The story of a couple on their last vacation
together because one is beginning to fade and they believe travel will become
too difficult as time goes on. This quiet moment during the trip felt like a
good way to tell their story. Their strong sense of togetherness was palpable,
but the beginning of loss was also present.
Given the subject of the painting it took me years to decide how to portray the emotion from this scene. Although they were relaxed and enjoying the ride across the lake, my emotions were more complex. The decision to portray the scene all in blue with just touches of flesh tone on the woman was inspired by a variety of sources but ultimately my response to their situation. Her color is fading with the loss she sees in her husband.
Interested in April's artwork or taking one of her classes? Consider becoming a Studio Friend by signing up for her weekly email. April segments her newsletter so you can select topics you'd like to hear about when you sign up. For those who Select the General Interest topic you will receive emails about twice-monthly. If you are only interested in classes, then the emails will be much less frequent discussing upcoming classes and how to register. Thank you for your support of April M Rimpo Art. Oh, and please be sure to click on the link in a second email to verify your interest in joining my newsletter. Without the verification you will be left in a limbo state where you will not receive my emails and I can't complete the verification on your behalf. If you receive a response that you are already subscribed, email me to confirm and I can send you a different link to update your profile and get the verification email resent to you.
Top Row: Elaine Weiner-Reed's Painting Bottom Row: April Rimpo's Paintings
The happy artists, Elaine Weiner-Reed and April M Rimpo
It's Like Magic!
The arrival of
PORTRAITS OF LIFE: Once Upon a Story
with April M Rimpo and Elaine Weiner-Reed
We wish it was this fast to install an exhibition. Between the two days there was at least 5 of us working on installing my and Elaine Weiner-Reed's exhibition at Baltimore County Arts Guild's venue The Clubhouse. That doesn't include the countless hours selecting the work and deciding how to pair each piece to make them all shine. Watch and enjoy this time-lapse film of part of the installation.
Portrait's of Life: Once Upon a Story
Join us at the reception tomorrow, Saturday, November 13, from 3 - 5PM.
The Clubhouse
10 St Timothy Lane
Catonsville, MD
Park on the North side of the building and enter from there. The entrance on the East end is currently closed.
My thanks to all those who helped us make this a reality. You know who you are.
Video: Thanks to Lorraine Imwold
Installation Day At Left: Duane Winfield with Elaine's painting Above: Lorraine Imwold
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As one of the feature artists at HorseSpirit Art s Gallery show "Lines and Curves" I did a demonstration of watercolor painting at the gallery. There were five people who attended and to my surprise most stayed for the full three hour session. I am used to people coming buy, watching for 15 minutes, then wandering off to check out other things in the gallery, but this set of people were full of questions. I love it when that happens so I know that what I am sharing is what they want to understand.
I demonstrated four different paintings at different stages of completeness so I could show how watercolors build from one layer to the next. The gallery manager captured some of the session on video that I am sharing here.
In the last few months the gallery had asked me to return as a teacher in their classroom on the second floor of the gallery. When four the those who watched the demonstration also asked Robin Holliday, owner and curator of HorseSpirit Arts Gallery, whether I had classes at the gallery, she asked again about teaching.
I'm happy to say we found some dates that worked for me and the gallery, so I'll be teaching a Watercolor Studio class starting in January. There will be four 3-hour sessions, where artists can work on their own projects under my guidance. I will do demonstrations both to teach some skills and to help give examples the students request to assist with their paintings. Learn more at HorseSpirit Arts Gallery's Eventbrite site.
Interested in April's artwork or taking one of her classes? Consider becoming a Studio Friend by signing up for her weekly email. April segments her newsletter so you can select topics you'd like to hear about when you sign up. For those who Select the General Interest topic you will receive emails about twice-monthly. If you are only interested in classes, then the emails will be much less frequent discussing upcoming classes and how to register. Thank you for your support of April M Rimpo Art. Oh, and please be sure to click on the link in a second email to verify your interest in joining my newsletter. Without the verification you will be left in a limbo state where you will not receive my emails and I can't complete the verification on your behalf. If you receive a response that you are already subscribed, email me to confirm and I can send you a different link to update your profile and get the verification email resent to you.
