A ripple in time.....

(C) 2018 Dale DiMauro

In my travels I am always seeking to capture the light on the landscape or an object. When some element of the landscape is awash with natural light you notice things you normally wouldn't. 

Often I start a painting seated in a chair and get up to view my work from a different perspective. At some point along the process I often do quite a bit of the painting from a standing position. In this instance, I was struck by the graphic nature of this piece. 

The absence of pigment created this movement of water on the surface of this pond. The other thing I noticed was the unified mass of washes which tie the image together. It has been said it is best to keep things simple and leave out the details until the end. Well these are some of the thoughts that have been going through my mind lately.

This watercolor was inspired from a popular, yet local swim spot here in Vermont. When I hop in my kayak I always bring my camera with me as I don't want to miss anything.

late summer heatwave

(C) 2018 Dale DiMauro

When I walked on the tennis courts in the late afternoon you could feel the increased humidity in the air. Mind you, this is not the site of flushing meadows(aka, the United States Open), but southern Vermont. This latest waft of humidity, reminded me, of what we are in for, the next several days.

My mind immediately returned to this watercolor painted not long ago. There is something enticing about cool green foliage and the sound of lapping water along the shoreline.

High humidity stifles my creative output. My arm sticks to the paper while the pigment can be slow to dry. In addition, my attention span wanders while I work on smaller paintings.

I long for a day, most likely in September, when I won't perspire as much as I have this summer. When that days comes I have all sorts of ideas to put down in paint. With a rapidly evolving palette I feel like my best days are ahead.

Great Head Postcard

(C) 2018 Dale DiMauro

This watercolor is a little memoir of my summer vacation in Maine. As mentioned in a prior post, my wife and I like to hike Great Head, in Acadia National Park, which is in Bar Harbor, Maine, when the sun is beginning to set. It is east-facing which in the heat of the day can be sweat-inducing. However, when the sun starts to go down, the light can become magical with a glow on the rocks and meadow areas.

This watercolor was painted on a damaged corner of Arches watercolor paper. I saw it as an opportunity to try out my Holbein paint palette which has vivid pigments. I like how the pigments run into each other.

I am cheap. I try not to waste any paper. If a watercolor becomes a dud, I either divide it up into smaller pieces to use as a test sheet or turn the sheet over and use the back.

Lowell Lake landscape

(C) 2018 Dale DiMauro

This summer, in Vermont, at least in Brattleboro, has been particularly strange. We had a late winter followed by a long stretch of sunny days with little precipitation for spring. Then towards the end of July it seemed to rain nearly everyday.

As a result of all this moisture, the landscape is verdant. This panoramic, I believe, conveys much of the range of greens we live with during this time of year. I do not remember a growing season where you could not skip mowing the lawn, one week, before it really gets out of hand.

Needless to say, I included a lot of yellow-greens and cool blues in developing this watercolor. The feeling of moisture with all it's atmospheric qualities seems to dominate this late summer landscape.

Great Head(Bar Harbor, Maine) Panorama

(C) 2018 Dale DiMauro

All summer I have been flirting with the idea of painting bolder landscapes. The other night I quickly painted this panorama on a scrap of Arches watercolor paper that has been kicking around. 

This watercolor is inspired from my recent trip to Maine. Great Head is one of my favorite hikes in Acadia National Park which is in Bar Harbor, Maine. My wife and I prefer this hike late in the afternoon when the glow on the rocks and vegetation is magical.

Painting the sky and water was truly an exciting moment for me. The paper was wet and the pigment was glistening on the surface. However, I wasn't so sure how the green in the foreground would turn out but am pleased with the result.

It seems like I learn something new each time I work with watercolor, whether it is the pigments, the paper or the impact a brush can make.

Robert O'Brien Watercolor Workshop

Photograph Dale DiMauro

In southern Vermont, we have an art group called the Saxton's River Art Guild, which puts together a calendar of art-related events. On Saturday, I attended one of these functions, a workshop in watercolor held by Robert O'Brien, a Vermont artist. Often Saturdays do not work for me, but this timing worked out well. This extended period of rain closed the deal for me, too.

This is a photograph of the watercolor Rob worked on as a demonstration at the workshop. He arrived with the drawing for the painting transferred to his paper so he could readily start painting. The circular white areas in the foreground are where Rob applied masking fluid which is removed at a later point in his painting process. Masking fluid is used to preserve the color of the watercolor paper from further staining.

