Mt. Wantastiquet

(C) 2026 Dale DiMauro

 

Boy, the sun fades fast at the end of the day, these days. This was painted shortly after 4PM today. It was a glorious day with the radiant glow of the fall foliage in the air and across the water. I even experienced a motorized hang glider pass high up in the sky right before my eyes. This was all happening in front of Wantastiquet Mountain, in Brattleboro, VT.

It is not easy to capture the full range of color that the natural world demands from my watercolor palette but I do the best I can. The distant hill with the russet colored foliage sprinkled with evergreen spikes has been very present with the recent absence of rain.

The water had a lot of brown tinges to it projecting from the hillside. However, I don't know if I captured that as much as I would like.

I painted this scene with just two brushes - a large flat brush and a rigger. 

Keba: Artmate

Stretching watercolor paper can be a challenge. Many artists stay away from having to stretch paper, period. However, I lean towards using the less heavier papers (ie. 140 lb variety). These usually require stretching the paper or using watercolor blocks. The larger blocks I find tend to separate in the corners.

Through trial and error I have adopted using the Kebaartmate. I first purchased a full sheet paper stretcher which is reliable and great but awkward to maneuver. Recently, as the beneficiary of a gift card I earned ,I bought a half sheet paper stretcher. Both paper stretchers come from a company based in Sweden. This paper stretcher was on backorder for a long time.

However, since this product arrived earlier this week I am enjoying this paper stretcher immensely. It reliably stretches the paper as tight as a drum. Of course, it takes some practice and judgement to master the process. 

One of the benefits of using a paper stretcher is that you can stretch all kinds of different papers with a variety of surfaces, too(rough, cold press, soft press, hot press etc.). Also, I hope this paper stretcher will encourage me to paint on a larger scale more frequently, outside. Plus, I think with practice this experience will push me to paint full sheet watercolors more intuitively.

In addition, some of the thicker papers are very pricey which I feel guilty to use. I often feel like I don't want to waste a fancy sheet of paper and this approach in the past has prevented me from using those sheets.

 

Fabriano Postcards

(C) 2026 Dale DiMauro

 

With this lovely fall color it is a great time to paint outside, assuming you can squeeze in some time before the rains move in. Also, in Vermont, this is the time of year with many craft shows and outdoor festivals.

I picked up this Fabriano watercolour pad at a local bookstore. It is always good to try new materials and see what I can come up with. Recently, I have been experimenting with Fabriano watercolor paper as it a great surface to lift color from.

Landscape painting is a relaxing thing to do either outside or before going to bed. Yesterday, I actually purchased a used book on the Hudson River Painters for $2.00 near the site of the Newfane Heritage Festival, in Newfane, VT. Inspiration can emerge from all sorts of experiences.

This Mornings Painting.....

(C) 2026 Dale DiMauro

This morning I joined The Brush & Palette Painters, who meet at the Gibson-Aiken Building in downtown Brattleboro, VT. Most people paint in watercolor even though on occasion some people use gouache or acrylic, etc.

Regardless, it is a varied and friendly group. 

The inspiration for this watercolor was a late summer trip to Krane's beach, in Ipswich, MA. The whole time we were there I kept thinking I was in Maine - it has a lot of coastal qualities found in both states.

I keep experimenting with different approaches to the sky. Here, I used a atomizer to bleed the sky color down into the distant atmosphere. These were qualities experienced when we walked toward the beach.