"Village Connector" watercolor 12" X 24"

Village Connector, watercolor by April M. Rimpo

Village Connector

Watercolor

12" X 24"

in 12" X 24" black frame 

Available through HorseSpirit Arts Gallery

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.

Contact April and see more of her art on her website

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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.

"A Cheery Place" 10" X 8" Acrylic

A Cheery Place by April M Rimpo

A Cheery Place

10" X 8" painting

11" X 9" Silver Wood Frame

Available at HorseSpirit Arts Gallery
8600 Foundry Road, Savage, Maryland
in Historic Savage Mill 

Amsterdam is one of the few places outside the United States that my husband and I have traveled to more than once and would love to visit again. It is not just the city we love but The Netherlands in general. One of the places that really delighted me on our last trip was Volendam. This little town is traveled to by tourists mostly to visit the dock, to explore all the shops, and to try great food. We were lucky enough to wander through the town itself.  Among the wonderful sights was this little village.
Likely the first thing you noticed were the Minion trash cans outside these homes. You may have also noticed the bicycles lined up in the little alley behind the Minions. But one detail I didn't notice until I was painting this scene was that each home had a painting by the front door. I have never seen anything like this. How could you not fall in love with this village?

Click here to Contact April or visit her website to explore her paintings on the Art page.

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.

Paintings at New Masters Art Gallery

New Masters Art Gallery is an exciting new gallery in Rockville, Maryland located in Artists & Makers 2 Studios at 12276 Wilkins Ave, Rockville, Maryland.  It is located on the top floor of Artists & Makers 2, with a beautifully lit, spacious gallery that supports 36 artists in the Metro DC area.  

During May 2017, April M Rimpo's paintings will be featured  along with four other artists in an exhibition called "Visual Envelopes."  Each artist brings their own view of the world to this exhibit. Below are images of April's paintings included in this exhibition; each with a link to assist you with your purchase if you see that piece that just calls out your name.

Just in time for #BikeMonth, April has several paintings with bicycles and cyclists in them.  In addition to loving to paint bicycles, April loves to share moments in time, often expressed through dramatic lighting. Madison Square Fountain is an example, as is Aglow, and Street in Sololá,                                                                        Enjoy!

Madison Square Fountain

Madison Square Fountain - $615 - Watercolor framed with a white mat
Available for purchase by clicking here

Morning in Provence

On Duty

On Duty - $450 - Fluid Acrylic gallery wrapped
Available for purchase by clicking here



Morning in Provence - $795 - Watercolor framed with a white mat
Available for purchase by clicking here

City

Plant Your Bike Here

City- $250 - Mixed Media gallery wrapped
Available for purchase by clicking here





Plant Your Bike Here - $195 - Fluid Acrylic mounted on deep wood panel
Available for purchase by clicking here

Cycling

Race

Cycling - $375 - Fluid Acrylic gallery wrapped
Available for purchase by clicking here


Race - $540 - Fluid Acrylic varnished and framed
Available for purchase by clicking here

Aglow

Ready to Roll

Ready to Roll - $995 - Watercolor and Gouache framed with a white mat
Available for purchase by clicking here

Aglow - $375 - Fluid Acrylic and Watercolor framed with a white mat
Available for purchase by clicking here

Street in Sololá

Fruit Vendors

Fruit Vendors - $975 - Watercolor framed with a white mat
Available for purchase by clicking here


Street in Sololá - $790 - Watercolor framed with a white mat
Available for purchase by clicking here

Full to the Limit

Full to the Limit - $650 - Fluid Acrylic varnished and framed
Available for purchase by clicking here



The other artists included in "Visual Envelopes" are Catherine Nickle, Brian Fisher, Jennifer Rutherford, and Galina Kolosovskaya. 

The Opening reception is on Friday, May 5, from 6 - 9 PM. 
Video of the exhibit

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.

"Out for a Cruise" 16"X20" Fluid Acrylic

Out for a Cruise by April M Rimpo

Out for a Cruise

Fluid Acrylic

16" X 20" gallery wrapped painting*

$775

Contact April if you are interested in purchasing this painting.

This painting was inspired by my photograph of a lake in Buckingham Palace Gardens. I was drawn by the elegance and serenity of the setting, but since I chose a color scheme that was much more vibrant the mood of the painting is quite different from my original inspiration.  The black swan became the heart of this painting, standing out against the bright landscape. My use of bright colors and the intentional focus on the swan shifted the title from one about serenity to Out for a Cruise.

