Along the West River Trail

(C) 2026 Dale DiMauro

The landscape is always changing and some times it is best when those changes are subtle. I like the color and feel of the landscape once the snow melts before all the green growth moves in. There is a sort of peaceful and calm demeanor to this landscape with the shoreline reshaped after the forces of Winter. Most people may not observe this time of year but I think that approach is a lost opportunity.

This watercolor was painted on one of the thicker papers - 300 lb cold press to be exact. This paper gives you more time to work your washes which can be a real benefit. There is a quality to this paper that I really like. I find I can do nice blending of pigments on this paper, too. Even though it is a thicker paper it still warps a bit. However, I paint quite wet which contributes to that warping. 

Nevertheless, I think it is an excellent paper for plein air painting. This picture is probably more of a study than a finished landscape which I am okay with. You won't learn anything if you don't try.

Newly Framed Painting

(C) 2026 Dale DiMauro

 

It is always pleasing to have a painting framed. Having your watercolor matted and framed in a professional manner gives your artwork such a strong and positive presentation. 

These days there are so many decisions to be made in the framing process. Important decisions along the way for me included the use of museum-quality glass and which color of mat would be most suitable for this particular artwork.

In this case, I had locally purchased a second hand frame years ago. This frame has a gold tinged quality which plays off the warm tones in the watercolor.

Already I have received numerous compliments on both the quality of the painting and the choice of frame with this particular artwork.

Framing is an expensive process so anything one can do to keep the costs down is prudent. On the other hand framing takes time and space in one's house away from other tasks. The artwork, glass and mat needs to be stored and kept as clean as possible until the picture is assembled it it's frame.

Ultimately,  I hope to accumulate 20 - 25 quality watercolors in professional frames and find a venue to exhibit these, that's in Brattleboro, VT, where I live. I have around 15 professionally- framed watercolors right now with some full-sheet paintings looking for a home.

There are a great many other watercolors of all sizes worthy of being framed, too. Perhaps, numbering in the hundreds. 

After all, it is well known that Winslow Homer painted over seven hundred watercolors and John Singer Sargent painted over two thousands watercolors. In fact, about fifteen years ago, a descendant of Emily Sargent, John Singer Sargent's sister, found nearly five hundred watercolors in a trunk in their attic.

Leap-forward from Last Winter

            

(C) 2026 Dale DiMauro

Painting outside influences how I paint inside. That may seem like an odd statement to many. However, the focus and the determination to stay on course are critically important. 

When you paint inside there are no real restraints to how you go about with your painting practice. You can put every little detail in your picture, noodle an area endlessly and work on your painting for months. Not to mention all the other distractions that endlessly consume volumes of our time such as responding to emails, phone calls etc.

This picture was painted entirely in one sitting. I find it a very satisfying use of my time. 

As it has been said many times before by notable and unknown artists alike: drawing and painting make you stop and see the world or your view of world for what it is - nothing more and nothing less. Along the way you sharpen your perceptions and memory of everyday experiences. 

You discover that the proportions of the hand you drew are not quite right but they are more accurate than the last time you tried. Just the same, that massive puffy cloud you just walked under had a quality you never noticed before.

These are some of the experiences that take you to another level as an artist, scientist or well-intentioned human being. Welcome to Spring!

Dummer State Park

(C) 2026 Dale DiMauro

Hiking through a state park seems like a defiant act of Spring. It seems like a statement that Winter may be officially over. Well - I hiked through Dummer State Park in Brattleboro, VT a few weeks ago after I saw my dental hygienist. 

For me it expanded my walking perimeter after a long and difficult Winter. No wildlife was found. However, there was a scattering of people, likewise, spreading their wings a little bit.

What I did observe was the lovely sunlight and longer length of days penetrating deep into the woods which one would not notice once the trees all leaf out.

That warm experience I put on paper here on this watercolor block. The spatial quality of the trees and the pine needle forest bed added a welcome mat for the new season to unfold.
 