One of my favorite
quotes about art is by Ivan Lissner, who said, "The secret of great art -
to rob the moment of its impermanence." That was my goal with Preserving
a Time. Sometimes Mother Nature puts on such a vibrant show that I must
capture it. That was the case when the sky started to turn behind the beautiful
clock tower. A gorgeous setting made better by the way the light enhanced the
clouds with beautiful lavender and coral shades that picked up the color of the
roof and shadows thrown by the trees. I amplified the sky and created a taller
tree to cast a larger shadow on the building. I will remember this forever and
hope my painting brings back wonderful memories for you of similar places painted
by nature.
Enjoy my time-lapse video of me creating this painting below.
Interested in April's artwork or taking one of her classes? Consider becoming a Studio Friend by signing up for her weekly email. April segments her newsletter so you can select topics you'd like to hear about when you sign up. For those who Select the General Interest topic you will receive emails about twice-monthly. If you are only interested in classes, then the emails will be much less frequent discussing upcoming classes and how to register. Thank you for your support of April M Rimpo Art. Oh, and please be sure to click on the link in a second email to verify your interest in joining my newsletter. Without the verification you will be left in a limbo state where you will not receive my emails and I can't complete the verification on your behalf. If you receive a response that you are already subscribed, email me to confirm and I can send you a different link to update your profile and get the verification email resent to you.
Premiering at HorseSpirit Arts Gallery September 12, 2021
Inspiration occurs
from something as simple as a reflection in the water. The teal hull of the
boat is what made me stop and notice this scene. We were walking through the
outskirts of a beautiful town by the shore to meet some friends when the
reflection caught my eye. I stopped in my tracks and started to take
photographs from a few different angles. I primarily wanted the capture the
sailboat and its reflection but including the surrounds provided a backdrop
essential to set the stage. When getting ready to paint the scene I decided to
add the light streaking through the clouds to add drama to the sky and provide
an interesting cross pattern where the mast and rigging intersected with the
light. Capturing the quiet spirit of the place was essential to me. I hope you
get lost in the beauty of the place.
Check out my video on this painting. It starts with me describing my design then transitions to a time-lapse video of the painting process.
Interested in April's artwork or taking one of her classes? Consider becoming a Studio Friend by signing up for her weekly email. April segments her newsletter so you can select topics you'd like to hear about when you sign up. For those who Select the General Interest topic you will receive emails about twice-monthly. If you are only interested in classes, then the emails will be much less frequent discussing upcoming classes and how to register. Thank you for your support of April M Rimpo Art. Oh, and please be sure to click on the link in a second email to verify your interest in joining my newsletter. Without the verification you will be left in a limbo state where you will not receive my emails and I can't complete the verification on your behalf. If you receive a response that you are already subscribed, email me to confirm and I can send you a different link to update your profile and get the verification email resent to you.
Parades and New Orleans come hand-in-hand. We
all know the crowds that come to watch these parades, but for me the painting is
all about the musicians and local dignitaries who participate. I love the
clothing and colors showcased in these parades: purple and orange always being
prevalent. Wanting to represent the music and energy of these events without
including the crowds led me to consider how to “show” the music and help you
“hear” it in my painting, resulting in the burst of color and “confetti” shown.
Although not a conscious decision to leave out people because of the pandemic I
can’t help but wonder if that may have been in the back of my mind as a quiet
undertone.
Knowing there were 466 images submitted for this exhibition, I am honored that Parade Play was selected by juror Anne Abgott for the Baltimore Watercolor Society's 2021 Mid-Atlantic Exhibition to be presented from June 12 - August 31.
Interested in April's artwork or taking one of her classes? Consider becoming a Studio Friend by signing up for her weekly email. April segments her newsletter so you can select topics you'd like to hear about when you sign up. For those who Select the General Interest topic you will receive emails about twice-monthly. If you are only interested in classes, then the emails will be much less frequent discussing upcoming classes and how to register. Thank you for your support of April M Rimpo Art. Oh, and please be sure to click on the link in a second email to verify your interest in joining my newsletter. Without the verification you will be left in a limbo state where you will not receive my emails and I can't complete the verification on your behalf. If you receive a response that you are already subscribed, email me to confirm and I can send you a different link to update your profile and get the verification email resent to you.
