Installation - Check

Another activity for my solo exhibit is complete, Installation.  Yesterday my husband and I installed 27 of my paintings in Gallery B at Touchstone Gallery. So great to have it done and the reception coming up on Friday, Mar 3, 2017. I created a lot of new paintings for this exhibit and it is always a joy to see the reaction to new work.  Here are some images from the installation.  If you come to the reception, please be sure to say hello.

My husband showing off my new wall sign

Measure Twice, Hang Once

Add caption

Installation Complete

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.

First Sales - Don't Rush In

In my early twenties I took lessons from an artist in my hometown, who was a wonderful teacher. He could work in many media and held classes with a dozen students in a session, each working independently on whatever medium they desired. You could listen to his instruction on these other media and learn about those as you worked in your medium of choice.  

What he didn't teach was anything about the business of art. He did commissioned portraits and had a successful business, but he focused on technique in his classes.  He made us aware of exhibitions and suggested we participate.

Pigeon Keeper
(My interpretation of an old
black & white family photo)

I listened to that advice and did just that. I included one of my first colored pencil drawings in the exhibit. At the reception I was approached by a man who worked for a well know colored pencil manufacturer. He told me he'd like to purchase my drawing to include in an ad for their pencils. Since I was still very new to art and pieces took me a month to create, I told him I didn't want to sell my piece.  You may gasp that I opted to miss out on this opportunity, but here is the rest of the story.

My teacher had a storage room full of National Geographic magazines and had us use those for our source material for our drawings and paintings. We were all working on representational work that pretty much copied these images as we learned our trade.  My drawing was from an image in one of those magazines. It is a beautiful scene of an old woman in her rocking chair. Learning to create the wrinkles in her skin and making them look realistic was fascinating and fulfilling. Many people have complimented me on this drawing. But if I had sold this drawing to that man and he had used it in an ad, the photographer of that image (and possibly National Geographic) could have sued me for copyright infringement.  I knew nothing about copyright at the time, but when I did learn about it many years after the fact, I realized how very lucky I was to have turned down this sale. 

Morning in NYC by April M Rimpo
(inspired by my photo taken
 from the Empire State Building)

I still own this drawing and proudly display it in my home along with several other pieces I created under this artist's tutelage.  I love them and they bring back great memories of my beginning steps in the art world and of a teacher who taught me so very much. Sorry, you'll have to visit my home to see these.

Now I create all of my artwork from my own photographs, unless I am reinterpreting an old family photo which my family agreed I could use, or doing a commission for someone. Even with my own photographs I manipulate and combine images to create my designs.  Some are more literal than others, but the soul of my paintings are inspired by things that delighted me and made me need to share them with you.  

Have you ever had an experience like this? I'd love to hear about it, whether art related or not. 

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.

"Morning Commute" 24"X20" gallery wrapped acrylic

There are a lot of bike riders in the area where I live. You see them year round, in rain, snow, sleet, or hail (oh yeah that was the postal service motto); so maybe the hail part was an exaggeration.

The more I have painted people riding bicycles the more curious I have become about the biking community. Recently I discovered The League of American Bicyclists who are working to improve bicycling across America, inspiring Bicycling Friendly communities, and more. During National Bike Month they advocated a Ride to Work Week across the country. 

I also learned about the USBRS (United States Bicycle Route System that was established in 1978 by the American Association of State Highways and Transportation Officials.  This is the same body that coordinates the numbering of Interstate Highways and United States Numbered Highways. 

Learning about these groups and inspired by my neighbors, I decided to paint "Morning Commute" as a tribute to these organizations and those who support this work.

Morning Commute

Fluid Acrylic on Paper, Varnished and Gallery Wrapped

24" X 20" X 1.75" deep

$1200

March 1 - April 2, 2017 see this painting at Touchstone Gallery
901 New York Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20001
Opening reception: Friday, Mar 3, 6 - 8:30PM
Artist at Work in gallery: Sunday Mar 5, 1 - 4PM

OPEN: WEDNESDAY- FRIDAY 11-6, SATURDAY-SUNDAY 12-5

More of April's paintings with a transporation theme are:

• Port of Call - NYC
• Streetcar
• Delivery Trike
• Missing You
• More Beautiful with Age
• A Clutter of Kayaks
• The Dugout
• Shipping Port
• Aerial Bikes II - SOLD
• Smart Car Choices
• Trapped
• Movement II
• Freight Yard
• Cycles
• Arriving in Kensington - SOLD
• Country Tour

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.

