Madame Sherri Forest

                                                                                               (C) 2025 Dale DiMauro
 

The Madame Sherri Forest in West Chesterfield, NH is a lovely 513 acres of undeveloped land to submerge you into the sights and sounds of one of our great local ecosystems. I prefer the wetland and pond in the lowland, yet at a higher elevation is the lovely Indian Pond.

It seemed like I had a great start in painting this watercolor, on site, until I started to run out of time. By the time I began to paint the water in the foreground, I knew I had to head out to my scheduled medical appointment in the late afternoon, putting a stop to my painting practice.

I was particularly excited about painting the beaver lodge in the foreground with it's distinctive architecture. In addition, I like the blending of pigments for the base of the tall reeds towards the back.

This landscape scene always has dramatic light, which seems to magnify the features of the landscape. In particular, the shadows of the tree masses and the ripples across the water capture my imagination every time I am at the water's edge.

A plein air revisited

(C) 2017 Dale DiMauro

It was a beautiful day here in southern Vermont, today. So I sought to take advantage of this favorable weather. A few weeks ago I started this plein air watercolor. When I started this, time was limited and the late afternoon sun was fading. When I first painted this, I stood on a causeway constructed of concrete while in the shade.

Well, early this afternoon I went back to this site and did more painting on this picture. However, when I set-up my easel on the same causeway, I was in the full sun. In addition, since last visit, some of the trees are beginning to acquire their fall color.

Regardless of the changes I have no control over, there is more depth added to the scene. From painting outside I have learned that marks here and there are just as effective as broad washes over a chunk of the paper. Many of these marks I add as other areas of the paper are drying. Ultimately, these marks can be interpreted as branching, reflections on the water or suggest direction in a scene.

Plein Air Painting

(C) 2017 Dale DiMauro

The plein air painting that I have been doing this summer is evolving. At first it was a challenge to focus on one aspect of a natural scene before me without overcomplicating it. In addition, there are time constraints and the ever changing light when one works outside. Recently, I have adopted an approach where once I set up my equipment to paint, a photograph is taken, so that the watercolor can be completed at home. That way I have a reference particularly as Winter is around the corner.

When working outside I have learned to work from the top of the sheet down with a little angle to the surface. This way I can manipulate the pigment to move in ways that I intend it too. Sometimes this includes pigments blending with each other as in creating the wash for the sky.

Not only have I been refining my painting approach but my outdoor painting equipment has evolved too. When driving in town I take a mental note of desirable places to paint. If there is a picnic table nearby then all I need is my shoulder bag worth of painting supplies. I have acquired various easels which set-up quickly and enable me to stand without holding anything. The above plein air was started on an easel yesterday in Keene, NH. It took me all of ten minutes to install my easel. 

This summer in Maine I purchased a Winsor & Newton watercolor block which this was painted on. This is the first time I have used this paper in a block form. I really like the texture of the paper and am gaining a feel for some of the affects I can achieve with this surface.