Figure Painting

                                                                                     (C) 2022 Dale DiMauro
 

Figure painting can be a challenge. It seems best when you put something down on paper to convey the movement of the human body. The human figure flexes in all kinds of directions which allows for endless opportunities to represent our existence. It can be as simple as a line drawing with a dot for the head.

In this watercolor doodle I like the pinkish background with the cool blue foreground. These are not colors I normally use together. It could be ice skaters or several cross country skiers.

I am committed to capturing the human body in movement, particularly at a larger scale where more of the personal characteristics are evident. It is important to utilize the fluidity of watercolor while not overdoing it. This takes much practice and a direct approach to painting. However, I think watercolor is the perfect medium to express the human figure.

The Masters' Choice Watercolor Paper(upon Reflection)

                                                                                       (C) 2022 Dale DiMauro
 

At this time of year the plant growth is so lush, green and layered that it is hard to comprehend the complexities of the natural world. And I am speaking from the state of Vermont where we have had a shortage of rain since winter.

All this greenery is reflected on our ponds, rivers and lakes. Of importance, is the habitat it provides for such a wide range of birds and other forms of life. Within walking distance of our house is a great heron which frequents a neighborhood pond while providing quite the sight when landing or taking off.

I have been experimenting with this Masters' Watercolor Paper since winter and I have to say I really like this paper. This was painted on one of two watercolor blocks that I purchased at the time. Both consist of this rough surface which leaves a lovely silky surface after the pigment dries. Also, it feels like I am painting on a thicker and more elegant surface.

Scott Farm

                                                                                       (C) 2022 Dale DiMauro
 

One of my favorite walks originates or ends at the Scott Farm in Dummerston, Vermont. It is in some ways a historic lesson as you are led along old apple orchards, gravel roads and rambling stone walls. In fact, Cider House Rules was filmed at the Scott Farm many years ago. The old buildings and barns from the working farm have such character as they have settled into the landscape over time and cast a history in the shadows.

Often I walk past this single apple tree which dominates the curve in the road. Production-wise it is probably a mini-orchard in of itself.

At this time of year, the rich greens which dominate the landscape are most appealing to me. I even like the sweep of gray from the gravel road as it disappears into the horizon.

Golden Fields

                                                                                       (C) 2022 Dale DiMauro

This watercolor has been sitting on my desk in an unfinished state. So, tonight I put some time into developing this picture. I love the saturation of color. Also, it is pushing the boundaries of my palette.

This landscape has some weight to it. It even has a glow which is radiating from the ground up. 

I feel like this has the characteristics of a strong landscape painting. That is, a strong composition with elements reduced to the core and a simple color scheme. There is something enticing about trees, sky and the ground plane.

However, this watercolor is not yet finished.

 

West River Trail

                                                                                       (C) 2022 Dale DiMauro
 

The West River Trail in Brattleboro, VT, has become a lovely recreational corridor. It is well shaded in the summer months yet, becomes a solar walk in the winter in the afternoon when the leaves are off the trees(when the sun is out).

It really has increased public access to the West River. However, you can't miss the huge, new bridge looming over the river.

I feel like I got off to a good start with this watercolor. The view is toward the Retreat Meadows in the distance. There seems to be increasing bird activity every time I take a walk along the path.

Watercolor Sketches

                                                                                       (C) 2022 Dale DiMauro
 

It took me a while but I have begun to embrace this watercolor book. I mentioned in a previous post that I had begun to use this sketchbook from Holbein. In addition to watercolor, it is intended for other kinds of multi-media. It has thin pages but handles watercolor pretty well.

It has white sheets of paper which make the pigments come to life while remaining vibrant. I find it useful for compositional studies and experimenting with different color mixtures.

These Holbein books come in a variety of sizes up to around 16" x 21" which is a pretty good-sized page. They may even come in larger sizes.

Self Portrait

                                                                                       (C) 2022 Dale DiMauro
 

Recently, I came upon this self portrait I painted several years ago. I like how the hands are portrayed and the relaxed posture.

Also, the bench is of significance, at least in my family. It is named after a relative of ours who lived to to be over one hundred years old.

Finally, this watercolor reminds me of summers in Maine.

Watercolor Sketch

                                                                                       (C) 2022 Dale DiMauro
 

When pressed for time I have been painting these quick watercolor sketches. Many are purely imaginary. It is an opportunity to try out new color mixes and see what I can do with them. I find it keeps the mind engaged and the paint flowing.