I have had some success with using masking fluid but often find it frustrating. So far I have used it in small areas of my paintings. The issue for me is that most masking fluid dispensers clog easily and some dry the same color as the paper. It is important to know where it is on your sheet. This way when you remove it, you can be confident that you got it all.

I believe the workshop had thirteen in attendance including Rob, which is a nice-sized group. There were many familiar faces and quite a variety of artistic approaches. It is good to get out as an artist and broaden your perspective.

Winslow Homer

Photograph Dale DiMauro

This is a Winslow Homer graphite and pencil drawing, presumedly done as a study for a painting. It was created in 1879 and is titled Man with a Scythe. This depicts a period of mourning and renewal, following the civil war.

This photograph was taken last week when my wife and visited the Bowdoin College Museum of Art. We were impressed with the current exhibit on Homer's use of the camera during his life as an aid in his painting process. Seldom do you get to view paintings from such as master, at least in watercolor, these days.

I appreciate anyone who can draw, period. However, when an artist captures the human figure in motion with the correct proportions, scale etc, now that is impressive. 

When we were viewing the rest of the exhibition I kept wanting to come back to this drawing. Those simple pencil strokes captured my imagination.

Not far from the coast

(C) 2018 Dale DiMauro

Usually, I get some drawing and painting done when I travel, but this trip has been challenging. Each stop on this Maine vacation has been hot and humid. And I do not mean just during the days. There have been evenings and even nights when all of a sudden I start sweating because of the humidity. Perhaps, I take our heat pumps, which we use all summer, at home, for granted.

This watercolor, I started, one sticky evening, the other night. This picture I treated as a plein air yet was done inside. It has a freer nature than my studio work. What I do love about these are my willingness to try different techniques while my palette continues to evolve.

Since the Spring I have been thinking about better ways to incorporate opaque paint into my plein air paintings. When we visited the Bowdoin College Museum of Art recently, I studied this aspect of Winslow Homer's watercolors. 

For me, opaque paints are best applied after the transparent washes, but in limited areas. When painting outside this can simplify the painting process by making it more direct which is important as the natural light is constantly on the move.

I will discuss other revelations, to me, in my approach to working outside in upcoming posts.

Winslow Homer

(C) 2018 Photograph Dale DiMauro

The other day my wife and I visited the Bowdoin College Museum of Art, in Brunswick, Maine. We were impressed with their current exhibition titled Winslow Homer & the Camera: Photography & the Art of Painting. This exhibit runs from June 23 - October 28, 2018.

Winslow Homer was an American artist who lived from 1836-1910. Some consider him the most important artist in American history. In fact, earlier in the week, when I was at the Portland Museum of Art, one of the ushers told me that Homer is their most requested artist. 

This exhibition looks at Homer's lifelong fascination with photography and the use of the medium as applied to his paintings. Originally, Homer used the camera while fulfilling commissions for illustrations. He often used the camera as an aid in developing compositions and recording information.

This watercolor painting, Canoe in Rapids, was created in 1897.

Portland Museum of Art

2018 Photograph Dale DiMauro

On Friday, my wife and I visited the Portland Museum of Art in Portland, Maine. We learned that on Fridays, in the summer, admission is free, from 4-8 PM. This also gave us a chance to get out of the hot, humid air.

This painting by NC Wyeth(1882-1945) is one of my favorite paintings in their permanent collection. Even though they move it around depending on their current exhibition, we usually find it hanging in one of the galleries.

NC Wyeth was an American artist and one of this country's great illustrators. He studied under Howard Pyle and settled in Chadd Ford, Pennsylvania. During his lifetime, Wyeth created over 3,000 paintings and illustrated 112 books. He is well-known for illustrating twenty five of the scribner's classics, which included Treasure Island.  

This painting, Dark Harbor Fisherman, was created in 1943. It was painted in egg tempera on panel.

A majority of NC Wyeth's paintings are large and this is no exception. The scale of this picture draws the viewer in, particularly with the splash of yellow in the middle of the painting. Also, I like how the viewer is looking down on the scene.

Women artists in Paris: 1850-1900

 2018 Photograph Dale DiMauro

On Tuesday, my wife and I, made our annual pilgrimage to the Clark Art Institute in Williamstown, MA. We saw the special exhibition titled Women Artists in Paris:1850-1900. There were many solid paintings by women I never heard of. 

