gray in the foreground I had not used before - it the combination of aureolin and winsor violet. Under the tree I used a lighter green - sap green and new gamboge which is a lively green when wet.

Lately, I have been re-discovering the value of a few paint brushes in my collection. Flat brushes are great for painting skies and horizontal bands(ie. fog etc.) above the horizon. For some reason which I am not sure why, I haven't been using them. 

The other brush I returned to using is the rigger brush, which I used to depict the edge of the foliage on the tree. It can make rather expressive marks on the paper and make your foliage come to life.

By the Water

(C) 2026 Dale DiMauro

 

It's good practice to paint everyday when possible. I always carry a little book around with me to record something that catches my eye or just to pause and create something. This practice keeps the mind focused and the drawing practice fluid.

I painted this yesterday amongst other watercolors I have been working on. The landscape itself is imaginary. The figure is an interpretation of me from a few summers ago while visiting the Clark Art Museum in Williamstown, MA., with my wife. I had been looking across the reflection pool they have. However, I like the more organic landscape which you see here. This is not a criticism of the Clark campus which is lovely and memorable.

In addition, I believe the touch of red in the sky, makes this image special if for no other reason. This reinforces the importance of experimentation when painting. This gives me something mentally to chew on in anticipation for when I next pick up a brush.

On the Sunny Side

(C) 2026 Dale DiMauro

 

Months ago this watercolor was started on my watercolor block. However, the landscape was not conceived or even developed at all. So it sat on my paper - until a few nights ago. 

After all the disturbing news this country develops, on a daily basis, -  I aimed to give this house a sunny disposition even if it looks of Caribbean influence. The vivid colors and lush foliage gives this landscape an exotic feel - in strong contrast with the cold snow-covered surroundings of southern Vermont.

I think preserving the white of the paper is critical is defining the various edges of paint from running into each other. I feel warmer and calmer just looking at this image.

Emily Sargent(1857 - 1936)

On a recent trip to the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, MA, I was fortunate to be able to view: Winslow Homer: in Watercolor, amongst the crowded galleries. Homer's watercolors, on exhibit, had not been seen for over half a century, thus, marking the importance of this occasion.

However, before heading out for the day, it was revealed that Emily Sargent(1857 - 1936) had watercolors on exhibit in a gallery upstairs. Emily is the sister to John Singer Sargent, the well-known American portraitist. Neither John nor Emily married. However, they both painted extensively in watercolors, often on excursions with others, depending on where they were in the world.

In Emily's watercolor above, one can sense the shared subject matter between brother and sister and likely similar palette.

In 1998, 440 of her watercolors were discovered in a trunk in a family residence. Many of these watercolors were soon after donated to some of the greatest museums in the world(ie. Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, The Tate, The National Gallery of Art & The Metropolitan Museum of Arts amongst others). Credit: Wikipedia.

During her lifetime, her watercolors were only once known to have been exhibited.

Ultramarine Blue

(C) 2026 Dale DiMauro

 

Of all the rainbow of pigments I frequently run out of ultramarine blue. This color seems to evaporate from my palette. Often, I use this pigment in painting my skies on it's own and with other blues such as cobalt blue or cerulean. Also, I frequently use this pigment in depicting water and with other colors. 

Perhaps, it is even more valuable in mixing darks. One of my favorite combinations is to mix ultramarine blue with burnt sienna which makes a rich gray or lovely dark depending on the pigment ratio's. Another lovely dark I frequently use is ultramarine blue with burnt umber.

This is not to say I don't use other blues. There are so many out there. Some of my favorites are: Prussian blue, kings royal blue, ultramarine feinst, marine blue, peacock blue, verditer blue, horizon blue and phthalo blue.

When I use a limited palette, ultramarine blue often has to be included because it mixes well with other pigments and is useful in mixing greens.

New Landscape

(C) 2026 Dale DiMauro

 

In southern Vermont we have had cold nights and mounting snow not unlike major swaths of the country. All I have been doing for days is shoveling snow and organizing in preparation for working on my federal taxes. I do admit the snow we are receiving is beautiful and truly freshens up the landscape.

I did manage to squeeze in this watercolor between shifts of shoveling my driveway. The white of the paper really comes forward when all the washes are applied.

Winter fun is all around me. I am eager to take advantage of this deep snow. I haven't been on my snowshoes for some time. Plus, it is time to take out my cross-country skis in earnest. I have been on them once this year. However, it has been hard to know what the conditions will be as they have been ever-changing.

Cobalt Blue & Burnt Umber

                                                                                              (C) 2026 Dale DiMauro
 

Sand, water and stone makes a strong composition. There is a simplicity and timeless quality to these elements which is unmistakeable. The tide is generally coming in or going out. This watercolor was based  on a photograph I took along the coast of Maine.