In addition, the importance of leaving the white of the paper, in some areas, is paramount. This draws the eye into the landscape and the pigment will not run where the paper is dry.

The color of the building was mixed with quinacridone gold and an orange color that has been sitting on my palette for some time. I like the richness of the color and the gritty texture. 

Most of all I like this direct way of painting which produces a fresh and lively style of applying paint.

Watercolor Studies

                                                                            (C) 2022 Dale DiMauro
 

It is rewarding to discover numerous ways to make marks on the paper. Dragging the brush and painting irregular edges are real expressive. Simply drawing with the brush can be very satisfying. It is important to leave patches of paper unpainted as this can provide a layer of dimension and texture in your painting.

I really like this Holbein watercolor paper that I have been painting on recently. It is a bright white paper which brings out the colors of the pigments. It is 140 lb paper but it seems to take many washes and hold it's own.

The  yellow-green color swatch on the top of the page I made by combining cadmium yellow and cerulean blue.  The lower right gray color swatch was made by combining veridian and cadmium red.

Winslow Homer: American Passage

 

Winslow Homer(1836-1910), was quite remarkable in depicting on pencil, paper or oil, many of the significant moments of America history. He was sympathetic to abolitionists, experienced Abraham Lincoln's inaugural speech, and was along the front lines of the civil law.

At the end of last week I finished reading Winslow Homer: American Passage, by William R. Cross. I had read a review in the Atlantic Magazine about this book which piqued my interest. There had not been a book profiling Winslow Homer's life in decades, other than catalogues of his paintings.

This book did not reference or at least I don't recall any connection to the current exhibit of Winslow Homer's paintings at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, in New York City, which runs until July 31, 2022.

Yet, after finishing this book I am amazed that Winslow Homer largely, escaped a life of hard labor on the farm or factory which so many others must have experienced.

Bar Harbor, Maine

                                                                                       (C) 2022 Dale DiMauro
 

The last time I visited Bar Harbor, Maine, during the summer, which was several years ago, this little stretch of beach became etched in my memory. Part of it was the vivid colors of the shoreline, part of it was the rock strewn inlets and the other part was the white sail of a large boat gliding past the evergreens in the distance.

I feel like I got off to a good start with this watercolor. It is the kind of composition which draws the viewer in with the diagonal orientation of the water, enhanced by the landform.

In particular, I like the strong values and linear details on the sand in the foreground. Also, the sky has a warm quality which I don't come upon too often.

One Wash Darks

                                                                                    (C) 2022 Dale DiMauro
 

Spring sure is leaping into Summer. At least here in Vermont, where air conditioners are in place and running on the third week of May. Perhaps, this watercolor study will cool things down a bit.

This wash was a dark I have been experimenting with, lately. It consists of burnt umber/indigo and a touch of payne's gray. This is basically a one wash painting. There is a variation of the proportions of the pigments from one area to the next but it is one wash, in essence. The bush was painted by drawing the wet pigment down from above with my rigger brush.

I painted this on Holbein watercolor paper which doesn't seem to accept numerous washes, yet the pigments remain so fresh and vivid.

Watercolor Doodle

                                                                            (C) 2022 Dale DiMauro
 

In this day and age people have a greater connection to their devices instead of the people around them. There, I said it. That is in essence, what I have been thinking about lately. Everyone has different devices, different degrees of money invested, innumerous distractions and yet we don't really know how to use each others gizmo's. It really is a bizarre reality. Stepping back from the scene it really is quite humorous.

After some time away it felt good to return to the brush. Continuity is key, particularly when it comes to progress. Also, painting keeps the mind engaged even if just on a sub-conscious level. 

I like the colorings and brush work in the foreground. Sometimes you say me more when you have nothing to say or when it is least expected. In addition, I experiment most when the subject doesn't get in the way.

Florence Griswold Museum

                                                                                       C) 2022 Dale DiMauro
 

While at a family reunion my mom and I were fortunate to visit the Florence Griswold Museum in Old Lyme, CT. It was a center point for American Impressionism in Twenty Century America.

The house and property housed summer artists, creating an artistic community with frequent plein air excursions. Many well-known artists spent time at the house and grounds. They included William Metcalf and Childe Hassam, amongst others. Through the years over 200 artists spent time at the artist colony.