I generally work on cold press paper, which has some texture to the surface, but since I wanted hard edged ripples of the water, I selected hot press paper. It has a very smooth surface, which also makes it quite different to work on compared to cold press.  It takes a few layers of paint before I begin to be at ease with hot press paper, but in the end it was the right choice.

* The painting wraps around the edge so no framing is required.

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 #hocoartist #swan #lake #reflectionsinwater #fluidacrylic #aprilrimpo #amrart

"Bruges Towers" 12"X6" fluid acrylic

Bruges Towers by April M Rimpo

Bruges Towers

12" X 6"

Fluid Acrylic

in brushed silver frame

$215
SOLD

While on a walking tour in Bruges, Denmark we pasted a small lake in the center of the old medieval town. On the opposite shore was this beautiful little castle. What a perfect spot. It looked like a place where you could sit for hours taking in the wonderful scenes of this town. 

Bruges Towers will be included in my solo exhibit, titled Common Threads, at Touchstone Gallery from March 3rd - April 2nd. Common Threads explores cultural similarities and difference at a variety of places around the world.

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.

"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.

"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.

"Full to the Limit" 20" X 12" fluid acrylic

Full to the Limit by April M Rimpo

Full to the Limit
Fluid Acrylic
18" X 12" 
varnished and framed in brushed silver frame

Available to Purchase - Learn More Here

Full to the Limit is part of my traffic series on traffic jams and ways to manage traffic. No matter where you travel you will encounter some method to deal with traffic. Although the type of traffic is sometimes surprising, what surprised me more was that despite the method of travel there appear to always be traffic jams.

In Full to the Limit the canals in Amsterdam are the subject. Here you can see a slight bottle neck occurs at a set of locks. In fact I recall when I was photographing the scene that several near accidents seemed a moment away, but none occurred that day. 

Although it will take a little hunting to find the cars parked along this canal, we heard that a fairly common accident on the canals was not with the boats, but instead cars getting too close to the edge and toppling into the canal. The adventures of travel.

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
• Thoroughfare - Amsterdam: More bikes and trikes than you can believe
• 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

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.

"Plant Your Bike Here" 8" X 8" fluid acrylic

Plant Your Bike Here by April M Rimpo

Plant Your Bike Here

Fluid Acrylic

8" X 8"
mounted on 1.5" deep wood panel

SOLD through HorseSpirit Arts Gallery

info@horsespiritartsgallery.com 

410-461-3505 

I know I really have a thing about bicycles. I find the shapes of bikes fascinating to look at. Although no cyclists are here in this stand of parked bicycles, the sense of speed portrayed by riding cyclists also fascinates me.  So for my cyclist fans out there, I present Plant Your Bike Here. I can't imagine a more beautiful place to park and walk around town than this little spot in Bruges, Belgium.  Although inspired by my trip to Bruges this scene could be nearly anywhere. 

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 #aprilrimpoart #hocoartist #dcart #NBS17 #cyclists #bicycles

"Nighttime Glitter" 5"X7" fluid acrylic

Nighttime Glitter by April M Rimpo

Nighttime Glitter

7" X 5" fluid acrylic

mounted on 2" deep wood cradle with a cherry-stain finish

Available now by clicking here

This summer my husband and I went to Europe and visited Paris, among several other great cities. We were somehow unaware that the Eiffel Tower was lit up each evening with shimmering lights that filled the sky.

We saw this on our first night in Paris. It was a rainy evening, but it didn't matter. If anything the rain amplified the beautiful lights. 

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.

Contemporary Landscapes Solo Exhibit

Opening Reception of April's solo exhibit, Contemporary Landscapes

Having an solo art exhibit is always a great experience, but when the exhibit is held at such a beautiful venue as the Columbia Art Center in the Long Reach Village Center in Columbia, Maryland the exhibit is elevated to another level. Everyone who attended the reception who had never been to the Art Center before commented on this beautiful venue. 

When the venue is this wonderful it allows the artwork to really sing. The comments and questions I received about my art told me my goal to transport people into the scenes and make them feel like they were there was working. Many of the paintings are gallery wrapped*, where the painting continues around the edge and it is presented without a frame. To quote a friend of mine, this approach "makes the paintings feel more like a part of the room than a part of the wall." I think this allows you to experience the art more intimately, which is why I love this presentation style.

