Latest Plein Air

                                                                   (C) 2021 Dale DiMauro
 

We have had such beautiful weather, lately, that I have been making a strong emphasis of painting outside, when possible. Recently, late day has been my preference for painting outside.

I painted this picture prior to dinner on Sunday. It evolved rapidly, as I wasn't sure what direction I wanted to go as far as subject matter was concerned. This picture was completed in one sitting, all outside.

This watercolor has a unique perspective which drew me to the subject. There is a lot of elements in this picture with a sense of an elongated depth, which the light dramatically reveals.

Painting outside educates me in more ways than one. Also, I find it is important to use my time wisely. Finally, the experience makes me truly see things as they are  - whether it is the colors of nature or the lay of the land.

Plein Air

                                                                                      (C) 2021 Dale DiMauro

This plein air was painted entirely outside last week on a lovely afternoon. It was painted very much in the spur of the moment. I am sure it is a quirky little picture and that may be why I like it. After I started this watercolor I was swarmed by kids - as this area was where they waited for their rides home from school.

When I go plein air painting there usually is a location in mind with an understanding of where the natural light might fall. In this case I found the lay of the land appealing and this shed full of character with some boards tacked on in a rather random manner.

The warmth of light and how the trees in the background came out were quite satisfying as I progressed through this picture.

Plein Air Painting

                                                                            (C) 2021 Dale DiMauro
 

The sun finally broke out yesterday afternoon, so I got an hour in, on this plein air painting. Little did I know that a sizeable bullfrog was with me at the base of this wall. He or she must have been at least six inches in length. It was simply bathing in the afternoon sun. No matter what noise I made or how close I got it would not budge the whole time I was there.

This watercolor is directly the result of painting what I saw in from of me, minus some extraneous stuff. I like the abstract qualities of the elements in this landscape. Before long the sun had become strong and I could sense a quality of fall rapidly approaching.

Lately, I have seen a great heron frequenting a log in the water as it hunts for a meal. It is quite a site with it's long angular wings tucked in by it's side.

Local Woods

                                                                              (C) 2021 Dale DiMauro
 

This scene pretty much sums up the 2021 summer for me, here in southern Vermont. From my perspective it was very wet and humid, for long stretches, while even dark at times. I can't remember a summer like this and I hope it is way different next year, in all aspects.

On the other hand there is a quality to this watercolor which I find calming and refreshing with the various greens of the forest vegetation. Perhaps, it is that these recognizable colors and patterns of the local flora are familiar and recognizable. 

Seldom do I work on a painting that doesn't really have a sky. This is what may evoke an element of mystery to the whole scene. After all, watercolor is the medium for conveying atmospheric conditions.

Oil Painting

                                                                                   (C) 2021 Dale DiMauro
 

Lately, I have been getting the itch to paint in oil. I realize this is a watercolor blog but there are times when working in other mediums can improve your painting skills. 

What is most appealing to me is painting with a palette knife. Paint thinners are not necessary making clean-up very simple. You can even paint a whole picture with just one palette knife which provides room for a lot of creativity.

Last week during the heavy rains I thinned out some books and came upon this small book by Hazel Soan, titled Learn Oils Quickly. I immediately read it and in the process became inspired to paint in oil again.

Plein Air: Neighborhood Park

                                                                                       (C) 2021 Dale DiMauro

Of all the plein air painting experiences I have had, this was one of the most pleasant. You truly don't know what's going to happen - it could snow or an unfed dog could come bearing down at me.

Yesterday my wife and I decided late in the day we would walk to an outdoor concert - once we figured the rain would hold off. So I had about one hour and a half to settle on a site to paint and then paint it. This is a result of that time spent three blocks from my house. Fortunately, the park had only a handful of people as I had to focus on my task at hand.

This watercolor was painted on a small watercolor block so I had to simplify my composition. Many trees in the foreground I excluded from the picture both due to a lack of time and it would have made the scene way too crowded.

The colors were much more livelier and richer when the paint was wet, but I like the overall character of the scene and the vegetation in general. When you paint outside it is good to have modest expectations because you don't always know what you will come up with in the end.

Watercolor Study

                                                                             (C) 2021 Dale DiMauro
 

For some time I have been meaning to plunge into a watercolor without much planning and this is what I have to show for it. Mentally, I broke the composition down into thirds(as in a third of the paper), made a pencil mark and started painting. 

Actually, this is how I have been painting smaller landscapes for over a year with either one third of the composition dedicated to the sky or the landscape. If the sky is really interesting that area becomes more dominant but usually the landscape is two-thirds of the painting. I find this approach pleasing to the eye as the landscape has much variation with it color changes or gradations of light.

On the top of the sky I did have a mishap with too much red looking like a blob. I was able to lift most of the pigment out after it dried with a scrubber.

I do love the simple contours of the land and the vibrancy of the colors.

Watercolor Study

                                                                             (C) 2021 Dale DiMauro

The beautiful weather today led me to Guilford, Vermont - to the Green River and it's covered bridge. I hadn't been there in years and forgot how special it is to be there with the river, waterfall and historic bridge all in one location.