"Medieval Reflections" 6" X 6" fluid acrylic

Medieval Reflections by April M Rimpo

Medieval Reflections

6" X 6" Fluid Acrylic

Mounted on 1.5" wood cradle

SOLD through 

HorseSpirit Arts Gallery
info@horsespiritartsgallery.com 

410-461-3505 

Bruges, Beautiful Bruges!

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.

"Chinatown Gateway" 16" X 20" fluid acrylic

Chinatown Gateway by April M Rimpo

Chinatown Gateway

Fluid Acrylic

16" X 20"

Mounted on 2" deep wood cradle
$800

Available for purchase here

I just love the structure and colors of these gateways that you see when entering Chinatown in cities across the United States. The Chinese term for these are paifang, which refers to a traditional style of a Chinese architectural arch or gateway structure.  You can see this multi-tiered structure in buildings as well as the gates into regions of ancient Chinese cities. 

I am fascinated by this gateway in DC and have taken photographs of it nearly every time I travel to this area of the city. It is difficult to get a good angle on the beautiful arch, but I persisted until I had enough images to understand the architecture and create this image.  

I wanted to emphasize not only the great shapes but also the delicious color combination of orange and teal that runs through this structure.  The nearby Calvary Baptist Church with its dark burnt orange exterior allowed me to provide a beautiful dark foil, which I chose to push toward a dark purple/orange tone. I chose a double complementary color scheme: orange/teal with yellow/purple to create this dynamic tribute to the beautiful traditional Chinatown gate.

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.

Movement Series

I have been painting bicycle and bicyclist for a while.  In my latest paintings my intent is to emphasize motion, speed, and energy. 

In both paintings I enjoyed letting the background flow into the image of the bicyclist.  In Movement I the background becomes part of the shirt and the race number attached just below his back.

Movement I by April M Rimpo

Movement I

Fluid Acrylic

25" X 18" Varnished Gallery Wrapped Paper

In Movement II the background shapes can be seen running into her flesh tones, helping to ground her in the scene.

Movement II by April M Rimpo

Movement II

Fluid Acrylic

25" X 18" Varnished Gallery Wrapped Paper

You can see both Movement and Movement II on my website under Art > Cyclists Gallery

For your favorite cyclist, consider this.

Set of giclee prints on watercolor of 

Movement I and Movement II 

Each print is 16" (h) X 12" (w)
$150 for the set, includes shipping within USA
Contact April if Interested in a print set.

Movement was selected by juror Carole Pickel for the 8th Annual International Society of Acrylic Painters Open International Online Show.  See the exhibit here.  It was one of 60 paintings selected from a field of 300.

It has also been selected for North Light Books' AcrylicWork5: Bold Values, to be released in 2018. 

Other paintings in April's Movement Series include:

• Race
• Cycling
• Movement III

April's Movement series shown at right 

in an Office Environment

Copyright April M Rimpo 2015 All Rights Reserved. You may share my work with attribution and a link to this source site, but all other uses are prohibited.

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.

 #bicycles #hocoartist #hocoarts #bikerace #cyclists

"Thoroughfare" 12" X 20" fluid acrylic

Thoroughfare by April M Rimpo

Available for purchase - Learn more here

When I hear the term bicycle-friendly, the first place I think of is Amsterdam. The cyclists truly rule there.  Thoroughfare, celebrates an underpass that runs under Rijksmuseum; this scene depicts the entrance to the underpass. Early in its history this underpass was open to motor traffic, but is now only for cyclists. As you can see, it is heavily used. During a major renovation, completed in 2013, there was a plan to convert the underpass to a major entry for the museum, but the cyclists won that battle and the underpass remains.

If you travel to downtown Amsterdam, nearer the ferry boats that cross the IJ, you find so much bicycle traffic moving quite fast, that pedestrians need to pay more attention crossing the bike routes than crossing streets. 

This contrasts with a huge bicycle route built in London that remains nearly empty, even during peak travel times.  I guess the Brits are not quite ready for that option.

I have noticed when traveling into Washington DC on the DC Metro, that the bicycle routes that parallel the tracks are always busy, even in cold weather. Clearly cycling here is less than in Amsterdam, but much more plentiful than you'll see in London.  

