Out On the Water

                                                                                       (C) 2022 Dale DiMauro
 

Before long it will be paddling season. In fact, the Brattleboro Outing Club published their paddling schedule for the season in The Commons this week. I have already seen several kayaks on cars in town recently.

Last year I didn't get out enough. Part of it was due to COVID-19 as I wasn't fully vaccinated until June and there was confusion about who I could car pool with. Also, I got out of the habit of paddling and before long the season had moved along rapidly.

I like the simplicity of this composition. Nothing is buttered up. It is paddlers, the water and sky. Still, there is an unspoken dialogue between the body language of the two paddlers.

Along the West River Trail

                                                                                 (C) 2022 Dale DiMauro
 

The West River Trail has become a gem to walk or exercise along as well as a way to get out in nature. Off the trail there are many wetland areas in addition to agricultural areas.

This is one of the fields I like to pay attention to as the light and vegetation change on a daily basis. I often walk or bike the trail depending on the time of year.

However, the field is becoming more inviting as the mud begins to disappear and the vegetation is showing signs of re-emerging. The warm sienna and ocher colors of the landscape are what appeal to me.

Fabriano Artistico Soft Press Watercolor Paper

                                                                                (C)2022 Dale DiMauro
 

Last summer I requested a free sample of this watercolor paper made by Fabriano which has been manufacturing paper since 1264. I had heard good things about this soft press paper which apparently is between cold press and hot press texture-wise. The blank top sheet in the photograph is actually a cold pressed sample sheet.

With all the supply chain delays, I surprisingly opened the mail this winter and there was the sample sheet. I was eager to paint on this new surface. Considering the sample sheet is only 140 lb I thought it might buckle on me but it didn't. The paint went on smooth and I liked the way the sheet handled the paint.

I will be looking to paint on this surface in the future. The other quality I noticed is how vivid the colors are after the paint dried. I believe it is a great paper for painting landscapes.

Watercolor Sketch

                                                                           (C) 2022 Dale DiMauro

This was painted on the inside cover of my watercolor block. It is one of those quick little color sketches which dries in no time. I suppose any surface is fair game to paint on. 

I am always thinking about what pigments might make a strong pairing. Thus, I need to put down on paper a color mixture which I can refer to when the moment and place is right. 

I was looking at developing a strong evergreen color with the palette I had with me one particular day. I use at least four palettes, some for painting outside, and others because I mix larger puddles of color for larger paintings. However, these palettes don't have the same color pigments so I have to improvise, if necessary.

The watercolor I had been working on was progressing well and the evergreen on the left in the front seemed like it would balance the composition. For the dark value above I combined hookers green, alizarin crimson and payne's gray.

This sample color has a cool, gray quality which is not far off from the deep green I am looking for. If I tweak the ratio's a bit I probably have something I can work with.
 

Brattleboro Common

                                                                         (C)2022 Dale DiMauro
 

The Brattleboro Common is starting to become appealing at this time of the year. The snow has melted and the majestic mature trees are waking up and embracing the new growing season. Sitting at one of the picnic tables in the sun feels lovely.

On Friday as the temperatures reached nearly sixty degrees outside I ventured out to do my first plein air painting of the season. I had not painted outside since late last fall. 

During my time outside the sky began to cloud over and it became rather blustery. However, I was pleased with my first effort of the season.

Fields of Northampton

                                                                                     (C) 2022 Dale DiMauro
 

Several weeks back the fields of Northampton, MA were ablaze from the setting sun. It was still very much winter along the rail trail but I could sense the emergence of the seasonal change.

I didn't know if I could match the intensity of the orange in the distant fields. However, I felt pretty good after I mixed quinacridone gold with cadmium red. The radiance of those two colors combined, reminded of my experience down in the Deerfield Valley.

The late day sun cast such a lovely glow across the landscape that it is etched in my memory. There are not many other experiences of such atmospherical drama which I can draw upon. In the summer if you are lucky(weather-wise) along the Maine coast I have seen unmistakeable sunsets across the Atlantic Ocean.

MASS MOCA

Yesterday, I visited Mass MoCa in North Adams, MA with family. With all that rain coming down it was a good day to take in all the great spaces they have. The upside down trees growing along the entrance always seem troublesome.

I find the multimedia and political exhibits a bit overwhelming. However, the music room was great. This was an enclosed room where anyone could bang on drums, strum cords and play with percussive instruments.

As we left we visited a neighboring restored mill with an arts center. They even had a Stephen Scott Young print who is a well known watercolor painter.
 

