ENTANGLEMENT

(C) 2020 Dale DiMauroPlants have characteristics that embody human emotions. In this time of great uncertainty, civilization itself can seem like it is unraveling. This watercolor study I did several years ago, for me, conveys a sense of disorder. Or is it a new order? The natural world has a way evolving and springing forth. There is beauty in nature if we see things as they are.

We have expectations from others which may no longer be relevant in the big picture and traditions which may be giving away to new habits. When I look back at this image all of these thoughts come to the surface.

In summation, I would say it is best to step back from your canvas or watercolor and pigments and see life with a fresh perspective.

Summertime

(C) 2016 Dale DiMauro

When I think of a summer day in Vermont, I visualize paddling and hanging out by a body of water. When it is hot and humid I like to escape to a shady spot where I can take a dip, check out the wildlife and pull out either my sketchbook or watercolor set. Also, I enjoy reading a book along the shore under a big shade tree.

This watercolor I have been working on reminds me of those dog days of summer. I like the rich, cool blues of the water, the green vegetation on the distant shoreline and the fellow paddler sitting on the warm pine needle groundcover.

This picture has been painted freely with vibrant wet-on-wet washes. The man does a lot of communicating with his hands and I believe this image captures that quality about him. Originally, the tree trunk was behind his hands in the dead center of the image but I off set it to his left. This enhances the presence of his gesturing hands, which I think are crucial in the composition of the picture.

Heading out

(C) 2016 Dale DiMauro

Last fall I did some paddling after the summer season ended, when we had a run of beautiful clear days. The colors of nature were vibrant and the shadows were distinct. This inspiration fueled the subject matter for this painting.

I have been working on this painting of late in fits and spurts with no consistency. However, the taste of the warmer weather has gotten me charged up to both get out and kayak and finish this painting. Every wash of color seems to add a layer of dimension to this scene.

I was attracted to the warm, transparent color of the boat against the blues of the water, which naturally, are complementary colors. In addition, I like the cool colors of the evergreens in the distance and the cool greens along the shore. 

This photograph does not do the picture justice. I usually take photographs of my watercolors during the daylight but was unable to do that in this instance. The artificial light is not the same.

Can you hear me now?

(C) 2016 Dale DiMauro

For some time, I have been eager to paint an individual walking his or her dog while talking on their cellphone, which is such a common sight. Unfortunately, I have not come upon someone to pose for this role as of late. My wife snapped this picture of me a couple of years ago while we were on a short hike near our home. We did not have cell phones, but the pose is suggestive of a call.

I painted this watercolor with a looser approach, which to me reflected the character of the field. As far as the color scheme, I was drawn to the green with the red which is its complementary color. I like the warmth of the field against the distant treeline. There is much variation within the landscape elements such as the trees and grass which I find rather pleasing. I am attempting to get better at painting figures so I can drop them into a picture when I feel they may improve the composition.

Field study(detail)

(C) 2016 Dale DiMauro

Earlier this week I started this painting of myself walking through a local field with a woodland edge seen in the distance. Above, is a detail of the aforementioned picture. Prior to my wife arriving at home late in the day I had come upon two revelations as a result of working on this picture.

First, I have begun to paint sky's in a very different manner. I continue to paint my sky's with a wet brush on a wet paper and build up color or value from the horizon up. Lately, I wet small segments of the paper instead of the whole area of the sky which I had been doing. This gives me more time as the paper can dry quickly while enabling me to get more variation in the edge of clouds or color etc. The absence of color in the sky in certain areas can suggest clouds or create more depth with less washes. The result in a more naturalistic sky with greater variety and more concentrated color.

The other revelation which came upon me last Friday has to do with the painting of trees. I prefer my evergreen trees to have an element of green in them. However, I do not want them to be turf green or artificial looking. As a result, for sometime I have mixed phthalo green with alizarin crimson and payne's gray to arrive at a coolish green. This color mix gets pulled into the background as a result of being a cool color. However, I used this same color mix not just for a few tall separate evergreens but to link the ground plane and drew with the brush in neighboring areas which created greater depth and unity. This further defined the warm yellow in the field in front of the woods.

I was thrilled and did not want to put the brush down. However, it was time to think about our plans for dinner.

Late winter sun

(C) 2016 Dale DiMauro

Recently, I have been going on late afternoon walks where the sun on the landscape has been spectacular. This time of day brings out the warmth of the sun, which casts a glow on anything in its path. Conversely, the areas devoid of the sun seem to have a cool yet transparent quality to them. Even the sky and shrubby growth, absent of its foliage, has a warm color which makes it very appealing.

The colors out in nature can be quite vivid, even at this time of year. Lately, I have paid greater attention to the colors I see on my walks, which is challenging as the light changes rapidly due to moving cloud cover and the shortness of daylight. I have been trying to mix colors on my palette that I see on my walks or that have been inspired by these experiences. 

This is a watercolor I started based on one of these afternoon walks. I like how the shrubbery, in all its different colors and forms, frames the composition. Often I neglect to use brown madder, the reddish color in the foreground, but this scene called for it. In addition, the shadows have begun to define the geometry of the buildings, which always is an exciting stage of any painting for me. 