I grew up with a father who loved to fish. He didn't get to do it terribly often, but when he did he was the happiest I ever saw him. He either went out on a boat he owned with one of my uncles or went to a quiet spot, without the chaos shown here on this fishing pier. My mother's father was also a huge fisherman. He loved to fish on the Jersey shore, just standing on the shore in his waders. I heard so many times about his love of fishing and saw so many pictures of him that I feel like I saw him out there, but in reality I don't think I ever actually saw my grandfather at the shore. It's interesting how family stories become real images to us. His sons followed in his footsteps in their love of fishing as did one of my uncles sons, who still fish nearly daily, one still in waders in New Jersey, the other now in Florida. Although my family didn't fish off of fishing piers, I find the interaction and camaraderie on this pier mesmerizing, where fishing is almost a team sport. Fishing Day was selected for the Watercolor Art Society of Houston's exhibition in 2019 and for the Illinois Watercolor Societies 37th National Exhibition 2021.
Interested in April's artwork or taking one of her classes? Consider becoming a Studio Friend by signing up for her weekly email. April segments her newsletter so you can select topics you'd like to hear about when you sign up. For those who Select the General Interest topic you will receive emails about twice-monthly. If you are only interested in classes, then the emails will be much less frequent discussing upcoming classes and how to register. Thank you for your support of April M Rimpo Art. Oh, and please be sure to click on the link in a second email to verify your interest in joining my newsletter. Without the verification you will be left in a limbo state where you will not receive my emails and I can't complete the verification on your behalf. If you receive a response that you are already subscribed, email me to confirm and I can send you a different link to update your profile and get the verification email resent to you.
Heritage Watercolor 24" X 24" painting 26" X 26" silver metal frame
Heritage is part of my Inner Stories portrait series where the goal is not a traditional portrait of a person but a look at the story of the person. These paintings will be included in an exhibit at the Columbia Art Center in 2021. Elaine Weiner-Reed and I are joining forces again in this exhibit that will expand one our "Every Painting is a Story"/"Every Painting is a Song" initiative that you first experienced at our joint show in 2019.
Sometimes the stories in my "Inner Stories" series are my emotional response to that person, how I feel they are inside. Others, like this, look back to her roots growing up in Vietnam.
The inlays that surround her are derived from a Mother-of-Pearl inlay piece in her home that tells the story of the Trưng sisters, National heroes in Vietnam. They were Vietnamese military leaders who ruled for three years after rebelling in AD 40 against the first Chinese domination of Vietnam.
I loved the story of these brave women and wanted to represent the model as though her story was also preserved in Mother-of-Pearl. To me she represents a strong brave women in today's world.
"Heritage" is included in the 2021 Visionary Women exhibition at the Columbia Art Center. The exhibit will be on display through Mar 26, 2021.
Interested in April's artwork or taking one of her classes? Consider becoming a Studio Friend by signing up for her weekly email. April segments her newsletter so you can select topics you'd like to hear about when you sign up. For those who Select the General Interest topic you will receive emails about twice-monthly. If you are only interested in classes, then the emails will be much less frequent discussing upcoming classes and how to register. Thank you for your support of April M Rimpo Art. Oh, and please be sure to click on the link in a second email to verify your interest in joining my newsletter. Without the verification you will be left in a limbo state where you will not receive my emails and I can't complete the verification on your behalf. If you receive a response that you are already subscribed, email me to confirm and I can send you a different link to update your profile and get the verification email resent to you.
In
1.25” wide brushed silver frame, overall frame size is 13.25” X 26.25”
Beach Vacation brings back memories of many years of
trips to the beach. My first beach trips were to the beautiful white sands on
the Atlantic City Beach, way before the casinos moved there. The beaches in New
England, where I grew up, had tan sand, while those in Oregon were slightly
more rock and I found myself mesmerized by the Pacific Ocean, not paying much
attention of the color of the sand.
Being the designer of
this painting, I decided to give a rose colored cast to the sand, just for the
fun of it, although I do believe I’ve seen coral colored beaches somewhere over
the years.
I hope my painting takes
you to a beach you enjoyed in your lifetime.
This painting was selected for the Georgia Watercolor Society National Show 2021 by John Salminen.