You can see more "Traffic Jam" paintings at these links:

• Traffic Jam at the Concert - Concert goes waiting on the ticket takers
• Rush Hour - Enjoy the view when trying to get home
• Traffic Jam III - Cyclists backed up at a crossing
• Full to the Limit - An overloaded canal
• Traffic Jam II - No spot at the port for the incoming boat
• Traffic Jam - Sometimes it doesn't take much
• Country Tour - Cars waiting on a bike race
• Trapped - Traffic congestion in a tunnel

* The image wraps around the edge thus requiring no frame. The painting is varnished to protect it from the elements and damage from UV light.

Contact April here

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.

#NBS17 #bicycles #BicycleFriendlyFriday #aprilrimpo #amrart #hocoarts #hocoartist

"Riverwalk Footbridge" 14" X 11" fluid acrylic

Riverwalk Footbridge by April M Rimpo

Riverwalk Footbridge

14" X 11" Fluid Acrylic

in a brushed silver frame

$375

SOLD 

I think reflections in water are among the most beautiful sights in the world, but they can be very tricky to paint. Since I work in watermedia (watercolor and fluid acrylic) I've found layering the colors gradually from the lightest to darkest works best for me.  Before I start to paint I do use a small amount of masking fluid to protect just a few white spots that I may retain as white at the end or kiss with a spot of pale color to give them a slight tint.

Then it's a matter of paying attention to what is being reflected and making sure the reflected color is a bit darker than the real object. I find moving water the most fascinating to paint because of the great swirls and lines created by the current, causing the reflections to be just a hint of what is being reflected.

I chose a double complementary palette for this painting. Complements are across from each other on the color wheel and when combined can end up with lovely neutral colors, but when applied in adjacent to each other they create wonderful tension in the painting, really drawing your eye to those areas. Keeping them vibrant and not blending to become a neutral color can be challenging too. Fluid acrylic makes it a little easier to keep the colors vibrant.

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.

"From the Canal" 12" X 18" fluid acrylic

From the Canal by April M Rimpo

From the Canal

Fluid Acrylic

12" X 18" X 2" deep gallery wrapped*

$600

Purchase through HorseSpirit Arts Gallery
410.461.3505 info@horsespiritartsgallery.com 
Open 6 days a week (Closed Tuesdays)

Amsterdam, one of my favorite places in the world. We've been lucky enough to visit it twice: once in the 90s and once in 2016; we loved it both times. I love the architecture in this city as well as all the great places to walk, visit, and enjoy.  This year's trip we were lucky to know someone my husband worked with, who has become a good friend.  Our last day in town we met with him and walked all day. We took a short ferry across the IJ, Amsterdam's waterfront, to go to a restaurant on the other side. The return trip was a fantastic time to get photographs on the city. We were coming up on dusk, which enhanced the atmospheric perspective, muting the distance buildings.  All the domes, towers, and the varied gable shapes of the canal houses fascinate me. As a result I share with you "From the Canal."

* The image wraps around the edge thus requiring no frame. The painting is varnished to protect it from the elements and damage from UV light.

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.

"Lanterns" 24" X 18" fluid acrylic

Lanterns by April M Rimpo

Lanterns

24" X 18" Fluid Acrylic on  Watercolor Paper

Gallery Wrapped and Varnished
$1035

Purchase through HorseSpirit Arts Gallery
410.461.3505 info@horsespiritartsgallery.com 
Open 6 days a week (Closed Tuesdays)

Sometimes paintings call out to me when I least expect them. I was talking through Washington DC on a chilly day, heading to the Metro Station to head home after a day in the city.  I happened to glance to my right and saw the beautiful lanterns scatter through this courtyard. I came to a screeching halt and pulled out my phone to take a photograph. I loved how the lanterns reflected in the city windows and decided to enhance the image by including more of the lantern color throughout the building. Since purple is in the same family as the pink lanterns I also used purples in the dark parts of the building. What seems at first glance to be black areas is really layers of purple, Phthalo Blue and other dark pigments to gradually build the darkest areas. The lighter grays were also mixed using Cobalt blue, Quinacridone coral and Quinacridone gold. I love creating my own grays and “blacks” by mixing colors together.  The result is much richer than using blacks or grays that are “out of the tube.”

Every time I walk past this area I look into the courtyard to make sure there isn't something new that I just must paint. Of course there often is, so more images from this area will no doubt appear in the future.

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.
#HoCoArts #aprilmrimpoart