Above is a photograph of a painting by William Metcalf, currently on display in one of their galleries.

Plein air

                                                                          (C) 2022 Dale DiMauro
 

We have had a glorious string of days here in southern Vermont. Trees and shrubs seem to be rushing to unfurl their foliage and develop new growth. In fact, it is hard to keep up with all that is going on in the natural world.

Tuesday morning I managed to squeeze in this plein air painting. As I assembled my stuff to go home after painting I swear the grass was greener than it was when I arrived.

It was deceptively blustery while I was painting with the wind coming from numerous directions. Regardless, I learn something every time I paint. I have been resisting the urge to cover the whole paper with pigment. The white of the paper which can be found in the distant grass and the lower sky are some of the dry brush affects which I left as they were.

Windsor, Vermont

                                                                                       (C) 2022 Dale DiMauro
 

Windsor, Vermont is considered the "birthplace of Vermont". This town is where the constitution of Vermont was adopted in 1777. This marked the founding of the Vermont republic.

This is the second painting I did derived from passing through Windsor, Vermont a little over a week ago. It was here that my wife and I discovered this neat little river which meanders around the community ballfields. Along this river there is a lovely swimming hole which includes a small, sandy beach.

This vantage point is adjacent to the pedestrian bridge which is just behind me. I painted this on Artist Watercolour Paper(rough) which I have taken a liking to.

Windsor, Vermont

                                                               (C) 2022 Dale DiMauro
 

Last week my wife and I stopped in Windsor, Vermont and discovered their athletic fields by accident. We were looking at the headstones in an old cemetery along the main drag which include Carlos Coolidge(Governor of Vermont during the mid-1800's). Before long we noticed kids climbing this anchor fence along the back woods.

We followed this high school kid on the trail and along a local river to the community ballfields. It took us to a pedestrian bridge which by all accounts must be a lovely swimming hole in the summer.

This is the watercolor I painted from that experience. You can see the green of the lawn is very inviting through the woods. This is just walking distance from the Precision Museum which we visiting before heading back home.

Vincent Van Gogh

Reading Van Gogh: The Life (2012) by Steven Naifeh and Gregory White Smith took some time. This is a well researched and well written book. It was a challenge to even hold in my hands as the text of the book is close to nine hundred pages in length.

However, I learned a lot about Vincent Van Gogh(1853-1890) and his difficult life. Van Gogh is credited with creating around one thousand paintings and one thousand drawings. He sold at least two of these paintings and numerous drawings during of his life. Yet, he only lived to the age of 37. Also, his brother Theo who supported him emotionally and financially died within a year of his death.

Vincent may be best known for cutting his ear off and shooting himself. Regardless, he has become one of the most influential painters in western art. A Van Gogh sold for $82.5 million in 1990.

One of the things I admire most about Vincent is that he consistently painted portraits of the underclass which is not something you see everyday. Also, he was largely self-taught, a truly original artist.
 

MAUVE

 

                                                                                      (C) 2022 Dale DiMauro

Mauve is a color of conversation that has come up in my life several times over the last ten days or beyond. So I decided to explore this color more.

Mauve is french for 'mallow' as it derives from the mallow plant. It is considered a pale, purple color which many people characterize as lilac. In painting it is created by mixing red with purple.

The above tree was made by combining red with purple. I don't know if I would continue using it as a tree color. However, this color does add something to the landscape. The tree doesn't dominate the landscape as other dark-toned colorations do.

However, I will consider using it as pigment down the road when the right occasion presents itself. How would you use it in your paintings?

Spring Landscape

                                                                             (C) 2022 Dale DiMauro

It is finally exciting to experience warmer temperatures as plants begin to leaf out. After a long winter and a cool April, we have a magnolia tree in full bloom and a plethora of daffodils lighting up the front yard. As a matter of fact, it is not uncommon to find someone in our yard sniffing or taking photographs(even from local newspapers) of our magnolia tree when my wife or I arrive home.

When the lawns and yards fill out with the yellow-greens of spring I am reassured the warm season is here to stay. Just a few years ago I would paint most of my shadows with a blue or cool color. With a broader perspective I expanded that practice to include rich browns which in many ways are the color of spring(along with green).

Brown has been an elusive color for me. However, not so much anymore. I have learned the browns of the earth - the soil and river beds really make the greens come forward in the landscape. 

One of my favorite color combinations to achieve a rich, lively, brown is sepia and permanent sap green.