This watercolor was today's plein air painting. Often it is a challenge to finish a painting outside. However, I am pleased with how far I got with this picture. My only criticism after stepping back from the painting is that the river in the foreground doesn't quite read as water. It needed to be a bit darker in value but it has many of the colorings I found on site.

This year in particular seems to be a season of greens and browns with all the rain we have received. The river bottoms have been stirred up for much of the season and the greens are more vibrant than I can recall for so late in the season.

Abstract Landscape

                                                                                       (C) 2021 Dale DiMauro

If I am pressed for time I at least try to put down some washes on a piece of paper or make a quick sketch. This image is one such case. By doing this I continue to evolve or maintain engagement intellectually as far as color mixing or considering the next step in my painting process.

This landscape primarily has pigments I had not combined before. However, Cerulean blue is dragged across the paper to suggest the sky with no other pigments included. The foliage is the combination of Hansa yellow and Phthalocyanine blue which gives me a lively green. The beach color is the pairing of quinacridone red and yellow ochre which creates a substitute for raw sienna. On top of this I painted ultramarine blue which gives the water a grainy, yet transparent quality.

Lately, I have been limiting my use of cadmium colors while finding substitutes. It seems that cadmium pigments are being phased out for health reasons. Also, it is important to be flexible and make use of what ever pigments you have available even if they are not always neatly arranged on your palette.

In conclusion, I keep thinking about this little watercolor doodle as it has left such fresh and lively markings on the paper and in my memory. It is something to build on for future reference.

Middlebury, VT

                                                                     2021(C) Photograph Dale DiMauro
 

Last week my wife and I went on a vacation in Vermont. We spent time in Middlebury, Montpelier and Woodstock, Vermont. In Montpelier, we toured the statehouse, on a Saturday and ran into the Governor and a neighbor pretty much all at the same time. We learned that the original carved figure on the statehouse dome was created in Brattleboro, by a worker from the Estey Organ Company.

Not far from Montpelier, we hiked in the Goshen State Forest(26,000+ acres) and I dipped into the largest of it's numerous lakes on a deserted beach with the sound of loon calls in the background. Also, in Montpelier we climbed the tower in Hubbard Park above and adjacent to the statehouse grounds.

In East Middlebury, we stayed at an inn which was used as the backdrop for the opening sequence of the Newhart Show, back in the 1980's. In the morning on the last day before heading out, we learned that parts of Windham County, in Vermont, were inundated with more rain and that Governor Scott had toured some of the damaged areas. 

When in Middlebury, my wife and I just sort of came upon these falls which were roaring right through the center of town. There is a major construction project in town too. The train will be going under the town center which now has newly established gardens and parks above the tracks.

On the drive home we visited the Texas Falls which are located in a deep gorge on the edge of the Green Mountain National Forest. 

There was little time for painting but plenty of inspiration to be had each and every day. In retrospect, Vermont has a lot to offer it's residents and visitors alike.

Charles Reid

Charles Reid(1937-2019) is one of my favorite watercolor painters. He was known for his drawing skills and considered a master of watercolor. Reid was a successful teacher, workshop instructor and published numerous books. I own several of his books.

I admire his fluid, free flowing and direct approach to watercolor painting. In that vein, last month, I painted a copy of one of his watercolors, titled, Macy 2. My version is pictured above. I painted it in one sitting, which it seems like how he would have approached it.

Reid in watercolor did not build up too many layers of pigment so I tried this method, too. In addition, where possible, I tried to use the pigments he would use.

It is important for me to try other artist's methods as a break from my own routines.

Watercolor Sketch

                                                                                       (C) 2021 Dale DiMauro
 

Sometimes the absence of color can really work to your advantage. When painting water in the distance it often is either, misty or faint in coloration. This area is best left with soft edges. Also, it can create a greater sense of distance.

In contrast, smooth, rich saturation of color in the foreground can bring a lot of excitement to your painting. I am continually experimenting between these two extremes in landscape painting. The other aspect in landscape painting which has begun to capture my imagination consciously or not is the sense of space in a picture. The simpler the composition the more powerful one can be drawn into the atmospheric characteristics of a landscape.

What I like about this watercolor is the smooth, rich coloration with just a few washes of pigment. The freshness of paint one can achieve in watercolor is unlike any other medium. 

Summer Landscape

                                                                             (C) 2021 Dale DiMauro
 

After working too much lately, it was great to get back to watercolor painting. We have had so much rain in July, they say, record numbers, that the landscape is greening up again.

I tried to capture some of those vivid colors in this watercolor. Blues and greens are vital to painting the landscape in Summer.

Continuity in watercolor painting, I find, is important, as approaches to painting are continually evolving. For example. I have been searching for that elusive dark green of foliage you often see when looking from a shady area out towards sunny areas. Of late, I have been combining burnt umber and ultramarine blue which provides a rich dark.

Test Sheet II

                                                                          (C) 2021 Dale DiMauro
 

In previous posts I have profiled the value of using test sheets. An artist may use a piece of scrap paper or a piece of watercolor paper, left over, after being trimmed down to size, during the framing process.

