Allergies & Painting

                                                                             (C) 2023 Dale DiMauro
 

The combination of the cool greens of the tree and the vibrant orange-yellow ground plane inspired me to paint this scene. I love the rising contours which add an element of mystery, too.

I feel like this is the best evergreen I have ever painted. Certainly, a bit more massing will it give more volume. However, I like the branching and colors and even the shadows. Also, it feels like it is rooted in the landscape.

After two months of allergies, preparing taxes and getting up to speed with a new computer my painting routine has been constantly disrupted. So it is feels good to get back to painting

Madame Sherri Forest

                                                                                       (C) 2023 Dale DiMauro
 

On Friday I got in some plein air painting. After all it was a beautiful day.

However, this time I brought my full easel set-up, except I forgot my collapsable water container. Oops! I managed to adapt by using one of the deeper wells on my easel for water.

There were many people hiking the trails toward Indian Pond as well up to Madame Sherri's old remains in West Chesterfield. NH.

I took this photograph of my watercolor on my easel on site as it has much dappled light across the image. It was challenging with the changing light and rugged topography but the landscape was dominated with many layers of greens.

Hildene Estate

                                                                             (C) 2023 Dale DiMauro
 

Hildene, the Lincoln family estate in Manchester, VT is worth the visit. Hildene was the summer home of Robert Todd Lincoln and his wife, the son of Abraham Lincoln. Robert Todd Lincoln was the president of the Pullman Company which manufactured customized rail cars for wealthy people.

The residence was occupied by Lincoln descendants until 1975. Recently, I visited during my wife's school break in April. The grounds of Hildene occupy 412 acres with over 1,000 peonies near the residence.

I painted this watercolor because I love the character of old apple trees and the vibrant green of the lawn which had recently emerged.

Spring on the West River Trail

                                                                  (C) 2023 Dale DiMauro
 

After traveling south from Vermont for a few days I appreciate the quality of life that Vermont provides. All the congestion on the roads and overpopulation of people on a Sunday, no less, was real aggravating. Getting outside in the natural environment and breathing fresh air is important to me.

Painting outside seems best when applied on a watercolor block. The paper doesn't buckle and you can move across the paper rapidly.

I love the freshness of this watercolor. Colors are good, shadows are great and it is not overworked. However, the qualities of the light may be the most appealing aspect.

New Book

 

This book, the Complete Color Mixing Guide for Acrylics, Oils & Watercolor by John Barber I signed out from my local library. It was an older edition, however I didn't want to return it.

The way the book is arranged I find fascinating. The way the relationship of color is visualized I find applicable to use when experimenting with my palette. Thus, it has made me expand my palette which I find transformative.

I keep returning to the color charts when mixing watercolors. This book is such a great resource for painting that I am a much reduced painter without it.

Plein Air

                                                                              (C)2023 Dale DiMauro
 

This is one of my first plein air paintings I have done outside so far. It was both rewarding and a challenge.

I painted this while perched on the outdoor Shakespeare stage in Living Memorial Park. I was facing toward the woods out of the sun yet eliminated aspects the landscape in order to make a greater composition and to simplify my painting experience.

Painting outside you have to be willing to simplify your approach as time is limited and the light and scene will change on you.

As I left to go home the damp lawn slid out from under me as I took an unexpected tumble. I got up a bit stunned but had no real injuries so I walked it off.

Lately, for some reason I have not been able to import recent photographs of watercolors. I am still adapting to this new computer and the applications are confusing and I am yet to master the photo cropping software.

American Elm

                                                                             (C) 2023 Dale DiMauro
 

Last summer when my wife and I went on our vacation in Maine we stayed not far from the largest American Elm I have ever seen. This location was in southern Maine along the largest wetland in the state.

You can see how large the tree is in scale compared to the individual standing near the base, by the trunk. It felt great to walk under the tree and be protected and shaded by it's layers of canopy. Also, it was exciting to look out across the field from this protected location.

This elm could be seen from just about anywhere on this landscape preserve which was a hundred acres or so in size.

Though not a watercolor this experience has inspired me to paint one of my largest watercolors to date.

Crowell Gallery Exhibit(@ the Moore Free Library)

                                                                            (C) 2023 Dale DiMauro
 

The Saxtons River Art Guild has a group exhibit at the Crowell Gallery(@ the Moore Free Library) in Newfane, VT. The exhibit is up for the month of May with nearly sixty paintings for viewing, featuring twenty two members.

One of my watercolors is on exhibit but not the one pictured above. Last week I helped hang a good chunk of the paintings.

Even though Route 30 is in the process of being paved it is worth the visit. There is such a variety of painters, subject matter and approaches which in total, makes the exhibit impressive.

Spring is the Time

                                                                                       (C) 2023 Dale DiMauro 

Spring is the time for change as they say. Well, I upgraded my computer and now I have a much better tripod for painting outside. 

Needless to say, I have to get up to speed on using these new upgrades. And boy are they time killers. They take time from painting but hopefully it will all pan out.

I like this new strada easel as it folds down and will fit into my shoulder bag. It also has a surface to lay my paper or watercolor block on for someone of my height which is over six feet.

Fort Dummer State Park(VT)

                                                                                       (C) 2023 Dale DiMauro
 

Fort Dummer State Park is a lovely recreational area in Brattleboro, VT. This is a watercolor of an area within the park that I painted at the end of winter last year.

After the park closes for the season I visit most often. This is when the area becomes quiet and there are no park fees for local residents.

