Moment to Relax, 15.5" X 15.5" watercolor on Aquabord

Guatemalan Girl by April M. Rimpo

Moment to Relax

watercolor

15.5" X 15.5" on varnished Aquabord™

$525

Available through HorseSpirit Arts Gallery
info@horsespiritartsgallery.com
301-490-2001
www.HorseSpiritArtsGallery.com

Normally I paint on watercolor paper, but not so for Guatemalan Girl.  Ampersand™ has a product called Aquabord™ that has a deep cradle made from 2" birch plywood strips that are attached flush with the back edge of the pane.  They make a nice presentation, so framing is not required.  The medium on the board is designed for use with aqueous media.  I found it had some of the same properties as watercolor paper, but I did have to be careful about how long I worked on an area to keep it from getting too soft.  When the painting was complete I varnished the surface so it can hang without glass.

I wanted to fragment the image so I chose 5" square aquabord and designed the piece so each segment would be an interesting painting in its own right.  The exact placement of her body in each frame was carefully crafted to create interesting abstract in each panel.

I considered an exhibit where each segment could be purchased separately.  If sold separately the girl would be shared among the various buyers.  It would be interesting to bring the buyers together to meet and foster new relationships through my art.

The more I thought about the logistics I feared it would be very difficult to hang the segments so they remain properly aligned when hung as a whole.  It seemed like aligning the segments might be a nightmare for me and the gallery, so in the end I attached the 9 panels to a sheet of Plexiglas™ and drill a slotted hole in the Plexiglas where it could be hung from a nail. 

I still like the idea of displaying art so separate pieces form one image while the individual works are sold separately.  Perhaps if I do this as a single line of paintings instead of a square of nine paintings the logistics of hanging would be reduced.  Let me know what you think about this idea.

IInterested 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.

Contact April and see more of her art on her website

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.

Video about Ann Bracken's Poem Inspired by "Time at the Bus Stop"

"Time at the Bus Stop" poem by Ann Bracken to April M Rimpo's painting by the same title

Enjoy this poem by Ann Bracken as part of our initiative "Every Painting is a Story." The poem was shared as part of my and Elaine Weiner-Reed's exhibition, Portraits of Life: The Art of Storytelling. Each poem was displayed with the painting that inspired it. We loved watching the expressions of exhibition visitors as they looked back and forth between the painting and the poetry. But most exciting of all was listening to the poets read their work during our Poetry Collaboration event on May 21. Thanks to my husband for capturing the readings on video which allowed me to create the video that follows about the event and Ann's poem. I must also acknowledge that the music in the video is a Structured Improvisation created by ROGUE COLLECTIVE for this same painting during our Musician Collaboration event on May 22nd.  The music composition will be highlighted in a separate blog post. 

Ann Bracken has authored two poetry collections, No Barking in the Hallways: Poems from the Classroom and The Altar of Innocence. She serves as a contributing editor for Little Patuxent Review, and co-facilitates the Wilde Readings Poetry Series in Columbia, MD. Her poetry, essays, and interviews have appeared in anthologies and journals, including Gargoyle, Bared: Contemporary Poetry & Art on Bras & Breasts, Fledgling Rag, and Texture among others. Ann's poetry has garnered two Pushcart Prize nominations. She offers writing workshops in schools and community education centers. 

Time at the Bus Stop by April M Rimpo © 2018

My 3 minute 20 second video shares how the poetry collaboration got underway and most importantly Ann Bracken's explanation of her thoughts on my painting and her reading of her wonderful poem. I encourage you to read Ann's blog post about her poem and our event here. 

Here is Ann's poem for you to savor and live with.

“Time at the Bus Stop” Ann Bracken © 2019

I had a vision that if we came here

we’d find a new kind of fortune.

But who feeds guests with scraps

from cans instead of

platters heavy with fruit?

My grandson places his hand of my knee

and pleads “Where is my bed?”

“I don’t want to sleep on this hard step again.”

But steps are all I can see

one step for food, the next step maybe

someone will smile.

Please share your thoughts on Ann Bracken's poem as it relates to my painting in the comments below.