On the move

(C) 2016 Dale DiMauro

This is a picture I started this past week. I was really taken by the composition of the natural landscape in the background against the individual and the definitive snow line at the bottom. I have found by expressing subtle variations of value in paint, the background develops greater depth and character. As a result, your eye is drawn into the scene in a more pleasing manner.

The post in the foreground with it's faded red color I find fascinating as it echo's the man's skin tone. The snow was painted with both ultramarine and cobalt blue. To give the snow in the foreground some warmth I added a drop of red. 

Reflecting on the pictures I did this past year, my progress has shifted  in many ways. Now I use a greater variety of pigments in my mixes as I almost never use a color straight out of the tube. I have been doing larger watercolors and am eager to do even larger ones. I seem to prefer simpler compositions yet am ambitious in taking on more complicated color schemes such as found in and around reflections etc. Also, I have an increased desire to put figures into my landscape paintings. For some time, I have been drawing figures and dogs in my sketchbooks, until I find the right situation where I can put them into a picture.

Winter in Vermont

(C) 2016 Dale DiMauro

This is a watercolor I worked on last week. At this time of year I often go on a walk through the neighboring streets or into the woods with my cleats on as a safe measure when confronted with ice. This is one of those old homes we have around here that is seemingly, impervious to change. It will outlive it's occupants by generations as it has done in the past. 

Since the New Year, in southern Vermont, we have not had any significant snowfall unlike last winter when we had weekly snow accumulations. Thus far, I find this winter uninspiring. There has been bare earth exposed and a lack of fresh snow to brighten everything up. In addition, if you play outdoor sports at this time of year, the conditions are questionable from day to day. 

I like the abstract quality of this picture from the shapes of the elements in the landscape contrasted with the sun and shadow patterns. There is little color in this picture which I think reflects on a cold day in January, when the sun is low. In general, this picture was painted directly without much fuss as I did not go back over areas with more washes. I introduced a small quantity of red into my blue for the sky which I normally do not do, creating that gray horizon.

Some paintings I never really know if they are done or not. Others I am certain. What I am implying is that you can continue to poke around with paint but it will not make as great an impact as in the beginning. However, some small details can give it a finishing touch. For example, I considered painting the front door, a barn red which I think would give it a fine touch.

Hill & dale

(C) 2016 Dale DiMauro

This is a watercolor I started earlier this week. In my mind it is not complete as the figure and foreground needs more work. I have been eager to add figures into my landscapes, beginning with the smaller pictures. I always see people walking through the fields and trails on the Brattleboro Retreat property, which is many, many acres, with cellphone in hand and a dog nearby. I find by adding a figure it gives the landscape a sense of scale and entirely changes the focus of the picture. You have to get the figure right as the viewer tends to zooms in on the person. I have always been taken by scenes where individuals are out in the landscape hiking, canoeing, fishing, etc. To my mind there is no better place than Vermont to portray this. 

I am rethinking how to paint my skies, or at least some of them. I usually start with a wet wash on wet paper and slowly build up the sky with several washes until there is some sort of gradation from the horizon up. As a result I have tried all kinds of blues and grays to create a wide variety of skies. Lately, I have been considering preserving the white of the paper where the sky will be and painting with a loaded brush on a dry surface so as to apply the scratchy drybrush effect on the edges and achieve greater color contrasts.

All aboard!

(C) 2015 Dale DiMauro

This painting was inspired by two train excursions my wife and I took earlier this year. We had a brief break from our travels when the engineer encouraged passengers to step outside and get some fresh air for many and a smoke for others. I was struck by the abstract form, shadows and industrial quality of what we were riding in.

When I started this painting I was attracted by the composition, with this gray mass dominating the page. However, I found painting the various grays to be quite challenging as there is minimal other color in the painting. As the painting has developed I have come to appreciate the subtle variations in gray and their application is critical to expressing the form of the rail cars. In addition, painting the red stripes was important as the viewers eye is drawn to this color, which is complementary to the various gray color range.

What gives the painting its final impact in my mind, are the darks that I have added since last discussing this subject. The dark area below the train and between the cars provides such depth and a cool feel to the changing light. The brush of green at the bottom of the picture was to offer some contrast without drawing too much interest yet provide seasonal context. I consider this painting essentially finished.

The question of where to sign a painting and how large to make the name is not taken lightly. I have been contemplating signing this watercolor in the lower left with a red pen on a modest scale. Yet the name cannot be lost to the viewer once it is framed so it needs to be in from the edge of the paper as if in a margin when typing a word processing document.

Lastly, the framing material I have on hand is a charcoal gray, which I think will harmonize with the painting and contrast nicely with a white mat.

Gray Matter

(C) 2015 Dale DiMauro

This painting at times has been a bit of a challenge. The form itself is like no other object I have ever drawn or depicted. This train has layers of metal stretched in subtle curves and molded forms that I do not see on a daily basis. The other thing about this picture, is that, it is all basically gray. Don't get me wrong. There are beautiful grays. There are cool grays and warm grays and industrial grays. There are shadows of gray upon other grays. There are pings in the gray metal and so on...