Interested in April's artwork or taking one of her classes? Consider becoming a Studio Friend by signing up for her weekly email. April segments her newsletter so you can select topics you'd like to hear about when you sign up. For those who Select the General Interest topic you will receive emails about twice-monthly. If you are only interested in classes, then the emails will be much less frequent discussing upcoming classes and how to register. Thank you for your support of April M Rimpo Art. Oh, and please be sure to click on the link in a second email to verify your interest in joining my newsletter. Without the verification you will be left in a limbo state where you will not receive my emails and I can't complete the verification on your behalf. If you receive a response that you are already subscribed, email me to confirm and I can send you a different link to update your profile and get the verification email resent to you.
As in most of my cycling paintings, my goal is
to capture the movement and energy of cyclists. I so admire bicycle riders for
their strength and athleticism. When a local triathlon runs through our town I
capture them in photographs as they ride by. I love their interplay as they
ride in groups, sometimes passing each other on their way by.
Abstracted backgrounds help bring focus
to the rider but also augment the sense of speed with which the rider is
traversing the landscape.Cycling Together is primarily a watercolor painting with a small amount of fluid acrylic in the shadows cast by the tree line onto the road.
Below is a video created by Sylvie Carter, who started Art with Sylvie - "Unlocking the journey of artists and their work." Sylvie is an artist in Canberra, Australia who set about interviewing artists in a variety of media and creating videos to share their art. I am honored that she was drawn to my paintings on Instagram and asked to include me and my work in her free videos. This is the second video she created with me where I demonstrate and talk about creating this painting.
There are portions of my process beyond what Sylvie included in her video that I also wanted to share. Below is my 25 minute video about creating this painting.
Interested in April's artwork or taking one of her classes? Consider becoming a Studio Friend by signing up for her weekly email. April segments her newsletter so you can select topics you'd like to hear about when you sign up. For those who Select the General Interest topic you will receive emails about twice-monthly. If you are only interested in classes, then the emails will be much less frequent discussing upcoming classes and how to register. Thank you for your support of April M Rimpo Art. Oh, and please be sure to click on the link in a second email to verify your interest in joining my newsletter. Without the verification you will be left in a limbo state where you will not receive my emails and I can't complete the verification on your behalf. If you receive a response that you are already subscribed, email me to confirm and I can send you a different link to update your profile and get the verification email resent to you.
This sweet little fawn was born in the tall grass in our yard. Who knew that negligence, due to a lot of rain, would result in a perfect hiding place for the doe to deliver her fawn. We were fortunate to have a view looking down into this spot from our living room. My husband and I both took pictures as we watched our new neighbor.
I believe this was its first time standing as it looked about on the world. Not long later the mother arrived to check on her fawn, who walked over to nurse. They sure get moving quickly. We were so honored to witness these early hours of the baby fawn's life.
Interested in April's artwork or taking one of her classes? Consider becoming a Studio Friend by signing up for her twice-monthly email. April segments her newsletter so you can select topics you'd like to hear about when you sign up. For those who Select the General Interest topic you will receive emails about twice-monthly. If you are only interested in classes, then the emails will be much less frequent discussing upcoming classes and how to register. Thank you for your support of April M Rimpo Art. Oh, and please be sure to click on the link in a second email to verify your interest in joining my newsletter. Without the verification you will be left in a limbo state where you will not receive my emails and I can't complete the verification on your behalf. If you receive a response that you are already subscribed, email me to confirm and I can send you a different link to update your profile and get the verification email resent to you.
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I love watching birds
flock to fishing boats when they return to port. I’m sure the pelican’s
goal was a late afternoon snack, but from what I can tell the fisherman didn’t
cooperate. As soon as he pulled into the dock and tied up the boat, two pelicans
perched on the side. Their heads formed the shape of a heart and I couldn’t
help but think they had love on their minds. Capturing the glow of the boat in
the late afternoon sun emphasized by the cool lavender shaded side led me to
create this painting in an orange, violet, and green palette. Pushing the
colors of the brown pelicans to orange-brown helped them stand out against the
multi-colored water, creating a romantic mood for the painting concept. I used one of my favorite color schemes of orange-red, green, and violet. Emphasizing the violets brought the dreamy feel to this painting that I desired.
Interested in April's artwork or taking one of her classes? Consider becoming a Studio Friend by signing up for her twice-monthly email. April segments her newsletter so you can select topics you'd like to hear about when you sign up. For those who Select the General Interest topic you will receive emails about twice-monthly. If you are only interested in classes, then the emails will be much less frequent discussing upcoming classes and how to register. Thank you for your support of April M Rimpo Art. Oh, and please be sure to click on the link in a second email to verify your interest in joining my newsletter. Without the verification you will be left in a limbo state where you will not receive my emails and I can't complete the verification on your behalf. If you receive a response that you are already subscribed, email me to confirm and I can send you a different link to update your profile and get the verification email resent to you.