However, this year I hiked the area before the snow melted and was shocked to see hundreds of trees blown down by one of our late season heavy storms. Some of the hiking trails were obscured with debris from pine trees piled all over the place. Many of the limbs ripped from the pine trees were enormous.

Soon the park will open for the season on Memorial Day. I hope and imagine much of debris from the winter storms will have been attended too. Regardless, it was quite a site to see the park littered with trees down in the open spaces as well as deep into the woods.

Following the Bead

                                                                              C) 2023 Dale DiMauro

Watercolor is such a diverse medium. You can apply paint or mark the paper in such diverse and numerous ways. You can paint in watercolors outside, in the studio or in your car.

The paint can be applied wet on wet, wet on dry or with a dry brush. You can paint on smooth, textured or rough paper.

Recently, I have taken to following the bead of wet paint down the paper as I go along. In essence, the painting is or can be done in one wash. However, you can go back and add a wash here or there after the paper has dried.

LOCAL FIELD

                                                                             (C) 2023 Dale DiMauro

Since I have upgraded my computer I have scrolled though photographs of watercolors painted many years ago. I have to say I am impressed. On some paintings another wash here or there may clarify the values or convey better depth but in total there is a lot to take in.

This is a watercolor painted in the fall many seasons ago inspired from a local field I walk through often, even recently. I love the warm colors and distant hills.

Increasingly I nudge myself to paint larger, with bigger brushes and a larger palette.

The Brattleboro Common

                                                                          (C) 2023 Dale DiMauro
 

Painting the Brattleboro Common en plein air has developed into a ritual for me. Sometimes it is hard to know when it is warm enough to paint outside, at least, at the beginning of the summer season. I use the Brattleboro Common as my test run as it is a reliable painting spot with picnic tables and the snow often melts first here.

I like the abstract quality of this watercolor. There is a minimalistic quality to this image but I like the simplicity and flow to the colors.

Apologies to all for not able to post yesterday. I upgraded my computer two weeks ago and had all kind of glitches navigating the blog and my email.

Sketchbook Paintings

                                                                                       (C) 2023 Dale DiMauro
 

When all else fails it is best to draw or paint in the sketchbook. Whether it is testing out color studies or improving on capturing the human form it is always good to go back to the old friend - the sketchbook. 

It has a record of what you have done and an indication of what you can do in the future. There is much more life in a sketchbook than in a final painting. It has a soul and fluency in technique, colors and approach than your ever find on the wall of a gallery. 

I always try to carry a sketchbook everywhere I go but other demands and obligations interfere. One's skills can really develop if they persist and are allowed to develop.

PLEIN AIR SEASON

                                                                                       (C) 2023 Dale DiMauro
 

With the temperature reaching the seventies, locally, it feels like summer is not far off. Today, I dug out my summer clothes and tick apparel. 

I even painted my first plein air of the season. However, this plein air painting is from last summer. 

Recently, I bought a new mac computer and am getting up to speed. I am yet to master the new photograph application. But, boy the colors of summer are so enticing.

Missing Painting

                                                                            (C) 2023 Dale DiMauro
 

The Saxton's River Art Group is exhibiting for the month of May, in the Crowell Gallery, at the Moore Free Library, in Newfane, Vermont. 

In the past I have exhibited with this group and as a solo exhibit in this same space. I wanted to exhibit this particular painting above which I cannot find. It is framed and ready to go.

I have searched in every closet space and storage area and have come up empty handed each time. 

Hopefully, it turns up soon. It is beginning to feel like the missing Vermeer painting. A lot of frustration with zero results.

GATORBOARD

                                                                                       (C) 2023 Dale DiMauro
 

Years ago I purchased this Gatorboard from Cheap Joes, a mail order company well known for selling art supplies. It had been used a bit in the past and had acquired pigment stains and some dirt accumulated on the edges.

Well, today I cleaned it up and taped a watercolor sheet down and started a watercolor. The board looks likes it is brand new again.

I will say it is tricky to prevent the paper from buckling. I am always experimenting with different methods of keeping the paper taunt. I prefer it stretched tight like a drum.

Cropping Your Watercolor

                                                                                 (C)2023 Dale DiMauro
 

When I need to step back from my watercolor painting to gain a greater perspective I often grab one of these pre-cut mats to see how the picture is coming along. They help to crop the edges and determine which areas need further refinement.

Sometimes it reveals two pictures in one.  The area below the mat is of the cloud pattern reflected in the water - a painting in of itself.

I have many of these mats in different sizes in my studio. These mats seem to guide me in determining where I should sign my painting, too.

West River Field

                                                                             (C) 2023 Dale DiMauro
 

It is always rewarding painting the landscape as the creative process makes you observe the land. That curve which marks the edge of the field I would say is significant in this painting. It gives the field character and draws the viewers attention.

I introduced some brown into the sky which I had not done before. This provides some warmth and creates a mood of calm.

What strikes me about this picture are the clear washes of color. All the landscape elements seem well defined. 

New Color Combination

                                                                                                (C) Dale DiMauro
 

Discovering new color combinations and imagining how I would put them to use is an endless fascination. We have such strong associations with color going back to childhood that it can move you in ways you can't fathom. For instance, this coloring reminds me of attending a wedding reception in Boulder, Co., in late summer, when the drought turned the foliage and earth to a similar hue.

The pairing of red cadmium and burnt umber gives you a western or dry feel that is distinct from all the greens I normally experience or paint. To me this pairing is more of an earth color than I thought.

The backdrop of orangey-red makes the browns come forward. I particularly like the reflection along the water.