Once I got started on the watercolor, the painting was developing nicely, however, I have had other demands on my time and thus have only been able to work on it in bits and pieces. I do find it to be an unusually strong composition. There is life and mystery beyond the edge of the scene, in the shadows and down the tracks.

Recently, I have spent time contemplating the importance of gray in painting. The grays and neutral colors, at least in watercolor, do not merely set the mood or time of day but also enable the truly vibrant colors to shine. For example, the red stripes in the painting stand out in this color scheme. 

Based on habit, I either use Payne's gray, a cool, mixed with other colors or Davy's gray, a warm, right out of the tube. I have also mixed various other grays from sepia or cobalt blue but have lately begun to expand my range of gray. There is a world of rich grays, which I have been exploring, for example, from mixing burnt sienna and ultramarine. In fact, by combining any two complementary colors you achieve a gray or neutral color, which can be made warmer or cooler as needed just by incorporating the right pigment.

Train travel

(C) 2015 Dale DiMauro

My wife and I traveled on Amtrak twice this past year, to Washington D.C. and New York City. It was fascinating to perceive the landscape in a way other than from the road. There are people traveling by train you would not meet on the road as rail transport is more inclusive. These trains roll through the countryside and right through the center of our major cities. We noticed the rapid growth of invasive exotics such as knotweed swallowing up the backside of neglected bridges and framing graffiti or, as my wife clarifies, art. As you are traveling, you can get up and use the bathroom or walk back to the train car with the café in it. At one point I looked up and we were traveling over the East River, parallel to the Brooklyn Bridge, while at other points we were below grade, moving through a tunnel.


When I started this unfinished watercolor, I was struck by the range of grays and the subtle variation within this color range. There are cool grays, warm grays, and industrial grays with pings or dents included. The grays define the form, yet I find the stripes of blue and red really make the picture. Early on I detected the abstract shapes of the rail cars and saw how trains are truly moving containers. I do like how the cables and hoses dangle barely above the tracks.

Tanglewood

(C) 2015 Dale DiMauro

This is a watercolor I started this week. It is a bit different. I have always loved to draw plants, but not necessarily all the splashy flowers. I don't mean to suggest that I do not appreciate the aroma and beauty of a magnolia blossom or a rose in high bloom, but I am drawn to plants that have a pleasing habit; that is, they have patterns of growth or twisting which is very structural. These plants exhibit a spatial quality or feel that is recognizable in relation to their neighboring plants. 

In my youth, I remember riding my bike along the Bronx River Parkway, where there was a bike path, and observing how greenbrier, a vining plant, would grow in a circulating habit from and between the mature hardwood trees. It had a simple presence, which was very recognizable and specific to the region. It had a strong character of growth, which I documented in pencil in one of my sketchbooks. 

The above painting reminds me to some degree of that youthful experience except the scene is much busier. I like the cool greens of the leaves and various canopies against the milky grays of the trunks during this recent heavy humidity period.

I like the wildness of the scene and am trying to balance some loose washes in contrast to tighter painting around some of the leaves. I will let you know what becomes of it. It has a sense of freedom, which I am hoping hard not lose.

I was forced to take this picture after it became dark and could not seem to prevent shadows from showing. I am still adjusting to our vanishing daylight, as I am in the habit of taking my photographs late in the day when the sun is not direct.

At rest

(C) 2015 Dale DiMauro

When I started this watercolor we were on vacation in Maine, in the middle of July. Well this is the finished version. It may not seem a lot different than the original post, but it definitely is. I have not painted many water scenes with choppy water, so this was a stretch for me. Actually I had never painted any white water before.

First, the vegetation in the background was made a darker blue-green, hopefully with some variation in the tree profiles and branching. The darker background and some minor modifications to the profile of the boat made the white of the vessel come forward, with a sharper profile. This is important because the boat is the focal point. Finer details such as the antenna on the roof of the boat, reflections in the windows and subtle shadows projecting from the watercraft became more apparent. 

I particularly like the way the buoy is floating in front of the viewer. To offer a little more realism, I added some letters on the side so it would sit in the water with a greater sense of authority. The ropes just disappear into the water suggesting some mystery and an element of depth to the ocean.

To develop the ocean, the waves, and the shadows on the water I used two different rigger brushes to mimic the patterns of the waves, larger for the foreground and smaller for the background to create perspective. In Portland, Maine I had purchased a new pigment called shadow green, manufactured by Holbein. I mixed this with various blues and Payne's gray to develop dark values for the ocean, which I think was effective. Last but not least, the white speckles of light on the surface of the ocean in the foreground were created by using a razor blade to remove a thin layer of the paper. I think it adds a nice touch. Gerard Doucette, my art mentor, suggested this. I wasn't sure how far to go with it, but I am pleased with the result. I have used a razor blade in the past to get light effects but really haven't been confident in its application. This small success has given me more confidence in the use of this technique.