Copyright of images of April M Rimpo Art held by April M Rimpo  All images and content remain the property of the Artist. All Rights Reserved. You may share these videos with attribution and a link to this source site, but all other uses are prohibited.No reproductions or prints are authorized. All rights reserved.

Ekphrastic poem "Time at the Bus Stop" by Ann Bracken © 2019 

Structured Improvisation Music inspired by April M. Rimpo's painting "Time at the Bus Stop"  by ROGUE COLLECTIVE © 2019

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. Select as many topics as sound of interest. Thank you for your support of April M Rimpo Art.

Contact April and see more of her art on her website

You can also stay up to date with April M Rimpo art through Instagram @aprilrimpo -  Please join me.

"The Perfect Ride" 20" X 12"

The Perfect Ride by April M Rimpo

The Perfect Ride

Fluid Acrylic

20" X 12"

Selected for the Pike Peak International Watermedia Exhibition, April's painting, The Perfect Ride, will be on display from June 4 - July 30, 2019 in Colorado Springs. It is one of 100 paintings selected from a field of 360 entries. Many thanks to all who organize this exhibit and to the juror Martha Mans.

You may guess the narrow street made of cobblestones is not in the United States and you would be right. The Perfect Ride captures the textures of life in this small village and the necessity for small motorcycles for traversing the narrow roads. I don't recall seeing a single bicycle during our travels through this town, since I'm sure the ride would be far from smooth. Most people walk everywhere, as you can see by the amount of foot traffic, but the streamlined motorcycles were good for longer travels. If going between towns and you need to carry goods to market, you might find the Chicken Bus more useful.

I love painting motorcycles maybe more than bicycles, that may be hard to believe, but the equipment is more intricate and provides an additional challenge. Combine the motorcycles with cobblestone and the colors of the buildings and you know I had to paint this. Gaining the right skills to know how to accomplish this painting is why it took nearly 10 years from when I first was inspired until the painting was born.

Interested in April's artwork or taking 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 include a selection of General Interest 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 interest.

Contact April and see more of her art on her website

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.

"Making Tortillas" fluid acrylic & watercolor 30" X 19"

Making Tortilla by April M Rimpo

Making Tortillas 

acrylic & watercolor

30" X 19" image
Mounted and varnished this painting arrives in a 33" X 22" frame

Available for Purchase on my Website

Provenance:

• One of 115 paintings selectd for the Missouri Watercolor Society's 2019 International Exhibition. - See Mike Bailey's Juror's Statement at the end of the post.
• One of 59 paintings selected for the Illinois Watercolor Society's 33rd National Exhibition 2017.
• Selected for the Laurel Art Guild Open 2016
• First Place Award in the Artist's Gallery of Columbia "Color Columbia" exhibition 2015

I have wanted to paint Making Tortillas ever since I returned from Guatemala in 2008. I have considered different color schemes; different focal points; different cropping of my source photographs, but none of the designs satisfied me. Recently I decided to try a different approach to the scene, cropped in closer and using a much more limited color palette.  It was the happiness of this woman and the gesture of her hands as she went about making her tortillas that I decided was the focus.  The beautiful reflected colors in the table top, which had been a distraction in earlier designs, were really not important.  It was the sense of joy she communicated with her expression that really mattered, so what more did I need?  Sometimes finding that quality that drew you to take the photograph is harder to find than you would expect.  Details that you may not have noticed when you took the photograph start to get in the way of that original inspiration.

For the artists in my audience, I started this painting by masking off much of the woman, the white areas, all the orange and red areas, and the light blue fabrics in the baskets. Then I poured on very wet washes of DaVinci fluid acrylic paint, tilted the paper to let the colors run and mix, added some granular light colored watercolor pigments to add interesting swirls and granular patterns, then let the paint dry.  I almost never use a heat gun or drier since I feel the colors are not as vibrant when I use these.

Most of the painting was done using fluid acrylic and small amounts of granular watercolors.  Exceptions were the red flower on her shirt and the orange/red corn in the basket.  I wanted these to be very vibrant.  I find when I use straight acrylic pigments for reds they seem a bit dull, while watercolor reds seem to almost glow. So after establishing some blues where the dark shadows would be, I applied an orange watercolor pigment to create the underlying color. When the watercolor was nearly dry I added some Alizarin crimson acrylic to create darker red passages.  A number of thin washes of Alizarin and some Quinacridone burnt orange were layered over the orange watercolor to create a variety of red shades. Blues and purples were used in the shadow areas and an Alizarin layer was added on top to add definition to the corn. Throughout the piece I repeated the same colors in different combinations and strengths so the painting holds together.