This painting is by Elizabeth Nourse who lived from 1859-1938. She was born in Cincinnati, Ohio and died in Paris, France. It is titled A Mother and was painted in oil on canvas. This image is of a working class mother and her child. It was hung at the saloon in 1888, 'on the line' which means at eye level. This is in comparison to others placed in less favorable positions.

We then viewed the permanent collection, to make sure our favorite paintings were still hanging in their usual location. Some of our favorite paintings from the permanent collection are by artists such as John Singer Sargent, Thomas Gainsborough, Winslow Homer and Alfred Stevens, etc.

In the evening we caught the play, Lempicka, at the Williamstown Theater Festival which profiles a painters life. This was followed by a 'talk back' where the cast and production leadership discussed the process of developing the play. 

On a side note, I learned that anyone can request to see a watercolor painting from their collection in advance. This takes place at the Manton Study Center for works on paper which is part of the Clark Institute.

Down by the river

(C) 2018 Dale DiMauro

Brattleboro, Vermont, on Saturday was the site of a beautiful, sunny day. While I played in a singles tournament at the Brattleboro Outing Club, I found time to fit in some plein air painting.

In my travels around the area I often seek out new areas to consider for painting. The location for this picture is one of those locations. When you head out of Brattleboro towards the old Walmart store, you travel over two bridges carrying you over the Connecticut River. Just before the second bridge on the left is an old bridge abutment which appears to have been there for many decades. These days it is the perfect landing to look up and down the Connecticut River on the New Hampshire side.

Since I use a different palate for outdoor painting than my indoor set I come up with different results. My outdoor palette has sixteen pigments while indoors I may use as many as forty colors.

Lately I have been combining colors I would not have imagined before. I put red into my blue skies to attain some warmth while partnering browns with my greens to achieve a rich, earthy color. Yesterday, I like the effect my rigger brush made when I dragged it across the page. This can be seen in the sharp-edged foliage of the tree on the upper right. 

Each time I play with watercolor paints something is learned. Even when a watercolor does not come out like I would like, I make notes to refine my approach.

Warm-up sketch

(C) 2018 Dale DiMauro

Last week before painting at Stickney Brook I did this as a warm-up exercise. It is very abstract, yet full of feeling, drawn from that environment.

Stickney Brook falls is in Dummerston, Vermont. It has a serious of falls consisting of ledge-like blocks under foot, with shallow pools. The pools are transparent with browns and greens, with the latter provided by the above leafy canopy. On a hot day it is great to wade through the water or dip into. The sound of the water is very soothing. It is also a great spot to do some reading.

When I look back at this watercolor it has some of these qualities. I can feel the movement of the water as it is slides across the stone or fills a crevice and ultimately drops down to a lower grade.

This makes me realize that sometimes a small watercolor done in a limited window of time can be more powerful or memorable than a great big picture that is well composed.

Stickney Brook watercolor

(C) 2018 Dale DiMauro

On the third of July I painted a plein air watercolor during an outdoor concert and fireworks show in Grafton, Vermont. However, I was frustrated as the paper would not dry due to the humidity and developing dew in the air. Last year at the same location, the watercolor I did was quite successful and additionally drew many onlookers.

As a result of this most recent experience I have sought to change my approach to plein air painting. My approach in this painting was to wet limited areas at a time so that I could move around the paper as needed. This way I did not have to wait for the paper to dry and could concentrate pigment in certain areas.

I am excited to develop this approach and see where it takes me. I found going back into a wash very easy as a method to darken the value or introduce additional pigments in various washes. Even after the paper dried I could go back in and paint for example, some texture for the bark on the tree.

New Horizons

(C) 2018 Dale DiMauro

On occasion I like to travel down to Northampton, Ma to ride my bike on their rail trails which totals in the neighborhood of twenty miles. What is nice about this route is that you as a rider are always in the shade of trees and can look out into the agricultural or natural landscape.

This is a simplified view from along the rail trail. This is definitely not the best watercolor I have done. However, I have been experimenting with these new Winsor Newton Series Seven brushes which I find amazing. I painted this watercolor with only one brush to see what I could do.

Lately, I have been recovering from stiffness in my lower back. It is gradually improving through yoga exercises and improved posture techniques. So I saw this watercolor as an exercise to build upon.

