Copyright April M Rimpo

Visit April's website www.amrart.org
Copyright April M Rimpo All Rights Reserved. You may share my work with attribution and a link to this source site, but all other uses are prohibited.

Sunday, December 31, 2017

2017 - Giving thanks for a Wonderful Year

2017 has been a year of change: new highs we have never seen in the stock market (Dow topped 21000 in March and continued into the 24000s as the year ended), more people standing up and participating in marches to have their voices heard than we've seen in decades, and unfortunately more violence across our country. During all this turmoil and change, my art year has been incredible. Here are many of my happiest art business moments:
  • My paintings and fused glass are represented by HorseSpirit Arts Gallery in Ellicott City, Maryland since last January and I've signed my contract to continue in 2018.
  • The Artistic Spirit video series by HorseSpirit Arts Gallery included me and my art in its second episode. People from across the globe participated in the Facebook LIVE session and it reached over 1800 views within one week. What magnificent press! I continue to have a Facebook and Instagram follower from Japan that is the result of this series. Enjoy the video on YouTube.  I've inserted a link at the end of this post. 
  • I was accepted into three (3) international watermedia exhibits during February, resulting in Signature Artist status in all three. Signature Artist status is an honor many societies offer after you've been selected to be in their shows after a certain number of times. I now have Signature Artist status in six watermedia organizations.
  • My artwork was featured in a solo exhibit in March at Touchstone Gallery in Washington DC. 
  • My first of several paintings was sold at HorseSpirit Arts Gallery in February with continued sales throughout the year.  Thanks to Robin Holliday and her wonderful staff for all their hard work.
  • My painting, Freight Yard, was included in AcrylicWorks4: Captivating Color, a Northlight best of acrylic book, which was published in April.

  • I had a wonderful trip to New Orleans, where my husband and I joined my brother and his girlfriend, for the French Quarter Fest. Lots of great music, fantastic food, and fun; not to mention lots of wonderful new source material for future paintings.
  • In April I learned that my painting, Lunch with Champagne, was selected for North Light Books' Splash 19: Illusion of Light. I never thought I would have artwork selected for this Best of Watercolor book. It will be published in 2018.
  •  I taught a couple Fun with Fluid Acrylic workshops in 2017; first in June and again in October. I've been thinking about teaching and found out I really enjoy doing so, despite feeling like I carry half of my studio with me to these workshops. I did, however, learn how exhausting it is to teach.
  • June brought me news that two of my paintings will be in North Light Books' 2018 Best of Acrylic book, AcrylicWorks5: Bold Values. The selected paintings are Movement and Lanterns.
  • The Bakery was selected for the Pennsylvania Watercolor Society's 38th Annual International Juried Exhibition, held in Gettysburg, PA. It was so nice having a show that is only a little over an hour away, allowing me to see it in person and to attend the opening reception, where I received an Honorable Mention award.  In November this same painting received the 3rd Place award in the Bauhaus Prairie Art Gallery Online Exhibit "Landscapes, Seascapes, and Interiors." 
  • Stalks by April M Rimpo
  • In October and November Movement III was on exhibit in the International Society of Experimental Artists' 26th Annual ISEA International Art Exhibition, held on Sanibel Island, Florida. Movement III was also accepted in the International Society of Acrylic Painter's 2nd Online Member Juried Exhibition.
  • Stalks was selected by juror, Susan Behrends Frank, Ph.D., Curator, The Phillips Collection, Washington, DC for the Maryland Federation of Art Exhibition Strokes of Genius.
    Commissioned Paintings

  • Three people commissioned paintings from me this year. There was a DC street scene, a view of San Francisco Bay from another home, and a family at their favorite camping site. All were great projects. This is the first time that  I didn't know any of the people before the commission.  Each allowed me to create a special place in their life. What an honor. (In the image at left I also included a portion of the commission from 2016 for some dear friends of mine who asked me to paint their family truck.)
  • I created my first video of me creating a painting.  Since I started with my wet, drippy, netting technique, I had to tip my board a lot during the first part of the video in a way that you cannot see the whole process. I hope you see enough to understand the basic approach.  I've inserted some stills into the video to show the progress and included an image of the finished painting at the end.  You can see the video in my blog on They're Everywhere.
  • Three of my fused glass pieces sold this year; two being direct sales. It was a big surprise for me since I have been focusing on my painting and not my fused glass. Perhaps there will be some new fused glass creations in 2018.
2017 was a wonderful year for my art and my personal life. I've just returned from a great visit with my son, his wife, and her parents. It is always a treat to have time with family.