Horizon Blue

                                                                                      C) 2022 Dale DiMauro
 

Last week I ordered a watercolor tube of Horizon Blue, made by Holbein. The sky above consists of Horizon Blue. It may seem weak in the photograph but it adds a lot to the overall atmosphere of the landscape.

It seems to mix well with other blues and adds a calm presence to the landscape. I seldom use just one pigment in my sky so I am eager to experiment with this new option. Also, it might be a pigment which allows the landscape to become more prominent in the composition.

In the last year my painting of the sky has evolved quite a bit. I put down a wash for the sky and before it is fully dry I add other marks or pigmentation and can achieve streaks or graded washes. Sometimes I even add browns to my sky. So we will see where this pigment takes me.

Landscape in Watercolor

                                                                                        C) 2022 Dale DiMauro

When I am pressed for time I find it is good to squeeze in at least a little watercolor painting each day. This little watercolor book by Cachet is full of landscape paintings. I broaden my palette mixing on these paintings. 

Recently, I read up on mixing darks in watercolor so I began putting down various samples. Some of my favorite darks are the result of these mixes: burnt sienna/ ultramarine blue, ultramarine blue/cadmium red /aureolin and burnt umber/ultramarine blue.

It makes me think about the composition at the same time. Also, I believe it develops my brushwork along the way.

Vincent Van Gogh

A few weeks ago, during President's week, my wife and I drove down to Montague, MA to visit the book mill. Now, I had never been to the Montague Book Mill, but it certainly has a ton of primarily, used books, at really good prices, in a lovely setting.

I ended up purchasing the New York Times Bestseller: Van Gogh: The Life(2012), written by Steven Naifeh and Gregory White Smith for under ten dollars. As it is over eight hundred pages in length I will be reading this for quite some time. However, I always wanted to learn more about the life and times of Van Gogh.

Vincent Van Gogh(1853-1890) as many know, was a dutch impressionist painter who has become one of the most famous and recognizable painters in western art. He painted landscapes, still life's and portraits with bold color and expressive brushstrokes. In one decade alone he created nearly 2,100 artworks including 860 oil paintings, most of which he completed in the last two years of his life(Credit: Wikipedia).

Retreat Field

                                                                                       (C) 2022 Dale DiMauro

After this winter, it is refreshing to paint a summer scene full of greenery. I like how the vegetation in the foreground frames the landscape. It is not quite finished but I made some progress on this watercolor tonight.

This was painted on this Master's Choice watercolor paper which I have been working on lately. Except in this case I removed a sheet from the watercolor block to see if it would buckle when wet. I have been using the rough surface which buckles a little but it was quite workable, nonetheless. This paper seems to retain rich color and has a lively tooth to the surface.

Someone told me the back of the paper wasn't so accepting of paint. However, I disagree. I painted a section of the back and one can express lovely hard and soft edges with great variation.

Northampton, MA

                                                                                       (C) 2022 Dale DiMauro
 

The rail trail in Northampton, MA is a favorite location of mine. It is well used, year round and well kept up. Also, it has nice views of the local landscape across agricultural land in many directions.

This watercolor is inspired from a recent outing along the corridor. I have yet to do some finishing touches but like how it is developing. Vibrant colors make the paper come to life.

This was painted on The Masters' Choice, a watercolor paper which I have taken a liking to. This paper has such a lovely texture and is unlike any other watercolor paper I have ever used.

Abstract Landsape

                                                                                       (C) 2022 Dale DiMauro
 

Watercolor is such a diverse medium. You can paint in a very direct way with a few washes or apply many precise layers with great control. You can take the medium outside and paint in the elements most of the year or work in the comfort of your studio. In addition, one can paint very small or on a sizable scale such as the work of the Hudson River Painters(even though they primarily painted in oil).

An artist can paint on very smooth paper or on medium or rough paper and achieve a very textured appearance. There are even illustration or watercolor boards which don't warp and are highly portable.

This watercolor sketch was done on cold press Arches paper. I have learned from experience that how you drag the brush across the surface can yield an infinite ranges of watercolor techniques. 

It can be beneficial to let the pigment run into other wet areas while at the same time preserving dry slivers of paper to suggest breaks in the water or waves crashing into the shore. After the paper dries you can go back in and paint tree trunks and define the shoreline or rock outcroppings.

I hope you feel as free as I do and experiment with various painting techniques which expand your opportunities for creativity.

