Series: Down by the Sea

The Beach, 22" X 10.5" watercolor

by April M. Rimpo

It seems like unconsciously I work in series without really planning to do so.  In looking back at my work I find ships, sailboats, water scenes keep popping up. The latest The Beach is shown at right. This painting received a Second Place award. In this painting the sailboat is secondary to the people musseling on the beach, yet the pathways in the sand and water do bring you back around to the lovely sailboat making me want to sail away.

The Beach

watercolor

22 " X 10.5" image

28 " X 16" brushed silver frame
$650 within the United States *

Available for Purchase Here 

Sailboats are the central focus in several of my paintings over the years.  Race on the Cove was sold from a solo exhibit at the Dorchester Art Center in Cambridge, Maryland back in 2002.

Race on the Cove, watercolor by April M. Rimpo

Even oils that predated my switch to watercolor in 1997 depicted people on the beach, as shown in Kennebunkport below.

Kennebunkport, oil by April M. Rimpo

So what draws me to beach and water scenes?  I think it is the serenity I find by the ocean.  This struck me most dramatically when I visited the Pacific coast in Oregon as a college student.  Unlike the beaches I  experienced on the Atlantic coast as a child, there are very few people; there is nothing but the sound of crashing waves and maybe the frolic of an otter.

The power of nature is very real and poignant; when there I feel totally at peace.  I can sit on the cliffs by myself and just stare for hours.  There are no troubles of the world, there is nothing that I feel I have to do except sit and enjoy.

Clearly in Race on the Cove there is a lot of activity on the water, but as I remember that day there was no throng of people crowding a beach and distracting me from the race.  Again, quiet was the predominant sensation.  Of course, the color of the sails add that splash that I love, so this became another one of those precious moments I cherish. 

I have a few quotations at the bottom of my blog.  One is by John Burk that perfectly characterizes how I feel about many of my paintings.

 "Time spent in a painting is very much like going there again on vacation.  And when the painting is done, I have seen every detail and nuance so thoroughly, that a glance at the completed work is sufficient for a short visit."

Perhaps that is why I paint so many of these types of landscapes.  I know you won't revisit my experience when you look at these paintings, but I hope they do bring back to you some wonderful time you spent by the ocean or on a lake.  I'd love to hear your stories.  They will add a new dimension to my art that I could never enjoy otherwise.

For other water and boat scenes take a look at these other blog posts.  

• Port of Call - NYC
• Tall Ship Gloria
• The Dugouts
• Flores  SOLD
• Wash Day
• At One with Their Gondolas 
• A Day at the Fountain

Interested in learning more about April's art inspirations, tips about her painting process, or art business tidbits? Want to know when her art is in exhibits? Consider joining her friends and collectors by signing up for her twice-monthly email.

Copyright April M Rimpo All Rights Reserved. You may share my work with attribution, but all other uses are prohibited.