I wish you all a fantastic year in 2018 with great health and happiness!

You can watch the Artistic Spirits YouTube video here 
   https://youtu.be/qQJxcYElnbQ

Click here to Contact April

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 and a link to this source site, but all other uses are prohibited.

Monday, December 18, 2017

"Fiddle Away" 24" X 24" Watercolor

Fiddle Away by April M Rimpo
Fiddle Away
Watercolor
24" X 24" gallery wrapped

Available through April's Website

Although I no longer play an instrument, when I was in my early teens my brother and I were very interested in music; the Beatles probably had that impact on all teens in those days. He got a guitar and I won one on the boardwalk in Atlantic City when I was 12 years old. A few years later we played together with a few neighbor kids, until my brother was embarrassed to have his "little sister" tagging along with him.  His interest in playing music has lasted and he now owns many guitars plus I think a banjo and mandolin; I am actually not sure about the full inventory of instruments he owns. My musical interests turned more to singing, which I did in a Madrigal Group and Chorus in high school. In my late twenties and early thirties, I played in a band with my husband. We performed with friends for fun, not professionally.

When visiting an old mansion-turned-art-gallery, I saw a woman being interviewed about her music. Her instruments (the guitar, banjo, and violin case) were sitting in the hallway (giving me an opportunity to photograph them from a variety of angles.)  She was using the violin during the interview. She and her instruments brought back great memories of being with my brother, playing, listening, and enjoying music in our early teens.  Fiddle Away is my tribute to that woman and all the musicians around the world who bring joy with their talents.

Click here to Contact April

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 and a link to this source site, but all other uses are prohibited.

Wednesday, December 6, 2017

Singular Sensations at CAC: Art for $200 or less

This year is Columbia Art Center's 20th Singular Sensations Holiday Art exhibition. All work is priced at $200 or less, perfect for gift giving. Opening Reception on Dec 7th, 6 - 8 PM.  The exhibit runs through Dec 14th.

I selected three glass pieces and three paintings for the event.  The paintings all have deep wood cradles that can sit on any surface and can be displayed stacked upon each other.  They are perfect for small spot, on book shelves, end tables...  You get the idea.





 





Deco Rooster
Acrylic mounted on
2" Deep Wood Cradle














Morning Song
Acrylic on Aquabord with
2" 
Deep Wood Cradle
















Egrets' Haven
Acrylic on Aquabord with
2" 
Deep Wood Cradle



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 2017 All Rights Reserved. You may share my work with attribution, but all other uses are prohibited.  


Tuesday, November 28, 2017

City 10" X 10" mixed media

City by April M Rimpo
These paintings are titled "Country" and "City". My inspiration for the "City" painting came during a Touchstone Gallery reception.  I stepped outside during the reception and took some photographs of DC at night. Since I was planning a tree scene for "Country" I thought my image of one of the trees in front of the gallery lit by a street light would be a nice companion.  There were bicycles parked by the tree and those, of course, had to be included. In fact they were the reason I had taken the photograph.  This led to my decision to add a bicycle to the "Country" painting.  



City
Mixed Media
10" X 10"



Country by April M Rimpo - SOLD



Both of these paintings were started on canvas and on rice paper. The rice paper was used to create textures in the foliage. It was attached to the canvas and then I add more paint to the rice paper surface allowing the underpainting on the canvas shine through.  







HoCoArt #ShopSmall #SmallBizSat

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 2015 All Rights Reserved. You may share my work with attribution, but all other uses are prohibited.

Thursday, October 26, 2017

Mixed Media Trees

Recently I taught a couple sessions of my workshop, "Fun with Fluid Acrylics." The focus was primarily acrylics that, as the name implies, come in liquid form. These paints can be used much like watercolor.  This workshop explored not only the watercolor-like properties but also how to incorporate mixed media techniques into your paintings. One of the mixed media techniques included the use of Masa rice paper.

The tree paintings shown here started with a loose dripping wash and later included rice paper for the trees and some of the foregrounds.
Family Trees by April M Rimpo






Family Trees
Mixed Media
8" X 10" in wood frame

$200









Southwest by April M Rimpo






Southwest
Mixed Media
12" X 12" mounted on 0.75in deep cradle

$375

Available at Touchstone Gallery in December








Southwest Cliffs by April M Rimpo






Southwest Cliffs
Mixed Media
14" X 11" mounted to a 0.75" deep primed board

$400














This technique can also be used to create an exciting finish across the entire painting, which you can see in Standing Tall II. 


