Fields of Gold, 4" x 11", Pastel on Wallis sanded paper

© by Christine DiMauro, all rights reserved.

Believe it or not, this painting is of that same place on the North Fork of Long Island, a winery.  By looking in another direction one will see a very different landscape.  I was experimenting with color in this little painting.  My intent was to paint in a higher key than I normally do.  I exaggerated the colors quite a bit, and I found it to be very liberating.  

Vineyard Glow, 6" x 10", Pastel on Canson paper

There is a special place here on Long Island called the "North Fork".  It is filled with wineries and farms, and it is quaint and charming, all the things I find so appealing when looking for landscapes to paint.  The lighting is especially alluring, and I find the opportunities  to paint endless.  I can easily come away from a Sunday afternoon with a hundred photos in my camera.  This painting is a result of one of those Sunday afternoons.  I've so far painted five pastels of this special place, and I know I can come up with more, I probably will!

All Dressed Up, Pastel, 8" x 10", painted on Wallis Belgium Mist sanded paper

© by Christine DiMauro, all rights reserved.

Well, I pulled it off!  I was able to finish a painting for my Christmas card this year.  This happens to be an ornament on my tree, it is one of my favorites.  I thought I would use it this year as the subject for my card.  It is a bit altered, the ornament actually has 4 penguins.  I painted three to represent my family, as there are three of us.  Warm wishes for a very Merry Christmas and a happy and healthy New Year!

Sunflower, Color pencil with a watercolor underpainting, 4 1/2" x 6", done on Arches hot press paper

© by Christine DiMauro, all rights reserved.

This is a small color pencil that I did quite some time ago.  I find that color pencil works nicely on Arches hot press watercolor paper, and a watercolor underpainting seems to speed up the process a bit.  Color pencil is labor intensive, so I rarely use it these days.  They take forever, and I was loosing patience.  Once I discovered pastel, I never looked back. 

Hibiscus in Sun, 4" x 6", Watercolor on Arches cold press paper

© by Christine DiMauro, all rights reserved.

This is probably my favorite watercolor.  It was one of those few times when everything went my way, oh happy days!  I painted this from a photograph I took at a local farm.  This is teeny tiny, I wish I painted it larger (it probably would have been a disaster though, knowing my frustrations with watercolor).

Garden Impatiens, 4 1/2" x 6 1/2", Watercolor on Arches coldpress paper

© by Christine DiMauro, all rights reserved.

Watercolor is not my friend.  It is an elusive medium that I struggle with, yet I still play and attempt to come up with something acceptable.  These paintings started out as one, yet together they did not work.  So, the scissors came out, and voila! I now have two little paintings.  I liked the simplicity of design and the transparency of the layering in these, they aren't fussy which I find difficult to achieve with watercolor.

Teddies in Transit, Pastel, 7" x 9", painted on Wallis sanded paper

© by Christine DiMauro, all rights reserved.

It's sometimes difficult to come up with an original idea for my Christmas Card.  Back in 2002 I thought I would paint some teddy bears that I've collected.  I have them sitting in this sleigh on a table during the Christmas season, and they inspired me enough to paint them for my card.  I find it funny how you can capture a personality from a stuffed animal.