The West River

                                                                                       (C) 2022 Dale DiMauro
 

Recently, I walked along the West River in Brattleboro, VT. It was a late afternoon and the sun was shielded by the clouds for a period of time. So I took a photograph which appeared as if it were a black and white image.

Days later this made think I should consider painting a monotone watercolor or a sepia-colored painting.

Well this is what I came up with and I kind of like it. It is a stark image but strong in conveying the tree, river and distant landscape. To me it appears timeless as if it could have been painted one hundred years ago.

I only used three pigments to paint this scene: sepia/ultramarine blue and permanent sap green.

The Upper Field

                                                                            (C) 2022 Dale DiMauro
 

It is always satisfying to paint the landscape whether it is outside or in the studio. To observe the colors out in the environment is a noble activity. Or at least I think, so as they are constantly changing.

This is the upper field at the Brattleboro Retreat. I hadn't walked through the trails, forest or fields in quite some time. I acknowledge the colors are going to change soon and a majority of the foliage will fall.

I prefer to combine quinacridone gold with either ultramarine blue or viridian for the yellow-green or green of fields.

Plein Air Painting

                                                                             (C) 2022 Dale DiMauro
 

On Saturday I was fortunate to attend a free, local, watercolor workshop with my mom. It was a little less than three hours in length. However, it was great to paint outside, as the seasons are rapidly changing. When we arrived at the painting location the temperature was still in the forties with a few drops in the air and much cloud cover.

I got off to a rough start with my painting as I was sitting on the edge of an uncomfortable stone wall which had a lovely vantage point. My original location was occupied by two other people so I had to adjust on the fly.

I only got so far with my picture but it seemed like I was heading in the right direction. In the distance are New Hampshire mountains with Mount Monadnock just off the page to the right. Compositionally, I like the idea of framing the picture with the tall tall birch tree on the left and the evergreen towards the right.

Every painting experience is different but I seem to look at the sheet of the paper and the pigments differently all the time. I seem to paint more direct all the time with little hesitancy. However, at least when painting, I often feel pressed for time.

Watercolor Sketch

                                                                                    (C) 2022 Dale DiMauro
 

Watercolor is such a versatile medium. You can paint your watercolors on so many different surfaces from paper to boards to even Yupo, a synthetic surface. Gouache can be used with your watercolors if you need to achieve an opaque quality. This versatility makes it useful to record an experience or a setting right on the spot. And of course, you can paint from memory, too.

This watercolor was painted on one of the inside covers of a watercolor block I have been using. This smooth surface has nearly a cardboard thickness too it.

I enjoy experimenting with any surface I can find to see how the pigment responds to the paper. For example with hot press paper the pigment sits on the surface while with cold press or rough paper you can utilize a dry brush technique which can suggests texture such as on rocks or grasses along the shore.

Color Studies

                                                                                       (C) 2022 Dale DiMauro
 

After months painting outside, primarily, it feels good to paint indoors. Naturally, painting inside is an entirely different experience than in the outdoors. When painting indoors it is easier to paint larger and at your own pace.

I am constantly searching for new color combinations. In particular, rich, lively, darks are a gem if I come upon them. I like this new combination of phthalo blue and burnt sienna which creates a cool,  dark green.

The other thing I am interested in is the absence of color in some of those color swatches above. When you paint with interesting edges full of expression where you don't have paint suggests a landscape unto itself.

The Tunbridge Fair(The World's Fair)

Last week I spent a beautiful day at the Tunbridge Fair (Tunbridge, VT)with my brother and mom. The Tunbridge Fair is one hundred and fifty years old which was started during the Ulysses S. Grant Administration.

We saw pigs racing, horse pulls, baby calves, oxen and a myriad of other animals celebrated as part of the rural extended family. Also, there was a roller coaster and ferris wheel along with fried dough and blooming onions.

This photograph may not be of a watercolor but it may lead to a series of watercolors. There were so many community events which drew people together to reflect upon.
 

Sketchbook Painting

                                                                     (C) 2022 Dale DiMauro
 

It is that time of year to start using my sketchbook on a more regular basis. It is not that I have stopped drawing, however, with the days getting shorter there is more time in the evening.

I do like these Holbein multi-drawing books which take watercolor washes well.  In addition, to painting figures and landscapes I like experimenting with color swatches in these books. 