Standing Tall II by April M Rimpo






Standing Tall II
Mixed Media
14" X 11" mounted to 1.5" deep wood cradled board

$425


Included in the 2018
Celebration of the Arts
Art Silent Auction


If you want to learn more and see how a master uses this approach you might want to check out the book,

The Watercolor World of Cheng-Khee Chee.




More Mixed Media paintings using rice paper:



Click here to Contact April

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 and a link to this source site, but all other uses are prohibited.

Saturday, October 21, 2017

"Grosvenor Arch" 12"X12" fluid acrylic and watercolor

Grosvenor Arch by April M Rimpo
Grosvenor Arch
Watercolor and Fluid Acrylic
12 X 12 X 0.75" deep, wood cradle


There are numerous places in the United States southwest where you can see beautiful, red-rock arches, pinnacles, spires, and cliffs. I always find them inspiring and Grosvenor Arch in Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah was no disappointment. This painting started as 22" X 14", depicting the full height of the arch, but after some time I decided it is the arch itself that fascinates me, so I decided to rework it in a square 12" X 12" format.  The the focused look brings back memories of a great trip. 


Click here to Contact April

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 and a link to this source site, but all other uses are prohibited.

Thursday, October 19, 2017

New Series: How do you feel?

Bubbling with Joy by April M Rimpo







Bubbling with Joy
Watercolor on Yupo
Varnished
12" X 12" Brushed Silver Frame

$375

Effervescent by April M Rimpo









Effervescent
Watercolor on Yupo
Varnished
12" X 12" Brushed Silver Frame

$375










United (diptych)
Watercolor on Yupo
Two 18" X 12" paintings in
24" X 18" Gold Metal Frames

$1125 for diptych






Contact April if you are interested in purchasing separately ($625 each)


Click here to Contact April

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 and a link to this source site, but all other uses are prohibited.

Wednesday, October 11, 2017

"Fanciful" 20" X 16" fluid acrylic

Fanciful by April M Rimpo 

Fanciful
Fluid Acrylic
20" X 16" painting
27.5" X 23.5" framed with white mat

Phone: 410-461-4505
Email: info@HorseSpiritArtsGallery.com 
Open: Open 6 days a week, check their website for hours

Everywhere you turn in the center of Brussels, Belgium are pinnacles, spires, amazing carvings and building facades. This particular set of spires makes me think of the castle in Disneyland and wonder what was the inspiration for that castle when it was designed. 

There was something about the juxtaposition of these apparently older buildings with more modern structures with nothing but squared or corners and deep-set windows. Perhaps if all of the buildings brandished spires they would become less special and the fantasy will diminish.  All I know is they were dreamy to me and just needed to be recreated for you through my eyes. 



Click here to Contact April

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 and a link to this source site, but all other uses are prohibited.

Thursday, October 5, 2017

COLORFEST - Mini Shows within BIG Show at Touchstone Gallery

April's Paintings included in COLORFEST
"Race", "Free Living", and "The Orator"
The October Member Show at Touchstone Gallery is
COLORFEST

Touchstone artists burst with color along with the Fall foliage. Get to know your local arts community as each artist displays a micro-show of selected artwork. Each artist’s personal style and color selection creates a cohesive presentations of their art and individual points of view.

It is great to have more than a single piece on exhibit this month.  I helped to hang this exhibition and love how each artist has a micro-show that holds its own within the whole of the larger exhibit.

To see larger images of these pieces go to my Touchstone Gallery artist's page.


Click here to Contact April

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 and a link to this source site, but all other uses are prohibited.

Tuesday, October 3, 2017

Lakeside and Standing Tall VI 9X12 plein air paintings

Lakeside by April M Rimpo





Lakeside
Acrylic
9" X 12" in
14" X 17" frame
$325








What a perfect paint out as part of the Columbia, Maryland 50th Anniversary celebrations.  The weather could not have been better.  Temperatures ranged from 60 - 70 during the day with a lovely breeze.  The views were incredible around Wilde Lake.  Painters had the option to paint at either Wilde Lake or Lake Kittamaqundi in Columbia, Maryland.  The turn out by local artists was great. So many people came by while we were painting.  Such lucky residents to live near all of theses wonderful scenes. 
Standing Tall VI by April M Rimpo



Standing Tall VI 
Acrylic
12" X 9" in
17" X 14" frame


Click here to Contact April

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 and a link to this source site, but all other uses are prohibited.

