Early fall field

(C) 2018 Dale DiMauro

In early fall while hiking I was struck by this scene. The grand vista across the field and into the distant hills with the varying degrees of light inspired me to try a much larger landscape.  

Throughout the summer season I painted many smaller landscapes. Each one I believe showed some sort of progress. Whether it was mixing richer greens or browns, more varied skies, or deleting unnecessary elements, to simplify the composition.

In this unfinished watercolor the middle ground is the challenge. It is important for the artist to make the viewer perceive the landscape clearly. This will require going back into the shadows and articulating some of the clumps of grass. In addition, the foreground will need opaque paint to suggest some of the blades of grass against the shadows.

Yellow & Blue

(C) 2015 Dale DiMauro

This is a watercolor I did late winter when the cold temperatures finally began to give, providing us with beautiful clear skies. There is something special about the light and shadows cast from our local buildings and onto the land, snow in particular. There are abstract patterns of warm and cool that really amplify the contours of the land. The patterns of light on snow and house provide a distinct regional identity as well as indicate the time of day and year. 

The yellow sign in the foreground seems to really complement the blue of the sky and cool shadows on the snow. I like how the picket fence juts up from the windblown snow. The woodland glow in the far background reflects the warmth of the late afternoon sun, soon to be setting. The stark silhouettes of the deciduous trees allow the eye to see beyond them, yet their friendly branching is familiar and their warm earth colors are quite calming.

Originally, I was not sure how I wanted to handle the mass of evergreen on the right. I ended up simplifying its shape and increasing its height, which made the building and porch column pop forward. I offset this evergreen with a tall scraggly evergreen of similar value on the left.  

Lowell Lake

(C) 2015 Dale DiMauro

The warmer weather has finally arrived, at least for the foreseeable future, which makes me think of summer paddling. Beautiful, sunny days with open water makes me appreciate where I live in the world. In Brattleboro, Vermont we have access to all kinds of outdoor activities such as hiking, paddling and skiing while providing beauty from our doorstep.

Paddling on Lowell Lake in Londonderry, Vermont last fall was quite a treat. My experience there inspired this watercolor just as the fall leaves were beginning to turn. I love the tranquility of the water against the undeveloped shoreline. 

I am unsettled about the distant vegetation in the middle of the picture and how to portray it. I like to establish a sense of depth in my pictures but not at the level of detail you would see in the foreground. I also don't like it when a painting is overworked and with watercolor I try to maintain an element of freshness which I believe is a strength of the medium. Is it a finished painting? In this particular painting I am on the fence, leaning both ways. Perhaps, I need a little distance so I can reflect on my impressions of the scene.

Towards the end of Winter

(C) 2015 Dale DiMauro

I had great fun developing this painting. The scene is drawn from my neighborhood. The length of day has been increasing as evidenced from the late afternoon western light. To me there is a balance of warmth and coolness in the picture. The color of the roofs have a nice gentle warmth to them, while also conveying an element of abstraction in their geometries. The snow, street and evergreens have a harmonizing coolness. 

There are undulating woodlands in the background which I tried to really play up with washes of sepia to make the building in the sun pop forward. The bleached affect on the wall in the sun further delineates the building.

I do love the older homes, with their distinctive detail, character and how they are situated in the land. No two older homes look alike. In the changing light and shadows over the course of the day I find them to be truly wonderful. Never a dull moment! For some time I have been entertaining thoughts of introducing a figure or figures into some of the pictures. Perhaps in a window or working in the yard. I don't know at this point but you never know......