This entire watercolor was painted with just two pigments: cobalt blue and burnt umber.  First, I painted a wash of cobalt blue over the paper. However, since this was a rough Arches watercolor paper some high points on the paper remained white, suggesting some sparkle from the sun.

Then I mixed both pigments to depict the sand color. After this I mixed the darkest value which is the rock-like color.

With experience I have learned to not fight the roughness of the paper if a paper has much texture to it's surface. After all, this is the strength of the painting surface. This picture was painted in one sitting.

I like the overall feel of this picture - it is very rhythmic and calming.

Prussian Blue & Other Thoughts

                                                                                 (C) 2026 Dale DiMauro
 

The watercolor medium has a rather unfair reputation. It has been said that watercolor is difficult to master. So, many artists distance themselves from picking up the practice altogether.

Regardless, it is the most portable, accessible and efficient to use of all the painting processes I can think of. All you need is clear water to clean your brushes.

From my experience the very things that make watercolor difficult to undertake are the very qualities that no other medium provides.

For example, the blending of colors if, well-placed can create lovely runs or can add weight to your subject matter. This is best done through the wet-into-wet technique. Mastering when to use soft and hard edges can suggest painting mist and other atmospheric affects, etc.

This week while studying a Winslow Homer watercolor at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, MA, I learned how he could establish three different values with one wash of Prussian blue paint: a wash for the sky, with blotting he would remove paint near the horizon leaving only the stained color & paint pure pigment for the shadows on the water with varying amounts of pressure from his brush work.

Watercolor is a medium I constantly learn from each and every day...

Winter Light

                                                                                 (C) 2026 Dale DiMauro
 

Painting snow in watercolor is a subject in of itself. It is very romantic. However, I love to paint snow scenes particular when fresh snow has recently blanketed the landscape. 

To make the snow radiate in the foreground I pre-washed the foreground where the snow is with a lemon-yellow pigment. In addition, to emphasize the glowing tree trunks I used brilliant orange which gives warmth to the landscape. 

Late last fall I painted a version of this scene without the snow. It had great late afternoon light not unlike this scene. Recently, one cold late Sunday afternoon I caught this dramatic snow scene from the distance and trudged over in my boots and took a quick photograph.

I thought about adding a bird or two to the sunlit branching but thought better of it. I thought it would be a bit cheesy. Overall, I like quality of the light and colors in this scene.

Watercolor Sketch

                                                                                 

                                                                                            (C) 2026 Dale DiMauro

Not all watercolors are finished works of art. This watercolor was painted in the Brattleboro Food Coop's cafe looking towards the Brattleboro Museum & Art Center with the backdrop of Wantastiquet Mountain, made famous by Henry David Thoreau.

I chose to remove all the construction equipment and signage which dominated the middle ground for a more rural look. Plus, I was painting on a small watercolor block which couldn't possibly contain all that detail.

Ironically, you can feel the shadow cast from the clouds overhead yet the sky in this photograph does not convey the patches of blue which I painted in the sky.

I do like the simple washes which depict some of the characteristics of the museum and grounds.

Reflecting on Past Paintings

                                                                                     (C) 2026 Dale DiMauro
 

At times the best paintings are the ones left behind.....

Recently, I was thinning out my office space of the inevitable clutter that begins to accumulate in this capitalism culture in which we live in. I came upon some watercolors which are a 'gem' for one reason or another. Some have clean brush strokes, others have pleasing color combinations while another has pigments that highlight the texture of the paper. I am not speaking in an arrogant matter just mindful in that moment of what I was sorting through.

In this political moment or moments, I am fortunate to be able to express myself in both painting and at the same time using drawing and painting as a healing practice to provide daily therapy. After all, everyone of the three hundred and forty million Americans who live in this country are going to need a lot of healing if our 'democracy' is to emerge from the current dark days to a greater outcome.

Of all the mediums to use for painting in this time, watercolor may be the best at expressing a bold stroke or even the quickest application.  At times a limited palette, simple composition or subject matter speaks the loudest. A painting in watercolor done over months is often no better than one done in ten minutes.

I like the abstract shape of these forms and the simple color scheme. Plus, this was intuitively painted in about ten minutes. 

Across the Field

                                                                           (C) 2025 Dale DiMauro
 

All kinds of surfaces are fair game game to paint on. I have painted on smooth hot-pressed, mild-textured and rough paper. In addition, I have painted on soft press paper and bristol board.

This was painted on a remnant of Arches 300lb watercolor paper that I received communicating a Christmas gift. I have read where this paper is recommended for plein air painting or direct painting. Also, it dries slower than thinner papers allowing the artist more time to work their washes. As a side note, I have begun experimenting with gum arabic which gives you some control over the painting process.

I like the added touch of venetian red on the middle left in contrast to the cooler pigments.