After Winter Among the Retreat Meadows

(C) 2026 Dale DiMauro

 

Before the spring growth re-emerges, the spatial qualities of the landscape present themselves in new and exciting ways. With most of the tree foliage absent one can see deeper into the landscape and the character of the inlets and clumps of growth. 

The driftwood in the foreground, that has emerged from the long winter, has a sculptural quality that stands out in the landscape. Also, it is an appetizing landing strip for any bird to perch on.

I like the sky as much as the landscape in this picture. There is such vibrant energy above the tree line. I tried to bleed warm touches along with the blues both with soft and hard edges. Some of that energy is reflected in the water.

One of the qualities I noticed was the distant field through the evergreens. It adds a hazy, surreal quality to the landscape. However, to me the evergreens make the picture - a certain backdrop to the changing stage.

Brattleboro Common

(C) 2026 Dale DiMauro

 

While my car was in the shop this afternoon, I painted this plein air. It felt good to sit at a picnic table in the shade and paint this lovely tree. The more I observed this scene the more I became aware of how green the landscape has become.

I do find painting outside sharpens my observation skills and makes me focus on what is at hand. At times there was a lovely dappled light piercing through the layered canopies above my head. However, it would disappear as quickly as it would come upon me. As a matter of fact, I stained the lower part of the paper a light yellow to enable this quality to pop through the various greens.

This photograph does not do justice to this watercolor as much of the pigmentation and clarity of light has been lost.

By the end of the day I had painted two watercolors. If you include test sheets - then I produced 4 watercolors this afternoon. Many people like the test sheets as they have a rich saturation of pigments. Most of my test sheets I turn into little landscapes, too. 

Retrreat Farm

(C) 2026 Dale DiMauro

Recently,  I have been going on guided bird walks with groups in the Brattleboro, Vt area. I want to learn what I can before the bird population vanishes.

This watercolor I started today was based on a bird walk down by the Brattleboro Retreat Farm. I was running late because of other commitments but managed to get this much down on paper in a little over an hour. However, I didn't get to finish the figures in this picture.

As soon as I started this watercolor I was determined to include the figures and not add them at the end. So I sketched them in from the start along with the sky, hills and fields.

I have received a lot of positive feedback from people. Some people like the depth into the scene while others like the rich color tones. One woman even offered me some of her white gouache to highlight the gentleman's hair.

Brattleboro Retreat Farmland

(C) 2026 Dale DiMauro

 

Recently, I went on an organized bird walk with the Windham County Conservation District called, Birds on the Farm, at the Brattleboro Retreat. This took place in Brattleboro, VT at 7AM. There was a strong turnout - nearly twenty people - many knowledgable 'bird' people. Nevertheless, I learned a lot even though all the bird sightings and bird calls were a bit overwhelming.

We first were taken along the meadows which had a lot of bird activity. This was followed up by walking under the 'cow tunnel' which is basically a floodplain into an open field just above the meadows. You entered this open field via a boardwalk where there were some newly planted fruit trees at the edges of the open space.

As we left the boardwalk and stepped on to the soft turf of the field I could see patches of open water where Canadian geese were gliding by on the surface. I was struck from the distance I was at, of the sizable scale of these birds in relation to the other avian life we were seeing.

This watercolor was painted shortly after this experience. There was a freshness to the new seasonal growth which is their actual habitat and thus, new emerging bird activity.

Mount Wantastiquet, in New Hampshire can be seen in the distance.

Match box Automobiles to Paper

(C) 2026 Dale DiMauro

 

Match box automobiles are popular the world over. I have accumulated some match box cars by no accident. Most were purchased with drug store coupons.

They are great models to get the proportions of automobiles down on paper. Each car or truck has strong characteristics which can be assimilated on watercolor paper. Every car has interesting door shapes, front end configurations, windshields, hubcaps and colorings, etc.

It is of value to paint both the front and rear ends as well as the side views

With practice I can only get better. As always there is much work to be done. However, to integrate automobiles just like figures, into my watercolors, in a natural light, is a worthwhile effort. 

B.O.C. - End of Season

(C) 2026 Dale DiMauro

  

The end of the season at the Brattleboro Outing Club comes quickly. I am talking about the cross-country ski aspect of the BOC. The snow melts rapidly and before long some fog has moved in and the golf course is suddenly closed for the season. You will see closed signs up along the driveway.

This watercolor makes me think of this sudden ending every time I see this image. I can just feel the snow melting before my eyes.

Anyway, we are well into spring.....

However, there is one last gathering to finalize the winter season. This social for volunteers and other contributors is at the Marina in Brattleboro on Wednesday from 5:30 - 7:00 PM .

Brattleboro Brush & Palette Watercolor Group

(C) 2026 Dale DiMauro

 

Today, I was late but made it to the Brattleboro(VT) Brush & Palette group. By now I have gone several times. Most artists seem to paint in watercolor. This group meets at the Gibson-Aiken building in downtown Brattleboro.

This was the second watercolor I painted during my time there today. It was painted fast and wet. If you are observant you will see a silhouette of a figure on the right side of the picture. Whenever I step away and go to the bathroom people seem to scurry over and see what I have done.

In general, people share their opinions, experiences and knowledge as the time goes by. It is good to see what others are working on and the materials they are using. On the other hand it is easy to become distracted and to putter about.

Off the West River Trail

(C) 2026 Dale DiMauro

 

Water attracts a lot of activity. Sometimes it is bird migration, other times it is paddlers out for a jaunt up the river. 

Whenever I can, I walk along the West River Trail in Brattleboro, VT, partly for exercise but also to see what activity is on the river.

This day I really took note of the sculptural quality of the driftwood along the river's edge. Bird's used it to land on while the shadows it cast on the water were quite compelling.

From a compositional standpoint, the driftwood is a focal point of this watercolor. However, the subdued grays of the distant trees make the warm color pop forward and give the overall tone of the picture a calming affect.