Late afternoon sun

(C) 2019 Dale DiMauro

At this time of year the setting sun can be magical. A slice of the late day sun across the woodland edge can warm the landscape and thus, your soul. It highlights and brings attention to an otherwise ordinary landscape.

When working on this watercolor I observed the sun warmed the landscape well up into the atmosphere. I put colors into the sky that I wouldn't normally consider. There is permanent rose, raw sienna, cerulean and a lemon yellow all in this sky. Regardless, the warm wash of the woodland edge against the cold landscape at this time of year radiates.

I have learned through trial and error that the landscape is best when a few values darker than the sky or the picture will come across as weak, lacking a solid footing. 

New colors for a New Year

(C) 2019 Dale DiMauro

This is a scene I have experienced throughout the seasons. I have recorded it many times on my camera and painted it on numerous occasions in watercolor, as well. It is good, I find, to go back and see things in a different light. 

Since cleaning and tweaking my palette as I entered the New Year, this is the first watercolor completed in 2019. However, the pigments used for the most part, have not been my usual choices.

In this case I used cerulean blue for the sky, which I find, is a pigment that mixes well with others. The combination of burnt umber and ultramarine, as a dark for the base of the woodland edge, I have been experimenting with a lot, lately. Perhaps, the most important pairing in this watercolor is indian yellow with winsor violet which provides the warm brown in the foreground. In the past, I could not for the life of me, come up with that foreground color. Now I am much more satisfied with the result.

New landscape horizons

(C) 2019 Photograph Dale DiMauro

As 2018 came to a close, I figured it was appropriate to thoroughly clean my palette for the New Year.  During this cleaning I realized it was a great opportunity to improve the layout of my paints as certain pigments are used more than others and thus, can be better located. As a result I have not painted much the last two days.

At the same time it dawned on me with this recent string of sunny days, I had taken some good photographs of the landscape. I keep thinking about these photographs as the Vermont landscape is stunning at this time of year with or without snow.

In this photograph, I love the character of the arched tree with its red buds, the swirl of grass and the distinct blue mountains in the distance. Clearly, it's worth getting outside into nature and putting aside that electronic device you have!

Reading the landscape...........

(C) 2018 Dale DiMauro

We have had beautiful, sunny days for the most part, to close out 2018. Lately, the landscape looks more like a late November day than some point in December. The snow has receded enough that I found I can walk through the woods without boots or the ice grabbers that often are required in the winter.

One can truly see the natural colors of nature if you really look. I hike through the woods and fields challenging myself. I ask myself what pigments on my palette would express these warm and cool washes found in nature. The long shadows are an important component of this landscape. 

I believe these colors tell us a lot about the regional landscape, the time of year and where we call home. Hopefully, I can manipulate these colors and patterns in subtle ways which will create stronger paintings and a greater connection to where we live and in the time we live.

And by the way, Happy New Year to you....

Latest landscape

(C) 2018 Dale DiMauro

Is Winter coming or going here in Vermont? It certainly has been cold. However, much of the snow we had last month is no longer with us. My wife and I did in fact, skate on the retreat meadows earlier in the day. We thought the conditions were great. The sun was out when we got there too.

This watercolor was started when we had more snow than we now have. I like the atmospheric qualities of this scene. There is an eerie quality in this watercolor which I find appealing. 

Often subtlety in the landscape speaks volumes. When there is a soft change in color or the edges of elements are less defined often make for a memorable landscape. When I think of these qualities the paintings of George Inness comes to mind.

Happy Holidays to All

(C) 2018 Dale DiMauro

This watercolor was inspired from a hike my wife and I took in 2017 on Mount Desert Island in Bar Harbor, Maine. For us the best time to hike is late in the afternoon during the hot, humid summer. At this time of day, the crowds thin out and we are not usually exposed to the sun. This is in part, because we favor certain eastern facing mountains. Of course, the view in all directions is stunning.

Hopefully 2019 will provide great opportunities to plein air paint along with some major studio works. As they say, you can't stand still. You gotta keep moving.

I want to wish all a Happy Holiday season and a great New Year. May 2019 be your best year ever.

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.

Low light & long shadows

(C) 2018 Dale DiMauro

We are fast approaching the shortest days of the year. When the sun is in fact, out, I try to go outdoors and take in at least twenty minutes of direct sunshine, usually on a hike. Shadows so dominate the countryside at this time of year that it makes painting the landscape quite dramatic.

This is a plein air watercolor I painted looking through the bay window of our living room last December. The low light at this time of year reminded me of this picture. There is warmth and cool temperatures in this watercolor. Prior to painting this picture I toned the paper a warm yellow which gives the areas in the sun such as the snow increased warmth.

The slate-gray colored road at the bottom of the image provides a cool contrast with the vertical elements jutting up out of the snow.

