November landscape

(C) 2017 Dale DiMauro

Usually I find the everyday or common landscape to be the most inspiring. Great landmarks draw a lot of people and require travel time. Plus if you have an eye for it, you can capture a local scene from unusual angles which can make the subject fresh.

This is a watercolor I worked on two falls ago. I like that there is essentially an absence of color. The starkness of the landscape, for me, depicts the time of year when the structure of the land reveals itself. With watercolor you can capture the mood and atmosphere like no other medium. There is a stillness or serene quality conveyed by the muted colors.

However, this is one of those pictures and there are not many which I question whether I am finished or not. I do believe a little more work is necessary in the foreground to strengthen the presence of the tangled growth in the lowland area which marks the edge of the field.

Late fall in the field

(C) 2017 Dale DiMauro

This is a local field in Brattleboro, Vt, walking distance from my house. I have walked this field in all kinds of weather throughout the seasons. However, the sky is what I have learned to pay attention to. Sometimes there is bright light and it feels great to have the warmth of the sun on my face as I walk across the uneven ground. Other times the clouds are racing across the sky with strong winds and the desperate cackle of birds flailing in the air. 

With the advent of a new year, it is a great time to develop new techniques and try different things. One year ago I would not have used the color combinations in the above watercolor. I like the effect of dry brush in the mid-ground on the left, which I do not do enough of. I also used opaque white paint in the foreground to suggest corn stubble.

For Christmas I received a ukelele so perhaps over time as I learn that instrument my paintings will evolve in a new direction. However, since the new year I have been a bit under the weather. So this watercolor was intended to give me a quick little push into 2017.

Where did he go?

(C) 2017 Dale DiMauro

This past summer on vacation, in Maine, my wife and I came upon quite a sight. It was late in the afternoon with the tide largely out leaving open areas of sand with evolving pools of water. This photographer stood in one of the tidal pools as various shore birds circled around with some dive-bombing into the water to catch fish. The precision, skill and movement of these birds was awe-inspiring not to mention dizzying.

In the fall I did a little painting in my watercolor sketchbook(above) as a away to consider how I might develop the composition. I have since decided to invert the position of the figure so that he is facing to the right, yet is positioned off center. I have raised the individual's head above the shoreline thereby increasing his presence and raised the sky so that I can add a bird or two on axis with the direction his camera is oriented.

There is a stillness in the composition of the water, sand and individual which is a stark contrast to the sudden burst of movement provided by the bird activity.

Here in Vermont, we have had snow around for a while. Therefore, I thought it would be desirable to paint a summer scene.

Now I need to start the painting.

Color swatches

(C) 2016 Dale DiMauro

When I go on a walk I may come upon a color in nature that is new to me. I will make a mental note of which pigments when mixed will approximate what I saw. In addition, I often read of color mixtures in art magazines that pique my interest. I take all these sources and experiment with pigments in a color swatch journal, as seen above.

For example, of late, I have been toying with the various combinations of permanent magenta, cobalt turquoise, and cobalt violet with Payne's gray. The atmospheric affects one can discover captivate my imagination.  

All this activity expands my vocabulary of color. Arriving at warmer or cooler colors or discovering new darks can be quite rewarding. Color, after all, is a powerful influence. It can change the temperature in a scene or reframe our perceptions.

Merry Christmas to all

(C) 2016 Dale DiMauro

Earlier in the week I was able to spend time working on my self-portrait, which I recently started. One area I focused on was my left arm and hand as seen in the photograph. 

I am quite inspired at this point in the development of the picture. I like how the hand is depicted. There is warmth in the colors, yet the form is well developed. The simple green growth in the background provides a sense of optimism while making the figure push forward. The color of the fence has evolved to an off-white, as a way to not compete with the rest of the composition, yet provide a framework for what is seen. 

At this time of year with the daylight limited, it is often difficult to take a good quality photograph, consistently. I prefer to take my photographs during the daylight but other commitments make it a challenge. Taking interior photographs with artificial light and the shadows they project, requires more consideration, unpredictability and greater cropping.

Carl G. Evers

(C) 2016 Photograph by Dale DiMauro of Carl G. Evers painting

For many years I have had this little book of paintings by Carl G. Evers on my nightstand. I consider him to be one of the best ever water-based painters. The book is titled The Marine Paintings of Carl G. Evers with an introduction by Ian Ballantine. It was printed in 1975 and is less than fifty pages in its entirety.

I know very little about his paintings (techniques, materials, etc.). What I do know is that he was a master in depicting the sea and and all its many moods. Sometimes before turning the light off and falling asleep, I study his skies, which he seemed to master equally well. 

I suspect most of the pictures featured in his book were primarily painted in watercolor with some white gouache. Areas where there is a strong white feature, such as in the whitecaps of cresting waves, are difficult to achieve with transparent watercolor pigment. In his day, I do not believe Evers would have used masking to preserve the white of the paper, as is readily done these days. First I don't think it was as available, but also it may have been a custom that was frowned upon. Gouache is opaque and when applied on paper it blocks the passage of light.

