Speak No Evil

(C) 2017 Dale DiMauro

I have done a lot of drawing lately. Recently, I rediscovered a large sketchbook that I had with many unused pages. I like the large size (12" x 16.5") and the soft surface, which seems to absorb pencil marks without the scratchy quality of other sketchbooks. 

Since the New Year I have been searching for subjects to draw that include interesting faces and expressive hands in the same composition. Artists often say that hands are the hardest thing to get right, but they can convey so much in a picture. Hands say a great deal about an individual, whether you work outside and have weathered skin or have pale, smooth characteristics. They also suggest something about your posture and place in society.

Last year when I was at the Smithsonian Portrait Gallery in Washington, D.C., many of the presidential portraits excluded the subject's hands, downplayed them, or left them incomplete.

My depiction of hands is progressing, but I am not yet proficient. I have a tendency to draw hands that are undersized, perhaps inspired by the current president. It is one thing to draw a pair of hands on their own, but when you add a face with them, the scale of the drawing becomes critical. 

Portrait in Profile

(C) 2017 Dale DiMauro

This is a little study of a portrait which I am certain will become a much larger painting. These days it is common to see people looking at their phone throughout the day with that head bent down posture. Someone told me recently that the average young person looks at their phone over one hundred times a day. That number if accurate, is unbelievable to me.

For sometime I have been thinking about trying to capture that 'phone' posture as it has become universal across cultures. As a composition, I believe the profile perspective as compared to a straight on shot to be the strongest. Not only can you capture the expression of the face honed in on the small screen but the fingers moving rapidly across the phone. In essence, I like the idea of an 'L' shaped composition along one edge of the sheet of watercolor framed against the backdrop.

Before painting the figure I applied a diluted wash of permanent magenta, a light purple color over the entire sheet to reduce the overall whiteness of the paper. I think with the skin tone as such it made the face come forward a bit. I feel the simplicity of the color scheme and brushwork makes the viewer focus on the facial expression.

Late Fall Landscape

(C) 2017 Dale DiMauro

Cheap Joes, a mail order art supplier, sells these watercolor sample packs. They assemble a variety of watercolor sheets from various manufacturers for artists to experiment with. The sheet I used to start this picture came from one of those packs. I am not sure who made this sheet but it is a paper I have not used before. There are many manufacturers of watercolor paper, such as Arches, Fabriano, and Saunders etc., with a rich history dating back hundreds of years. I have found this paper frustrating as it buckles quite a bit when wet even though it is much thicker than the paper I normally use.

The subject is a local ice pond in late fall, which caught my eye. There is little subtle color in this scene, which I like, as it is full of mystery. The heavy shadows, stillness and eerie silence seems like the perfect scene to attempt to express in watercolor. I under painted the shoreline to the right with a warm color which will be blocked in with other dark colors revealing the glint of light reflected off the downed tree.

This is definitely not my best watercolor but sometimes I learn the most from these kind of struggles. It forces me to consider how I would approach it differently next time. I do like the quality of the surface of the pond with it's shimmering ripples.

John Singer Sargent: Watercolors

Across the Connecticut River in Keene, New Hampshire, we have a great bookstore. In addition to new books, they sell quality used books at attractive prices. Yesterday, prior to ushering a show at the Colonial Theater with time on my side, I paid a visit to the Toadstool bookstore. I could not believe this Sargent book in hardcover was only ten dollars. Needless to say I purchased this on the spot.

This book is titled John Singer Sargent: Watercolors. The book was published in conjunction with an exhibition arranged by the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston and the Brooklyn Museum in 2013. It originally sold for sixty dollars at retail, just a few years ago. I was interested in this book when the exhibition was going on but not at the listed price.

Beyond the photographs of his watercolors in the book, I was curious what any new research might reveal on his techniques and use of materials. I have yet to read the book but am aware of how direct his painting method was in watercolor. Sometimes he would layout a pencil drawing before painting and other times he just put paint to paper. Also, he drew on the paper at times, after he did many washes.

There is a freedom to his execution of these paintings as he did not waste his time with unnecessary details or overwork areas. Sargent liked to paint plein air and one dominant characteristic throughout the book is his ability to capture light and the effects of light on his subjects.

Skinny watercolor

(C) 2017 Dale DiMauro

This skinny watercolor is a remnant cut off from a larger landscape painting. I try to not let anything go to waste. Since the remnant lent itself to a vertical orientation I was searching for subjects which compositionally would complement this format. There is another painting at the top with two boys standing along the shoreline.