It is rewarding to page through these sketchbooks at a later date to see how you have progressed or where you were at during a certain time period.

Brattleboro Retreat

                                          (C) 2022 Dale DiMauro

 

The Brattleboro Retreat is an iconic institution in Brattleboro, Vermont. It has a long history of serving people and thus shaping their lives while simultaneously being shaped by the land. Also, it is situated within a lovely basin of water, fields, hills and forests.

Every time I drive along Route 30 near town I have an urge to paint in plein air, some aspect of the landscape. 

This watercolor was painted late one afternoon at one of the Brattleboro Retreat's picnic table's under a dense canopy of one of their maple trees.

The body of water, distant hills and reeds which edge the shoreline, make for a pleasant landscape in my mind and memory.

Late Summer Fields

                                                                                       (C) 2022 Dale DiMauro
 

Late summer has some lovely, rich colorations before the real fall colors move in. This local scene is full of greens including the canopy of blue-greens at the top of the picture.

In particular, I like the colors of the driveway with the warm shadows cast. That little bit of red makes all the difference in this watercolor.

I painted this on Langton Prestige(Daler Rowney) rough, watercolor paper. This versatile paper is made in the United Kingdom and had become difficult to find in the states. Many years ago it was readily available- even somewhat locally.

Higgins Beach(Maine)

                                                                            (C) 2022 Dale DiMauro
 

My wife and I spent part of our summer vacation this year at Higgins Beach in Maine. We experienced amazing sunsets and even a full moon. This really made us appreciate the time we were there and gave us a break from our regular routine.

This watercolor is not my usual kind of painting with a heavy dose of grays. However, you can see the drama we experienced each evening at the beach. All that is missing is the sound of the waves lapping or in some cases thundering amongst the rocks and beach. The incoming tide really changes everything, not to mention the shoreline.

As a footnote, I was not able to send out my post yesterday as our internet was unexpectedly down. It has not been fully restored but hopefully things will be back to normal soon.

Brattleboro Common(plein air)

                                                                              (C) 2022 Dale DiMauro
 

Summer has come to an end at least for most people. Schools are starting or have started and the days have gotten much shorter. 

On Friday I painted this scene on the Brattleboro Common from a picnic table. The greens and natural light were spectacular. However, it felt like the seasons was about to change. The Brattleboro Common at times became quite devoid of people.

I like the burst of color and intensity of greens which oozed across the moist paper. The shadows were full of life and character too. 

Often I find in watercolor you have to let the pigment do it's own thing. It's so easy to overwork the medium and it will show. The more you push pigment around the more diluted the wash becomes. This is one of those times where the freshness of the medium is very satisfying.

Scott Farm(Plein air)

                                                                                       (C) 2022 Dale DiMauro
 

Earlier this week, The Saxton's River Art Group, had a plein air session at the Scott Farm in Dummerston, VT. Little did I know it was to be the last of their season. It still was only August but they had no other locations scheduled.

I went to paint outside with the group. However, it was hot and humid, with temperatures into the nineties.

Prior to lunch, this is how far I got with my watercolor. I like the subject I selected but it needs some finishing touches. 

The roof in the lower right is of a shed that has collapsed to the ground. I thought about excluding it from the composition but then thought it may ultimately add context to the overall scene. 

My biggest criticism is of the oval shape right of the barn which is a sloped lawn. Either I need to lift some of the green away in that area or carry that color to other lawn areas on the other side of the drive. This will make the landscape read better and convey a greater sense of harmony.

I could add more color to the barn and strengthen the shadows under the eves of the barn roof. In addition, the shadows cast from the cluster of trees in the foreground might best be enlarged to give them a greater presence. The gate in the middle of the painting needs some fine line work but overall I think the painting is heading in the right direction.

Long Pond(Mount Desert Island, Maine)

                                                                                       (C) 2022 Dale DiMauro
 

It feels good to paint on Arches watercolor paper again. Lately, I have been painting in a small Holbein travel book and on other various papers. However, for me Arches is a lovely surface, at least on cold press as it takes washes so well. Also, it gives you time before the paper starts to dry.

I painted this watercolor study tonight of Long Pond which is on Mount Desert Island in Maine. The colors in the photograph are far more muted than in the watercolor. It almost had a tropical feel to me. Of course, the winter feel would be entirely different.

This image reminds me of summer. Time sure does pass.