These brushes hold a lot of water or pigment, yet retain a reliable point. They also feel amazingly balanced in your hand.

Coastal Maine

(C) 2018 Dale DiMauro

With the summer upon us here in Vermont, my wife and I have been planning our annual trip to Maine. Just the thought of coastal Maine with the smell of the ocean brings forth subconscious memories of the landscape.

This little watercolor is inspired by our discussions. There is something about seeing and smelling water at this time of year which is refreshing. The verdant green in the foreground is rich with association. Not unlike Vermont with it's many shades of green, from the green mountains to the farmland, Maine has it's own greenery. There are the many fields, meadows, and pockets which include blueberry bushes. Not to mention the state tree, the pine tree and all the other landscape types from mountain to ocean.

Lately, I have been experimenting with different brushes and varying techniques. Last year I purchased a Winsor Newton Series Seven watercolor brush which I have come to believe is the best brush ever made. This brush just sitting in your hand feels unbelievable. I took it out a few days ago and cannot believe what I can do with this brush. First of all it holds a lot of water yet retains a fine point. However, it flows across the paper effortlessly. Perhaps most of all I like how pigment can be nudged across the paper from wet to dry areas simultaneously.

Happy 4th of July!

(C) 2018 Dale DiMauro

Recently, my wife and I attended a family reunion along the shore in Connecticut. I was struck by the great expanse of ocean, beach and sky. These horizontal qualities, in contrast with the perpendicular posts, holding up the wrap around porch, were striking.

This quick sketch was inspired from that experience, reminding me of one of Andrew Wyeth's  paintings, with an individual set against a rather sparse background. What I like about this composition is that it makes you look into the painting for something you may not find. The posture and introspective quality of the subject influences the viewers understanding of the scene. This psychological quality not spoken, resonates throughout the image. In fact, the subject matter is backlit, strengthening the profile of the face. 

In this sketch I am trying to find ways to eliminate any unnecessary elements and position the subject so that the composition is as strong as possible. For example, it may be best to lower the horizon or eliminate the railing or even move the post.

Plein air landscape

(C) 2018 Dale DiMauro

Once I learned that southern Vermont was entering a prolonged heat wave it seemed wise to brush up on my plein air painting skills. Weather.com was reporting a record seven consecutive days of ninety plus degrees of heat with multiple days approaching the century mark. 

This watercolor was painted outside under the shade of a tree in our back yard. Time constraints limited this painting to a little over an hour. Of course, over this hour, the light can change a lot. As a result, I take a photograph, once I have settled on my subject in case I have to finish my piece at home.

I have come to embrace plein air painting even though there are many frustrations along the way. Plein air painting forces me to simplify my compositions and paint directly. By this, I mean, you can not cram every little thing into your picture, nor should you. Additionally, I need to minimize my color mixing and brush strokes. As a result, cleaning up is much easier and my painting approach is freer in nature.

Self-portrait

(C) 2018 Dale DiMauro

Recently, I started this self-portrait. It will be a while before it is done as it is on a full sheet which measures 22"x 30". However, the colors, angles, light and natural pose make it an intriguing composition. I particularly like the vertical orientation with all the space above my head.

It has some modern elements such as the vacuum sealed potato chip bag, which draws the eye into the picture. This subject matter was inspired by a trip last summer to Portland, Maine.

However, it does feel odd to paint yourself on a large scale. In addition, it is a challenge to view myself objectively without some sort of bias. Regardless, I think this watercolor is off to a good start but it could end up looking like someone else.

Can you hear me now?

(C) 2018 Dale DiMauro

Recently, I finally finished this painting. It was inspired from a local paddle on a glorious day. The vivid colors and sharp reflections captivated my imagination and they do to this very moment.

It was begun a few years ago on a Saunders watercolor block and developed rapidly. However, as in life, there were other demands which pulled me away.

When returning to this painting I realized that I am a different painter today. I feel it is important to have the ability to return to a painting and carry on so that it is not frozen in time or left unfinished. 

Since I started this painting my artistic skills have expanded greatly from acquiring increased knowledge and use of pigments to simplifying my compositions. In addition, my brush handling and drawing abilities have improved. 

It is not my intention to drone on about my abilities but this realization came to the surface when returning to this watercolor. May all artists have a such a meaningful moment in their journey.