"Relaxing on Top", 20" X 30" fluid acrylic on paper mounted

Relaxing on Top by April M Rimpo

Relaxation, ahhhhhhhhh. 

How do you define relaxation?

What is the image in your minds eye when you think of a favorite spot to relax?

What is it like? Quiet? Are you alone? Are you having a chat with a favorite friend? 

Is the location cool or warm? Is it remote without access to our high paced, electronics world? Or do you think watching a favorite movie to be that perfect place to relax?

I suspect that perfect spot for relaxation is different for everyone.

When visiting a National Park in the Southwest, I was intrigued to see this rock climber sitting on top of this spire, looking down on the world where visitors walked by below, while he appeared to be in quiet solitude in his remoteness.

I was on a higher path and with my telephoto lens was able to capture him, first when climbing the spire and later when he sat on top.  The primary sound was the cooing of doves and pigeons who had made their homes in crevices and nooks in the rock face. Most of the tourists were so mesmerized by the beautiful red rock formations that they too were generally silent or spoke softly to each other, like noise would somehow break the solemnity of their surrounds.

I am a city girl who grew up in a medium sized city on the eastern coast of America. I'm rather uncoordinated and would never consider climbing a spire, that must have risen 200 feet or more off the ground, to find a solemn spot to relax. However I can understand how someone could find that the perfect spot.

I guess I am a watcher of people and the many differences among us.  I find people fascinating and love to capture them in what appears to be a place of pleasure so I can share their joy with the world.  

This man found a quiet, yet hidden place, in this terrain. I intentionally made him blend in with his surroundings, with only his blue clothing and blue climbers rope to help you discover and focus on him. Although I used light and dark contrast to give shape to the rock forms along the cliff facing him on the other side of the spire, I muted the edges of the painting to portray the quiet of the environment and to help hold you inside. 

Some tenacious plants that clung to the cliff were included to help communicate the ruggedness of the environment where strength is need to survive. I felt this man too was another symbol of strength, even though he was in a relaxed pose, or maybe because he was in a relaxed pose. He portrays such confidence in his ability to climb and traverse the sheer rock faces.

Please share your thoughts on your favorite place to relax.

Relaxing on Top
Fluid Acrylic
20" X 30" varnished, mounted on 2.5" deep wood cradle
$1550

Prints Available

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The Apex, 36" X 24" fluid acrylic and watercolor

The Apex by April M Rimpo

The Apex

acrylic and watercolor 

varnished in brushed silver frame

Giclee Prints Available

 

I always admire the accomplishments of athletes.  In The Apex these rock climbers scale one of the pillars in Garden of the Gods Park in Colorado Springs, Colorado. This park is a registered National Natural Landmark that I strongly encourage you to visit. In this painting I am showing only the top third of the peak, so the climbers' accomplishment was very inspirational to me.

My goal was to emphasize the majesty of the peak, helping to make the accomplishment of the rock climbers stand out.  I felt starting with an under-painting of drips on the peak would add vertical lines, much like the crevices in the stone. These drips serve both to emphasize the attributes of watermedia, but also to help create an illusion of height.  I've intentionally left some of these visible in the lower part of the painting.  The colors in the Southwest are consistent with my favorite color schemes, so this painting is pretty true to what you would see if you visit this wonderful landmark.

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