Andrew Wyeth @ The Farnsworth Art Museum

 

In July, my wife and I, made our annual visit to the Farnsworth Art Museum in Rockland, Maine. We usually stop on our way back to Vermont.

This year we spent two nights in Rockland and discovered what a lovely town it is. We were able to walk everywhere from where we were staying. There are some lovely old neighborhoods with charming architecture and large shade trees. Ed Hopper painted a watercolor, back in his day, of the inn we were staying in. There was a large print of his watercolor down in the hallway which added a bit to our stay.

At the Farnsworth Art Museum there is usually a gallery or two dedicated to Andrew Wyeth. Viewing his paintings in person never gets old. The scale of his paintings and the people he portrayed draw you into his pictures. In our daily lives we don't usually see watercolors that are four feet long. His drawing ability and unique perspective of capturing the landscape is extraordinary.

This is one of Andrew Wyeth's classic watercolors which was on exhibit.

DAVID CURTIS: The Landscape in Watercolour

 

When my wife and I were on vacation in Maine I bought this used book, titled David Curtis: The Landscape in Watercolour. It cost eight dollars and is one of the best books I have in my watercolor library. Curtis offers no nonsense advise on working in watercolor from his years of experience painting.

I had just left the Farnsworth Art Museum at the end of the day in Rockland, Maine. It occurred to me there might still be an art store in business on the main drag. I got in the store before it closed for the day. I didn't realized they had such an excellent collection of used art books. 

David Curtis is also accomplished in painting oils, so I purchased another book he had in the art store for under eight dollars, too. It is titled A Light Touch: Painting Landscapes in Oils. Both books are hard backs.

You never know what you will find when traveling.

Higgins Beach

                                                                                       (C) 2022 Dale DiMauro
 

Summer vacation now seems like a long time ago. The days are getting shorter and the nights are cooler. However, my wife and I have some wonderful memories of our time in Maine. We had some of the most amazing sunsets I can remember.

I painted this watercolor of the late day sun along a beach in southern Maine. The pinkish sky reflected across the ocean was so dramatic along with the lapping water and the great stretch of uninterrupted beach.

I used a limited palette for this picture and pre-stretched a piece of Arches watercolor paper.

Park by Wells Fountain(Brattleboro, VT)

                                                                   (C) 2022 Dale DiMauro
 

On Friday after paying my property tax bill in person, I noticed a shady spot, in the middle of town, where I could squeeze in some painting. So I set up my painting supplies and painted this scene. 

If it looks dry to your eye it is because the ground has been in a drought for some time. I think the colors reflect this.

I sat on a low stone wall which is connected to this patio with drystone pavers in the foreground. Putney Road slices through the picture towards the top of the painting. 

When painting outside you have to make many decisions rapidly, including deleting many elements in order to keep the composition simple and readable. This was fun to work on even if it is not by best painting.

Walker Farm

                                                                            (C) 2022 Dale DiMauro
 

Earlier this week I joined artists from the Saxton's River Art Group for a plein air outing. We painted outside at the Walker Farm, in Dummerston, Vermont. 

It was forecast to be hot and humid and it sure was. When I hopped in my car to leave around mid-day the temperature gauge read ninety-seven degrees outside.

Fortunately, I found some nice shade under a tree and was able to set up my painting gear on a stone wall with this view across the farm.

West River Trail

                                                                  (C) 2022 Dale DiMauro
 

This painting has been sitting on my desk. It was painted at the end of winter. At the time there was the promise of spring after a winter of closures due to Covid-19. However, in the spring, we didn't really have any rain to speak of.

So here we are months later - in a heat wave with a greater drought. However, we have had some flash storms the last two days.

While I return to viewing this watercolor I don't know if I am reflecting on this time or projecting the future. However, I do find the image calming with such clarity of light and the increased length of day.

Madame Sherri Forest

                                                                           (C) 2022 Dale DiMauro
 

Before heading to Maine for a vacation in July I did a bit of plein air painting. 

This was painted at the Madame Sherri Forest in Chesterfield, NH. This is a lovely 513 acre landscape consisting of a pond, woods and views of Wantastiquet Mountain. The reflections and wildlife in and around the pond were very lively.

In this painting I particularly like the brushwork in the foreground. The bold colors, loose brushwork and white of the paper add much to the experience of the landscape.