Self-portrait

(C) 2016 Dale DiMauro

Recently, I started this self-portrait. Last month, I had considered taking a local workshop in watercolor specializing in portraiture. Initially, there was a small group registered so I was anticipating which subject to focus on. Then I realized, my wife and I were scheduled to usher a live music venue the evening before which would get us home late. In the end I did not attend the workshop as the timing just was not going to work out.

However, I became intrigued by this picture my wife took of me when on vacation in Maine. There is personal significance for me as the bench is named after a relative of mine who lived to be over one hundred years old. I like the composition as much for the face as for my dangling hands in the foreground. Over the last year I have been trying to improve on the portrayal of hands in my paintings as many say that hands are the most difficult body part to capture.

The more I studied this composition, the more I realized it was an opportunity for me to practice the use of masking fluid. The wood, which the bench is made of, has peeling paint on some edge areas with textural qualities that I am looking to emphasize. The masking fluid preserves areas from paint, which can removed later on in the painting process. Defined edges or strong color contrasts can be preserved this way to great affect.

Eldridge Hardie

(C) 2016 Dale DiMauro

Several years ago I purchased this book, The Paintings of Eldridge Hardie: Art of A Life in Sport, which I consider one of the best of many art books that I have. I particularly admire his watercolors of outdoor sporting scenes. There is something captivating about a figure in motion in the landscape.

This watercolor is inspired from the work of Eldridge Hardie. I tried to emulate some of the techniques and stylings he may have used in some of his watercolors. 

When he paints water he seems to achieve this great dry brush affect as he drags the brush along the surface of the paper leaving white speckles. His evergreens appear darker than mine and he uses wonderful vibrant colors to convey his fall foliage with warmth.

Aquabord

(C) 2016 Dale DiMauro

Several weeks ago when I was in Northampton, MA, I purchased several aquabord panels. These boards were created specifically for use with watercolor. I had yet to try this new surface and was not sure how the watercolor pigments would handle it. The surface is textured not unlike a sheet of cold press watercolor but it is a board so the pigment more or less sits on the surface. I liked working with the panel even though I was not sure how far to carry the development of the picture.

I created an imaginary landscape inspired from the Connecticut River Valley with it's meandering river basin. The photograph is not quite accurate in that the sky transitions from the horizon with a richer cobalt blue the further up you proceed. 

I have been experimenting with the use of permanent magenta in collaboration with other pigments such as paynes gray and ultramarine blue to achieve greater atmospheric effects.

Chair drawing

(C) 2016 Dale DiMauro; Photo credit: Squirrel Friends

My wife purchased a fancy new chair for me that not only rocks but also swivels and reclines. Don't worry; she has a brand new couch coming of her own choosing. However, one of the criteria for my new chair was that I needed to be able to sketch in it comfortably.

This is the first drawing I did in the chair two nights ago while watching television. The subject was from a photograph clipped from our weekly newspaper, just after I read the latest edition in my new chair.

I do find drawing a critical stage prior to painting as it makes me think of the composition in advance. In general, the more I can advance a composition or simplify it, the stronger the end result  

Apple orchards

(C) 2016 Dale DiMauro

Recently, I have been working on painting this apple orchard inspired from back in the fall. I was taken by the fall colors as much as the rolling land and distant mountains. What really captured my imagination are the areas between the trees which seem to convey this organic open space.

When I originally put down my first washes they were very abstract shapes but it did not read as I intended. Thus, I had to unite all these separate landscape elements such as the trees, grass and distant mountains. I used a lot of burnt sienna which artists often say is an important color in landscape painting. Even though the painting is not yet finished I used burnt sienna in the foliage of the apple trees and in the warmer tones of the grass which unites the foreground with the middle ground.

The post in the foreground was moved from the right to the left side of the picture as a way to better frame the vista. I intend on refining the grassy growth in the foreground. 

Pencil studies

(C) 2016 Photograph Dale DiMauro

My art mentor Gerard Doucette impresses upon me the importance of developing quick pencil studies as a means to improve upon your composition before you start painting. I have filled the back of my small sketchbook with many of these postage-sized pencil studies. 

Through eliminating unnecessary details and improving the arrangement of elements you can strengthen your composed picture. For example, if you have an individual in your picture, by lowering the horizon you can strengthen the presence of that individual.

Mr. Doucette helped me develop these pencil sketches last spring for a watercolor composition. It is of a winter scene at a local ski jump. However, since it is of a winter scene I wanted to put it off until at least late fall, after the summer season had passed. Now I am eager to start it.

Big sky

(C) 2016 Dale DiMauro

Recently, I tried my hand at a dramatic sky painting. To capture the sky with some sort of mastery is no easy accomplishment in watercolor. However, painting in the ribbon of landmass solidified the painting and provided the scale for the sky.