Retreat cornfield

(C)2018 Dale DiMauro

This fall was really different here in southern Vermont. Or at least that is my feeling on the subject. 
At the end of a summer that brought many rainy days, the fall foliage was forecast to be quite good. However, the rainy weather continued. In fact, I do not recall many full days of sun or consecutive days with sunshine. After that, the early winter moved in.

I had hoped to plein air paint quite a bit as the humidity waned. The damp air and low light discouraged the outdoor painting I would do. I did paint, but it was mostly done indoors. 

This watercolor was inspired from a hike I took through the Brattleboro Retreat land on a pleasant late fall afternoon. This scene is what I think of when someone mentions fall in Vermont. It doesn't have the reds we tend to treasure but has much warmth in the landscape with the yellows and tawny colors.

Figures & Automobiles

In a previous post on October 31, 2018 I mentioned an admiration for the work of watercolorist David Curtis. He is an english painter steeped in the tradition of using neutral colors such as warm and cool grays with soft light in his work. I have his book titled, David Curtis: Light & Mood in watercolour and refer to it often. 

Figures and automobiles can provide a sense of scale in a landscape or suggest a time period. David Curtis paints these lovely figures and automobiles which appear so natural in his paintings.

I have been trying to learn his approach and color scheme where it might become useful in my work. These watercolor sketches are basically copied from his book. In addition, I have learned to appreciate the subtlety and range of grays that are available in watercolor.

Monument Square

(C) 2018 Dale DiMauro

This is a different subject matter than I usually tackle. It is both a large self-portrait and an urban scene. In addition, this painting has a lot of color in it. More color I believe than other watercolors I have done.

The background with all the angles and planes was challenging. There is a contemporary quality with the water bottle, chip bag and sunglasses which I like. In the end, more paint was lifted in depicting this scene than on any other watercolor I have ever worked on.

Except for signing the painting, it is finished. I must say when it rests under a mat it looks impressive, both for it's size and pleasing colors.

Practice sheet

(C) 2018 Dale DiMauro

Any scrap of watercolor paper is valuable to me, assuming it is good quality paper such as Arches or Saunders which have been manufactured for centuries. If I lose interest in a watercolor for whatever reason I often turn it over and paint on the back. The other alternative is to divide the piece into smaller remnants which I can use as a test sheet for sampling color mixtures.

This is one of those test sheets. In fact, in this case, I used Arches watercolor paper which is a reliable friend where an artist can achieve an unlimited range of marks.

I had started a portrait on the back but had lost the excitement of how this watercolor was developing. Not only do I experiment with new color combinations but sample different brush techniques. For the speckled area in the sky I was experimenting with dragging the brush across the paper with a sharp angle. 

It is fun to just play with the pigments and different brushes without any expectations. This intuitive approach is particularly rewarding as a way to loosen up if you have been away from painting for some time.

A Virtual Gallery of Paintings

(C) 2018 Dale DiMauro

Recently, I spread out some of the watercolor paintings I have worked on lately. They were on my large drafting table where I work in the winter months. I was both impressed with the collection in general and how colorful many of my watercolors are. Since I have mostly been painting landscapes during the summer months, my palette has evolved to reflect the greens and blues of the season.

Since many are of odd sizes and shapes, they may be a challenge to mat and frame. Regardless, I have embraced the exaggerated horizontal and vertical formats when it seems appropriate. For example, a figure standing up reflects a vertical orientation when you are focusing on the individual. However, if an artist includes other figures or the larger landscape then that may lend itself to a horizontal format.

In my daily travels I make a note of colors I see out in the landscape and how I would approach a given subject. In addition, I may read or happen upon a color combination that truly moves me and find a way to incorporate this into my painting. 

Practice Sheet

(C) 2018 Dale DiMauro

This a watercolor without layers of glazing to build up the forms.  I have been experimenting with different ways to develop a watercolor when time is limited, involving direct painting. Sometimes it is best, as in plein air painting, to get something down quickly before the scene or light changes. There is a freshness with this approach, in the application of the paint as well as in the colors of the mixtures. 

In watercolor, how you handle the edges of your washes says a lot. You can achieve hard edges or soften edges or little of both depending on which affect you are seeking to achieve. 

Lately, I have been experimenting with dragging my brush at a steep angle across the surface of the paper. As seen in the photograph above, when you drag the brush an artist can achieve a rough edge which gives a sense of texture to your painting. As a side note, I prefer a cold-pressed watercolor paper over hot-pressed or rough sheets as it provides some surface variation, yet can be drawn upon, if needed.

This photograph was taken inside at night with artificial light. As a result, I find the photographic qualities are limited, as far as achieving a strong contrast in light. I had misplaced my camera for several hours earlier in the day. Thus, with the days become shorter, I have learned it is important to utilize natural light whenever possible.