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Two of my favorite things combine in They're Everywhere: the colors of pigeons and painting with drips and splatters to create the illusion of a rocky cliff. I know, so many people think pigeons are pests but I love their iridescent colors. I'm also amazed that no matter where I travel I see pigeons. I've done paintings of pigeons in Italy, Seattle, New Jersey, and now Colorado. They're Everywhere was particularly fun because of the way I created the background of this painting. I started by spraying water on the paper letting the water run in all directions, making rivers of water the went across and down the page, weaving a random pattern on the page. I then dropped on color, either with a brush or by using a pipette, and tipped the paper to make the colors blend randomly following the path of the water. I also added some splatters here and there that became the shadowed spots on the cliffs. After drying I continued painting to refine the cliffs, but many of the random cracks in the rocks and shadows were already established from the first wet-into-wet wash. I've included a video of me creating this painting; a time lapse over a week of painting. Enjoy! I'd love to hear your feedback.
Post Updated Sept 8, 2020
Interested in April's artwork or taking one of her classes? Consider becoming a Studio Friend by signing up for her twice-monthly email. April segments her newsletter so you can select topics you'd like to hear about when you sign up. For those who Select the General Interest topic you will receive emails about twice-monthly. If you are only interested in classes, then the emails will be much less frequent discussing upcoming classes and how to register. Thank you for your support of April M Rimpo Art. Oh, and please be sure to click on the link in a second email to verify your interest in joining my newsletter. Without the verification you will be left in a limbo state where you will not receive my emails and I can't complete the verification on your behalf. If you receive a response that you are already subscribed, email me to confirm and I can send you a different link to update your profile and get the verification email resent to you.
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includes a $50 framing budget, currently unframed.
The views along train tracks show a variety of subjects including cityscapes, rivers, mountains, and expansive fields. This painting looks at the workings of the railroad: the train light signals that keep trains on schedule avoiding collisions and the switches that move trains between tracks. The workers you see along the rails keep everything maintained. These are essential workers that keep this part of our infrastructure in order.
Switching Point is a watercolor on watercolor paper that was textured with a gesso and acrylic medium mixture. Working on a textured surface adds a lot of interest to the background. I textured this by using stamps to apply the gesso and acrylic mixture. The pattern was over most of the surface, shining through to different degrees depending on whether I subdued the pattern as I was painting.
Interested in April's artwork or taking one of her classes? Consider becoming a Studio Friend by signing up for her twice-monthly email. April segments her newsletter so you can select topics you'd like to hear about when you sign up. For those who Select the General Interest topic you will receive emails about twice-monthly. If you are only interested in classes, then the emails will be much less frequent discussing upcoming classes and how to register. Thank you for your support of April M Rimpo Art. Oh, and please be sure to click on the link in a second email to verify your interest in joining my newsletter. Without the verification you will be left in a limbo state where you will not receive my emails and I can't complete the verification on your behalf. If you receive a response that you are already subscribed, email me to confirm and I can send you a different link to update your profile and get the verification email resent to you.
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The inspiration to paint this scene more than two
decades ago occurred during a visit to Interlaken, Switzerland. This
view was across the road from the hotel where we stayed. Staying in the second-story room was lucky, providing this view.
Sometimes
it takes years to figure out how to paint a beautiful scene, such as this. I hope Village Connector brings back some wonderful memories for you.
Interested in April's artwork or taking one of her classes? Consider becoming a Studio Friend by signing up for her twice-monthly email. April segments her newsletter so you can select topics you'd like to hear about when you sign up. For those who Select the General Interest topic you will receive emails about twice-monthly. If you are only interested in classes, then the emails will be much less frequent discussing upcoming classes and how to register. Thank you for your support of April M Rimpo Art. Oh, and please be sure to click on the link in a second email to verify your interest in joining my newsletter. Without the verification you will be left in a limbo state where you will not receive my emails and I can't complete the verification on your behalf. If you receive a response that you are already subscribed, email me to confirm and I can send you a different link to update your profile and get the verification email resent to you.
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