The inspiration for this picture came from last summer's trip to Maine. Late in the day, near Bar Harbor with all the heavy humidity in the air, even up in Maine, a storm had just passed through. The result was the warm glow of the late day sun.

It seems important to provide some sort of definition to the underbelly of big cloud masses which strengthens the perspective in landscape paintings.

Watercolor sketch

(C) 2016 Dale DiMauro

Recently, I purchased this multi-media sketchbook, at a local Michael's, with my fifty percent off coupon. The end result is that for eleven dollars I hope to be able to develop my portrait skills as I fill this book with all kinds of drawings and paintings.

I value these kind of sketchbooks in the winter months when there is more time to record places and people that I see as well as the natural color and light on the land.

This is a pencil sketch turned into a simple watercolor with minimal washes. I like how the intensity of the gaze and colors flow off the paper. I found the paper did not buckle as often is the case with sketchbooks, thus it was a huge benefit.

Landscape study

(C) 2016 Dale DiMauro

This little watercolor was essentially a doodle when the bleeding of the pigments captured my imagination. I am not sure why though. I have been experimenting with two new pigments, cobalt turquoise and permanent magenta. The permanent magenta when mixed with blues create a lovely sky rich with atmospheric affects. The jury is still out on how best to use cobalt turquoise but I have been combining it with ultramarine or payne's gray and arriving at interesting darks.

Between the fluid washes of pigments and the texture of the Arches watercolor paper I really like this landscape. The curly white streaks over the image are when I was testing out white gouache, an opaque paint, for the rigging of the sailboat in my last post.

In hindsight, with the shortness of natural light, at this time of year, I recall wanting to suggest the late afternoon presence of the distant hills in one wash.

Still waters

(C) 2016 Dale DiMauro

This is a watercolor I had started after the summer. It had developed well but I needed to paint some rigging and finish some details before I would consider it done. Ah - but to paint the rigging - easier said than done. 

I consider the rigging, the ropes which help hold the sail up, an integral part of the picture due to the reflections on the water. In addition, the rigging is important because they add a crispness to the image in contrast to the misty feel of the atmosphere.

The rigging was painted with white gouache which is an opaque paint that is essential to capture the white crisp lines. I used a lizards lick brush which is oddly shaped, enabling an artist to maintain a fine point.

In retrospect, I had no problem painting the rigging. It could have been painstaking but I practiced on a scrap of paper and then just painted the white in. I like how the white line is not solid which suggests some speckles of light reflecting off of it.

Pencil Portrait

(C) 2016 Dale DiMauro

Recently, I found this wonderful art book at our local used bookstore. It is titled How to Draw the Human Head: Techniques and Anatomy, by Louise Gordon. Ironically, many years ago I signed it out as an interlibrary loan. Most of the illustrations in the book of the human head are depicted in pencil and they are beautifully drawn.

I made this drawing from an illustration in the book that inspired me as our national media election coverage was dragging on late tuesday evening. This was a twenty minute drawing. I like the little streak of light along the women's right jaw line.

Having fun with new sketchbook

(C) 2016 Dale DiMauro

My painting experience has evolved to the point where I am reasonably comfortable painting a large picture which requires larger figures if they happen to be in the composition. To that end I am attempting to improve upon the drawing and painting of my figures. Whether those figures are actively performing some activity out in the landscape or standing while talking on their cell phone, I am trying to capture the posture of these individuals. I have admired Ogden Pleissner's figures, in his watercolors which have a certain degree of authority to them.

I have enjoyed drawing and painting in this new mixed media sketchbook. Fortunately, the pages are thick enough that they do not buckle too much when wet. This way they are easier to work on. In addition, I can paint on the back side too. The idea is to continue to improve upon my figures, automobiles etc., by carrying around this sketchbook and capturing everyday tasks that people normally do and put down a quick wash to record the moment. In this book, in addition, I hope to develop little sketches which may inspire me to paint larger watercolors down the road.

Mist rising from the river

(C) 2016 Dale DiMauro

This is the finished version of the picture I posted on Wednesday. I have added trees and shrubs along with the power lines. The shadows are a big part of this watercolor as they reveal the light areas and the form of objects. 

I experimented by adding white gouache to amplify the mist rising from the river. Otherwise, the mist is largely the absence of color painted with soft edges. On the lawn I introduced burnt sienna to make the green grass less garish.

The shadows in the foreground on the lawn give depth to the picture while not revealing their source.

Here comes the sun...

(C) 2016 Dale DiMauro

One early morning I set out to capture the effects of the rising sun on the landscape. However, it was difficult to gauge when the sun would reach the landscape as the mist over the river was slow to rise. When it did reach through the mist, boy was it stunning. The sunlight cast dramatic shadows and  revealed stunning fall colors.

This is a watercolor I started, inspired from that week, before I was drawn away to other commitments. What I have been trying to capture is the mist lifting in the valley revealing some of the brilliant fall color on the distant hills. There is a bit more to develop in this picture as there is some foliage in the foreground and some details to attend to but I like the qualities of the light.