Placid(by definition): quiet, calm, tranquil

(C) 2018 Dale DiMauro

A few months ago I took a photograph of this scene while gliding across the water in my kayak. The composition of the three main landscape elements: sky, water and trees was stunning. Add to that the reflections from the tree-line and the placid water and you have a timeless scene. Every time I look at this photograph it stops me in my tracks. 

It seems when you have two-thirds of the composition in sky or water(or landscape in other contexts) you can't go wrong depending on what you want to emphasize.

Earlier this afternoon I found a discarded, unused, sheet of watercolor paper and sought to see what I could come up with. It doesn't have the same proportions as I discussed above, but tweaked the pigments for subtle affect.

The light area in the sky has a wash which includes cadmium yellow and cobalt violet while the water has some indigo to enhance the value. 

At the foot of the ski jump......

(C) 2018 Dale DiMauro

How the seasons change. Quickly I may add. At least this year in particular. 

This watercolor developed over the weekend, in between getting prepared for this early Winter. It is not that I was unprepared for the coming Winter but the shock of ice along our frozen roads has settled in and will no doubt be with us for quite a while. My occasional walk will not be as intuitive as it has been. Now I must truly be prepared for the elements.

To me, this picture has the look of an oil painting even though it is in fact, a watercolor. The angular marks in the foreground make it appear as if a palate knife had been used. Perhaps it even has the look of a french landscape in technique and subject, yet is the land at the base of the Brattleboro ski jump. I do like how a river or path leads the viewer into the landscape.

Color swatches

(C) 2018 Dale DiMauro

These are two color combinations I have adopted this past month. I have a very small notebook which I jot down color combinations when I read or hear about what other artists are using. However, I am not sure where I came upon these, but they certainly are useful to draw upon in your palette.

The top one consists of cadmium red and permanent sap green. As you can see from the photograph it provides the artist with a warm yellow. It is well-known that some colors right out of the tube can be rather flat and unexciting. When this particular combination is mixed on my palette it appears so rich and full of life. This pigment combination is so new to me that I am still trying to figure how to best utilize it's qualities. Certainly, it can be useful in painting landscapes such as for fields or in the details of grass. Next to a dark blue such as a surface of a lake it may be stunning.

The lower swatch consists of cadmium red and veridian. It provides the watercolor artist with a warm gray. There are such a range of grays that can be made but this one seems to be a gem. A gray like this can make other more outgoing colors sparkle. Next to a red or dark green this gray is quite pleasing. When used in the foreground, for some reason, I like this gray best.

Lowell Lake

(C) 2018 Dale DiMauro

In late August on a hot and humid day I joined a meet-up group to paddle on Lowell Lake near Londonderry, Vermont. It ended up being the perfect day to paddle and swim away from the heat in southern Vermont. We ended up eating our lunch at a picnic table on one of the many islands in the lake.

This landscape doodle, developed into more of a study, for hopefully, a larger watercolor. The reflections on the water and the exuberant growth along the shore caught my imagination. The water is not blue at all, but attractive with it's varied colorations and cleanliness.

When my time is limited, I have taken to experimenting with various-sized scraps of arches watercolor paper, at my disposal. In addition, I am determined to become proficient in the use of masking fluid by the end of the month. Watercolor artists use this to preserve the white of the paper in certain areas while continuing to applying washes.

Field of Dreams

(C) 2018 Dale DiMauro

In the early fall, I heard we New Englanders, would likely have a strong foliage season. With all the rain we had since the middle of July or so, we were primed for vivid colors. 

After hearing this on the radio I felt an obligation to hit the local trails. I had avoided hiking in the woods primarily, because of the lyme tick threat. The day I was out was one of the most pleasant days of the season. In fact, I thought there would be many more leading up to peak season.

This is one of the last unused skinny watercolor sheets I had at my disposal. I like this slice of the landscape with it's vertical orientation. 

Artists say that burnt sienna is an essential color for painting landscapes. Recently, I  have increasingly embraced this pigment in depicting fields and sun-drenched foliage.

South Pond

(C) 2018 Dale DiMauro

Summer in Vermont seems like a long time ago now. This watercolor was inspired from a September paddle when it was still quite humid out. I feel like I captured some of that humidity and moisture in the greens of the foliage.

Over the course of this summer season, with all the moisture in the air and the plant growth on the land, my green palette has expanded. Some of my favorite green pigment mixes have become quinacridone gold/Payne's gray, and aureolin/Payne's gray. Also, I have taken to using Hooker's green on occasion with browns to achieve that green you may come upon in a sunny field. 

In addition, shadow green was used for the water, above, which brings out the yellow-greens of the foliage along the shore.

Often I hear artists say that green is their most challenging color to work with. In watercolor it can be a grayish color or on the other spectrum become quite garish.