Traffic Jam was sold during the Opening Reception

Three days after the Opening Reception, the Art Center held an event with Stephen Acker, former Senior Music Program Advisor for the National Gallery of Art, who spoke about the art of Modigliani and the music of Ravel. This program was a partnership between the Columbia Art Center and the Candlelight Concert Society, who are sponsoring a concert with the Modigliani Quartet on November 20th at the Smith Theatre, Horowitz Center. The quartet will be performing pieces by Mozart, Brahms, and Ravel. If you want to learn more about this concert or buy tickets go to the Candlelight Concert Society's website.

A second reception was held after the Revealing Ravel and Modigliani program, where the audience was able to not only interact with Stephen Acker, but also talk to me about my artwork. Many thanks to the Columbia Art Center for this great opportunity to hear this program and to meet these music and art lovers.

Here are a couple more images taken after installation so you can see a little more of the artwork. To see the whole exhibit, visit the Columbia Art Center. Contemporary Landscapes is on display through December 4th. Hours, address and directions can be found here. 

*Gallery wrapped paper
Since I work on watercolor paper and wrap it around stretcher bars, the artists in the crowd were full of questions about my process as well.  Once gallery wrapped I varnished the pieces to protect the paper from the elements.

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.

"Glacial River" 40" X 36" fluid acrylic

Glacial River by April M Rimpo

Glacial River 

Fluid Acrylic 

40" X 36" Gallery Wrapped*

$2875

Available at HorseSpirit Arts Gallery

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

Inspired by the small towns in Norway and the fantastic countryside. Glacial River highlights this village sitting along the banks of a glacial river. These rivers are fed by the glaciers making the water a grayish blue. I was told the gray tints were the result of the tiny stone debris in the water because of the pounding of these fast moving rivers over rock. I haven't researched to confirm this, but it is quite believable since the glacial rivers were ferocious in their strength. The white caps shown in the paper are the result of the fast moving water.  For those wondering, there is no waterfall, just the love of drips in my paintings.

If you have ever been to Scandinavia you may have noticed that the majority of houses are painted either red or gold. Roofs are often red as well. So you are not seeing artistic license in this village scene, the houses are true to their original colors.

I not only loved the beauty of these villages, but also the majesty of the surrounding mountains and this fantastic river. If you have ever been to Scandinavia, I hope my painting brings back great memories of these pristine countries. 

* The image wraps around the edge of the painting, so a frame is not required.

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.
#HoCoArts #aprilmrimpoart #norwaypics

"Traffic Jam" 8" X 16" fluid acrylic SOLD

Traffic Jam by April M Rimpo

Traffic Jam

Fluid Acrylic

8: X 16"

SOLD

Traffic Jam is another one of those scene that I just had to paint. The combination of the shadowed versus light areas on the hillside and the light on the ferries was mesmerizing. 

The title Traffic Jam is a bit tongue in cheek since this small town on the fjord had essentially no car traffic, but lots of ferry boat traffic. Two huge ships docked in this tiny town made me laugh, but also demonstrated how popular the tours on the fjords are. There may not be a lot of residents but there are a lot of people who want to see the pristine countryside. This was a truly beautiful place with wonderful views everywhere you looked.

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
• Thoroughfare - Amsterdam: More bikes and trikes than you can believe
• Traffic Jam II - No spot at the port for the incoming boat
• Country Tour - Cars waiting on a bike race
• Trapped - Traffic congestion in a tunnel

Since I'm often asked about my painting process and the pigments that I use I thought I'd include that information in this post. I started by using bubble wrap to dab various soft acrylic colors throughout the tree and grass areas. This adds a lot of texture to the painting.

The Golden Soft and Medium tube acrylics (dabbed on using small bubble wrap):

•         Diarylide Yellow (OPEN)

•         Manganese Blue (hue)

•         Titan Buff

•         Naples Yellow

•         N8 Neutral Gray

•         Pyrrole Red Dark

•         Leaf Green

•         Cadmium Red Light (hue)

•         Cobalt Blue

•         Quinacridone Burnt Orange

•         Phthalo Blue

•         Indigo

Once dry I use fluid acrylics for the balance of the painting. Building color through wet-into-wet application and later I layer more colors to provide depth.

Daniel Smith Quinacridone Coral watercolor mixed with Golden Fluid Matte Medium

Golden fluid acrylic – Cobalt Turquois

Davinci fluid acrylics:

• Quinacridone Gold
• Cadmium Red Medium (hue)
• Leaf Green
• Dioxazine Purple
• Phthalo Blue
• Cobalt Blue

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