South Pond

(C) 2026 Dale DiMauro

Finally, I was able to get this watercolor framed. It has a lovely dark green frame which plays off the richness of the water. Due to the distortion of the camera I couldn't crop this like I wanted to.

Where ever I have traveled with this painting it has received strong positive feedback. I brought it to yoga class and it was placed in the front of the room where we meditated upon it. When I brought it to my painting group people endlessly examined every inch of the paper. Most people seemed to admire the atmospheric qualities specific to this subject.

The stillness of this subject conveys a calming, quiet demeanor which is in stark contrast to the lives we actually live. Perhaps it has a timeless quality.

I find the image compelling because it has really only one color to it - green.

 

Charles Reid: Flower Painting in Watercolor

Charles Reid

 

Dale DiMauro's version

This coming week I will be taking a flower painting workshop with the Saxton's River Art Group(SRAG) in Bellows Falls, VT. The instructor giving the workshop is Annelein Beukenkamp, a Burlington area based Vermont artist.

In anticipation of this event I thought I should paint a flower arrangement as a form of practice. I admire the way Charles Reid(1937-2019), a noted watercolor artist, with many books written to his credit, went about painting flowers. He had a very direct approach which originated in contour drawing and emphasized leaving the white of the paper where possible.

The painting above, which I did is a visual copy of one of Charles Reid's, from his book Flower Painting in Watercolor. The title in his book is: Blue & White Iris(16" x 13"). My version of his subject which is the watercolor below his, is 13" x 9.5".

It was fun to try and tackle a different subject and not take it too seriously.

Brattleboro Outing Club

(C) 2026 Dale DiMauro

 

Skiing at the Brattleboro Outing Club makes me see the landscape differently or perhaps more accurately. Naturally, the landscape is always changing - whether it is the seasonal change or the migration of birds coming or going, etc.

However, to really stop what you are doing and to really see the landscape can be a profound experience. I have skied past this little brook many times throughout the years but I really began to pay attention to it's presence this season. I don't know if it was the dark indigo of the stream or the light cast upon the snow.  Ultimately, I think the contours of the land, water and mounds of snow drew me into the woods.

This subject was fun for me to paint as it seemed very intuitive. This painting only took two short sessions to finish. I like all the variations of light on the snow and the shadowy trees in the background.

Leaving some of the white of the paper in each and every painting is a goal of mine. It's sort of like a where's Waldo aspect which I think enriches the painting for viewers even if they are unaware of it.

Loose & Free Painting

(C) 2026 Dale DiMauro

It feels great to let loose and paint freely with no expectations. Just let the colors run and use bold strokes. This watercolor was painted with just two pigments: cadmium red and viridian. I think there is a lovely freshness with this approach if you don't overdue it and noodle areas with the brush.

You can see many of the great techniques watercolor has to offer in this picture: dry brush, spattering, misting, leaving the white of the paper and letting pigments blend on the paper, etc.

Plus, this painting was painted very fast.

My Palette

(C) 2026 Dale DiMauro

 

Palettes are a personal choice. I use four on a regular basis. One that folds down to a small size for painting outside or on the go. One that is metal with many paint wells and two ceramic palettes which I use at home. 

I find the metal palette drips fluid on occasion as it has tiny drainage holes which is really frustrating. However, it sits nicely in a butcher tray(11" x 15") so that problem has been mitigated.

Personally, I prefer the ceramic palettes as they don't leak and are easy to clean-up. However, they are fragile and difficult to transport. The other reason I prefer the ceramic palette is that they come with larger paint wells enabling me to use larger brushes for mixing paints.

The above photograph is of one of my ceramic palettes. You can see that there are less paint wells but they are larger. Over time with experience I have learned I don't need many paints to complete a painting, so this size is very useful.

In addition, I cut some styrofoam - like packing material(the dimensions of my palette) which sits under my palette making it easier and safer to glide around my table.

It can be a real challenge choosing a palette and then determining how you want to layout your colors. In the end like most artists I put cool pigmented colors along one side with warm pigments on the other side. For the top paint wells I use neutral colors or earth colors(ochres and umbers) with some exceptions.