Thursday, September 21, 2017

"Stalks" 18" x 24" fluid acrylic

Stalks by April M Rimpo


Stalks
Fluid Acrylic
24" X 18" Varnished and Gallery wrapped
$1035, including shipping within the United States


Selected for the Maryland Federation of Art's Strokes of Genius exhibition to be held from October 27 - November 25, 2017 at Circle Gallery in Annapolis, Maryland. Stalks was one of 70 paintings selected for this National exhibition from a field of 512 entries. Such an honor to be selected by juror Susan Behrends Frank, Ph.D., Curator, The Phillips Collection, Washington, DC.

Stalks was first inspired while walking past our neighbor's corn field. The cow corn was ready to harvest. Everything, including the stalks and husks, had turned golden brown to beige. 


Ever fascinated with the world around me, I took a number of photographs. Upon arriving home I located a particular portion of one photograph that was especially enticing. I like the shapes of the leaves and the glimpse of the corn inside. See the bottom left image for the cropped photograph that I decided to paint.


As I often do after finding the image, I put the photo aside. I wasn't ready to paint this image yet. I generally have to think about a subject for a while to know what I want to do.  


I worked with the image some more in a photo editing program and experimented with a variety of color schemes. I thought I was going to go with a very exaggerated color scheme, turning the image more toward an abstracted shape, but had other paintings I wanted to complete first. I printed out the image in the color scheme shown below right.  It sat on the desk in my studio so I could look at it and consider.


After completing some color scheme experiments using a wide variety of palettes, I went back to the photograph and decided I wanted more value contrast. My selected colors could not achieve that level of contrast. It was back to the drawing board to determine what would be more exciting. 


I decided to create a primarily black and white painting with red for the darks in the focal point and yellow for the lights. I sprinkled the yellow around the painting, muting it in the background and allowing small less intense yellow patches to remain on other stalks in the foreground.  I'm happy with the resulting drama of this painting. It seems to have elevated this cow corn to something fascinating to look at. 


As always I'd love to hear your thoughts. 

Original Photograph
Exploring Color Options

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 2016 All Rights Reserved. You may share my work with attribution and a link to this source site, but all other uses are prohibited.

Wednesday, September 20, 2017

DC City Tour 12" X 12" Acrylic

DC City Tour by April M Rimpo

During a trip to Washington, DC I noticed this group of cyclists waiting near the White House.  It turns out this was a DC tour by bicycle. What an intimate way to get to tour a city.  Cyclists always make me think about energy. Since they were regrouping to prepare for their tour, I still wanted to send a message about high energy and chose to use splashes of paint as a playful method to insert some excitement. 

This somewhat whimsical portrayal is one of the paintings I plan to include in the Touchstone Gallery 12" X 12" gift shopping exhibit to be held in December. 

Click here to Contact April

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 and a link to this source site, but all other uses are prohibited.

Wednesday, August 30, 2017

"Tenement" 14" X 29" watercolor

Tenement by April M Rimpo
Tenement
watercolor
14" X 29" image
20" X 35" brushed silver frame
$975 within the United States*


In Tenement I played with darks and lights making what was shadow areas in my photograph light and bright areas dark.  I call this an "inverse" painting. I also played with colors using vibrant colors in the now lit areas of the brick wall and rich, dark blues and purples for the now dark areas.  The fire-escape stairs and railings were done in light neutral colors to separate them from the wall. When I compare this with the original photograph I feel looking at this painting is much more exciting.  See my source photo below.

At left is the Analog color scheme I selected for the painting. The color charts from Color Scheme Designer provide various strengths of each color and some blends of the colors.  I use two blues, burnt orange, and a purple to create this painting, so I stayed fairly true to the plan, shifting the rose color more to the purple end of the spectrum and adding some a lighter blue.
My source photo
I think my inverse approach has led to interesting paintings that is fun for the viewer to take in and figure out.  One of my other paintings done using the same approach is described in my blog post Fire Escape.
I'd love to hear whether you find this approach draws you into the painting or if something closer to the source photo would have been closer to what you like.  

* Contact April regarding purchase outside the United States

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