First of all, it always worthwhile to experiment with different papers as the pigment will mark differently from paper to paper. Over time one learns how to manipulate the paper to their liking. This includes learning how the pigment dries on the paper and when you can go back into a painting to add more pigment or not.

When I am trying to come up with a color for my painting it is a good idea to see if it is actually the color I want before committing it to my painting. This is a great time to simply play with pigments on the paper without over thinking it too much.

These two images are little landscape doodles which get the creative process going. In the top image I mixed colors(raw umber and burnt umber) which I don't usually mix together to create a brownish sky which brings out the color of the water. In the lower image I am forever combining blues and yellows to come up with combinations for vegetation which can distinguish the foreground from the background.

John Constable

                                                                               Painting by John Constable 

It has been a long time since I have left the state of Vermont. In many instances it is best to not leave Vermont because it is truly a beautiful state. It is not dominated by strip malls, overpopulation and polluted air which other urban areas strive to overcome.

However, yesterday was the first time I entered a neighboring state, Massachusetts, in over a year. My wife and I went to the Clark Art Museum, in Williamstown, MA. It was good to escape the thick, humid air and visit some favorite paintings of ours. We checked in our favorite paintings by the likes of John Singer Sargent, Thomas Gainsborough and Mary Cassatt, amongst others.

Over time, I have learned to appreciate the landscapes of english painter, John Constable(1776-1837). This small landscape, painted in 1816, oil on canvas, is titled, Osmington Bay. In addition, to his cloud studies, which he is well known for, I learned he painted landscapes in watercolor, too.

I like the low horizon with the big sky and sweeping beach. It seems to be such a timeless subject with an individual providing a sense of scale. 

 

Summer Portrait

                                                                           (C) 2021 Dale DiMauro

It is always a good idea to paint family members and others in your life so you can do an improved one later on. More importantly, it is best to catch someone in their natural state. A posed portrait is rather stiff and uninspiring.

We as humans are continually aging or evolving and thus never quite look the same from day to day. Or at least that is my experience.

I pre-stained the paper before painting this portrait, but you can hardly tell. However, I think the coolish tone enhances the red on the page. 

Finally, I don't think you should over work a portrait because one always sees things about that person which can alter your perspective. As long as you place the location of the facial features correctly, you have a good start to your painting.

After the Storm

                                                                                      (C) 2021 Dale DiMauro
 

Using or leaving the white of the paper can be an effective strategy in your watercolor painting process. Also, it is great to not cover every inch of your paper every time you paint with pigments. The white of the paper can give you distinct edges reminiscent of patterns on the surface of a body of water. In addition, you can retain greater depth in your picture with less layers of paint in various areas.

Often I combine permanent alizarin crimson with ultramarine blue lower in the horizon which provides some warmth to the lower sky. On the other hand vibrant greens I associate with the landscape after a spring rain.

I used the photograph editing tool on my computer to remove a smear of brown paint from the sky. I can't believe how effective this function is. This is the first time I ever used it on a larger area.

My Latest Watercolor.......

                                                                                 (C) 2021 Dale DiMauro
 

With such a run of sunny days this spring, it seemed important to try capturing some of the characteristics of the light and the many greens all around me here in Vermont. My exploration has resulted in three landscapes on one sheet.

In the last year I have fully embraced using mop watercolor brushes. One of my favorites can be seen on the right in the photograph. They lay down a meaty wash and retain a fine point for detail work. This means one less brush to carry outside when painting plein air.

I have been searching for this opaque foliage color/value, the saturated dark green-brown of the deep shade, used here for the scraggly vegetation in the foreground. This would take my paintings to a whole other level. The misplaced blob of paint in the upper left is a Van Dyke brown, which is closer to what I am searching for. However Van Dyke brown is considered a fugitive pigment and fades fast in sunlight and thus, not permanent.

Imaginary Landscape

                                                                           (C) 2021 Dale DiMauro
 

Sometimes the best paintings develop when I am tired. When I am tired direct painting takes over. I become too impatient for contemplating which colors to use or fussing over which brush to use and simply paint.

Also, there is a freshness to this method of painting. Watercolors can become overworked but not with this approach.

If something catches my eye out in nature and I need to record the colors or image, this is the way I paint. This is basically a study. Regardless, there is much to be said for this way of painting. This is sort of a recording which can jog my memory at a future point in time. 

The Brattleboro Common

 

                                                                           (C) 2021 Dale DiMauro

Plein air painting can be a wild ride of unpredictability. Late this afternoon I painted this watercolor from a picnic table on the Brattleboro Common. It was exciting to work on this picture when the paper and pigment were still wet and juicy. 

Of note, I took a very direct approach to painting this scene. I kept painting areas while other areas were still wet. Also, I did minimal drawing prior to painting. Thus, I worked out the composition as I painted.

However, as it dried it looks a bit flat while the photograph is not kind to the subject matter. It is a challenge and rare to completely finish a watercolor in one sitting.

What really drew me to this perspective were the two women sitting on the park bench. It is great to have a human presence in your paintings. However, they clearly do not dominate the scene. I like the sense of depth in the picture and the layers of foliage.

It goes to show every once in a while you come up with a dud. However, I learn the most from these experiences.