Last summer on vacation I took a photograph on a beach near Bath, Maine as the sun was fading. However, I did take some artistic license by adding two birds in the distance to convey some movement to the picture. Also, I changed the women's shirt from navy blue to white to increase the contrast between the figures.

After I finished this picture I realized it looks similar to a Steve Hanks watercolor. Steve is one of my favorite watercolor artists who painted many beach scenes amongst others along the Pacific Coast. He was a master of conveying the human figure and was an amazing draftsman. Unfortunately, he passed away recently. 

Sketchbook drawing

(C) 2017 Dale DiMauro

I have been drawing in my sketchbook quite a bit lately. There is something about picking up a pencil and doing a drawing of a person or a landscape. When I am finished it is quite satisfying to look at the drawing and critique it on many levels. Does it look anything like the person? Did I capture the character traits of the individual? How did I do in conveying their expression? How would I do it differently next time? 

Overtime, I do believe there has been improvement in capturing the human form. Naturally, the proportions of the face from the nose to ears and eyes, I have become better acquainted with. Along the way I have experimented with all kinds of drawing papers and a range of pencils. I prefer to use artist pencils such as Cretacolor or Staedtler and even woodless graphite wood pencils simply because the tips will not break as easily as a Ticonderoga-type school pencil. They do not smear as readily either. I do not want to be caught working on a drawing outside where I need to sharpen a pencil. As far as drawing paper I prefer thicker weighted sheets such as 65lb or 80lb sheets with some tooth, over a smooth surface. Strathmore artist papers is one reliable paper manufacturer that can be found at your local art store that I like.

One other thing. I prefer to use an eraser as little as possible. Often I intentionally do not even bring an eraser with me so that t does not become a crutch. 

Hopefully, my experience in using some of these materials can be an aid to someone reading this blog.

Self-Portrait

(C) 2017 Dale DiMauro

This is a self-portrait I started in December. Except for my signature, I consider it finished. I have been told it looks like me, which is the ultimate compliment as it is hard to look at myself subjectively.

This was painted on an Arches watercolor block. With the heat on in the house, I find the corners of the blocks begin to separate from the rest of the block, particularly the larger sizes. Thus, the corner in the lower left is curled, making the perspective appear distorted in the photograph.

There is much that I like in this picture. I am pleased with how the hands came out. Many artists would not even include hands in a picture, particularly when they are front and center as in this composition. Also, I like that you can see the glasses on my face, but they don't dominate the face as there are lines that suggest the outlines of the frames.

In addition, you can feel the warmth of the sun on the bench and my hands without seeing its source. Lastly, I appreciate the way the lush green growth was brushed on so that it fades into the distance.  

The New Minority Whip

(C) 2017 Dale DiMauro.
Photo credit: Marco Grob

Drawing the human face and figure is endlessly fascinating for me. The range of expressions, postures and individual characteristics from the color of the eyes to the shape of our noses is so varied. 

As much as I like to draw the human face, I also enjoy experimenting with various papers and pencils. I find myself wanting to draw on a larger scale all the time. I have drawn faces in pencil, charcoal, crayon, conte' and watercolor.

This drawing was done in my new reclining leather chair while watching the latest Sherlock Holmes episode on PBS. With new faces on the scene in a new administration, whether we like it or not, there will be new subjects to discover in pencil. 

This drawing was inspired from a photograph in a Time magazine issue we have had sitting in our living room. When I recycle magazines, I periodically cut out photographs of interesting faces as a resource. 

Fort Dummer State Park

(C) 2017 Dale DiMauro

Fort Dummer State Park is a great place to take a hike. Particularly, after it is closed for the season. Once labor day passes the hiker is free of any sort of fees. I have walked, hiked, run and cross-country skied on at least the park roads.

There is a secret little quarry with a little pond at the foot of these cascading rocks. The growth over the rock formation is real appealing to me. In the early fall I could not resist attempting to paint that rock face.

This watercolor started out rough but I think it progressed nicely. The surface of the pond is so still and murky yet it provides pristine reflections. I do like the opposite shoreline with it's warm pine needle color. To suggest depth to the foliage over the rocks I built up various washes of blues. 

I believe this picture is like no other watercolor I have painted. To me it is a pure landscape scene with no structures or people in it. These can be the hardest subjects to tackle without overdoing it. It is easy for it to become a cheesy picture or to lose the center of focus.

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.