Winter Landscape

                                                                                       (C) 2022 Dale DiMauro
 

It is always rewarding to start painting with warm-up exercises before digging into a larger painting. This way you can can consider your paint mixtures in advance and move around the painting with greater fluidity.

The greenish vegetation in the distance was created by mixing raw sienna and payne's gray, a combination I normally don't use. Simply leaving the white of the paper in the foreground as is and adding shadows makes the ground appear to have snow on it.

There is a warmth to the colors in this watercolor which I find inviting. Also, a simplified palette makes the image easier on the eyes.

The West River Trail

                                                                           (C) 2022 Dale DiMauro

It always feels good to paint on Arches watercolor paper. The pigment moves around well and the bead of the paper is familiar. Also, I find the back of the sheet is just as good to paint on as the front. If something goes awry there is no worry, nor waste.

Earlier in the winter when we had no snow or very little on the ground, the West River Trail was a great place to paint or exercise along. Also, the warmth of the sun was so inviting.

It can be a challenge to paint linear or paved surfaces as they can divide the composition in half but I like the feel of this path.  For me, part of the appeal, is that the trail is off-center with an irregular edge.

 

Living Memorial Park

                                                                         (C)2022 Dale DiMauro
 

It feels good to paint a summer scene in contrast to the winter we have been having. After all, Vermont really is the Green Mountain State. Look at all the greens used in this watercolor.

The only dilemma with this picture I have is whether to tweak the line of the mountain seen through the distant tree. I figured I do not need to eliminate the whole line but sections of it to reduce the severity. On the other hand I could make some of the tree foliage darker to give it more strength than the distant hill. However, for now I left it as it is.

This was painted on that Chinese paper(Baohong) which I have grown to like. Of course, China has a rich watercolor tradition of their own. Lastly, this paper has an interesting tooth to the surface which gives the image a vibrant quality.

By the Reservoir

               (C) 2022 Dale DiMauro

 

It has been an unusual winter here in southern Vermont with ice storms outnumbering snow storms. Is this going to be a pattern as we head into the future? Will we be using more specialized boots and less of our skis?

We have had some arctic cold this winter, too! This watercolor has a lot of temperature in it. The warmth of the sun may be a delight but the cold in the shadows is another thing.

I like the diversity of growth and how the eye is drawn into the picture. 

This was painted on a watercolor block, marketed as The Masters' Choice. I really like the rough surface which gives the overall image a feeling of texture.

Field of Dreams

                                                                           (C) 2022 Dale DiMauro
 

There are days when I drive or walk around town often wondering what color I am seeing. Then I imagine what pigments I would mix to express what I am experiencing. 

I am proud of this painting. This picture is of a summer day in Vermont with high humidity dominating the landscape. The moisture is so strong in the air that the sky has become covered in gray.

So one may ask how do you express this atmospheric quality? I added alizarin crimson to cobalt blue in watered-down proportions to convey the color of the sky. Then I toned down the distant hill with a wash of clear water which soften edges and unifies the wet areas at the same time.

In contrast, the vivid yellow-green of the field radiates color which nearly glows off the paper. Even the shadows have a weight from the humidity which creates these inarticulate, fuzzy edges to them. 

The Master's Choice: Artist Watercolor Block

                                                                     (C) 2022 Dale DiMauro
 

Shortly after the new year I purchased two new watercolor blocks of a paper that was new to me. Since then I have been experimenting and gaining experience using 'The Master's Choice', with origins to China called BAOHONG.

I have been painting on their rough surface which has a pleasing tooth to the paper. It appears to be a durable surface which can take many layers of washes and some say will not buckle when wet.

At this point it seems to only be available in this country from Jerry's Artarama. This paper also comes in cold pressed and hot pressed surfaces. 

It takes a little practice to become acquainted with the qualities of this paper. However, for those artists out there who like to try something new, this may be just what you are looking for. 

Charles Reid

                                                                                   2022 Dale DiMauro
 

Charles Reid(1937-2019) was one of the most talented watercolor painters I have come upon. He was an artist, teacher and author of many books which I have mentioned in a previous post. This winter during some of the coldest days I have been reading up on Reid's approach to painting as I have accumulated several of his books found at local, used book stores.

Reid is well known for his figure painting done during workshops or in front of art groups with a model. Equally impressive to me are his landscapes and still life paintings which have a lot of color, yet are not overworked, which in itself is impressive.

One evening in my sketchbook I copied one of his compositions to study his technique and this is what I came up with. This watercolor sketch was done in less than ten minutes but was very rewarding. I like how all the shapes are pretty much linked together.