I'd love to hear your thoughts on Making Tortillas and your experience with finding and expressing the essence of a photograph that seemed so right at the time, but continue to elude you when you want to express it in your art.

Mike Bailey's Juror's statement: 
Missouri Watercolor Society 2019 International Exhibition I offer greetings and congratulations to all the artists who entered this prestigious exhibition. It is indeed an honor to have been chosen to select and judge this show! I must say, however, that it was a daunting task to select the best pieces from such a large body of outstanding paintings. It truly was, at times, a ‘hair pulling’ decision making process! Most everyone asks about selection criteria and the reasoning behind the choices. I am a design “nerd !” Design is always the driving first thing which presses me to include or exclude any painting into, or out of, an exhibition. Content, or message, or story in a painting will set me thinking in ways that a simply “beautiful” painting would not. The message is very important. There is an overriding condition, which appears in a few paintings, which holds enormous power . . .and that is creativity. This aspect shows how the artist thinks and exposes the artist’s audacity, authenticity and freedom. It, therefore, carries a lot of weight. . . .at times as much, or more, than content. Lastly, expert technique counts for little. That is to say that a well designed painting that exhibits strong content and / or exemplary creativity will win out over poor technique. As an aside, I must admit to sometimes allowing personal taste to enter into the above reasons for judgment. While I try to prevent taste from entering the decision making, my humanness may, at times, unexplainably enter into the final reasoning. To those artists who did not make the cut, you have my sincere empathy while I encourage you to continue reaching for higher levels of artistic achievement. I know rejection can be painful. It can also be the stimulus needed to advance aesthetically. So, press onward and continue entering; it is very much worth your efforts! 

Sincerely, M.E. “Mike” Bailey, AWS / NWS

* Contact April regarding purchase outside the United States

More of my paintings of Guatemala can be found by clicking on the titles listed below:

• Antiguan Drummer
• Incense
• Guatemalan Girl
• Fruit Vendors
• Street in Sololá
• Poinsettia Tree
• Heading to Market - SOLD
• Messengers
• Woman with a Wrapped Hat
• Hammocks
• The Dugouts
• Wash Day
• His Dugout
• Stopped to Chat
• Basket Maker
• Flores - SOLD
• Back Strap Weaver
• Out of the Sun - SOLD
• Guatemalan Family

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.

"Time at the Bus Stop" fluid acrylic 12" X 12"

Time at the Bus Stop by April M Rimpo

Time at the Bus Stop

Fluid Acrylic

12" X 12" in brushed silver frame

Available for Purchase Here

Time at the Bus Stop portrays a family having a few moments to talk and catch up while waiting for their ride. The morning light causes wonderful highlights and long shadows that caught my eye. As I was painting the family I couldn't help but wonder where they were headed.  Are the boys on their way to school? Is this a family outing? I decided your context heavily influences how each of us perceives the scene. Perhaps they are really headed to the fields to work. 

But in reality their destination doesn't matter. What inspired me to paint this family is the interactions between them. The young mother seemed to be listening closely to her youngest son, while the older boy looked on while eating some breakfast. I suspect the oldest woman may have been the grandmother who appears to be a bit lost in thought. It was catching that happy moment in time that compelled me to paint. I hope my painting makes you smile.

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

"Fruit Vendors", 22" X 19" watercolor

Fruit Vendors by April M. Rimpo

Fruit Vendors is based on a photograph taken in Antigua, Guatemala. This painting is intended to capture part of everyday life in Guatemala.  It was morning and these women were setting up their stand for the day.  They were located near a church which was visited by tourists and locals and both appeared to be their clientele. In the background were buildings and people who were at a level above the vendors, that I felt would detract from the vendors and their fruit.

Fruit Vendors

Watercolor

22" X 19" image

28" X 25" brushed silver frame

Available on my website

I started with a design that had very little in the background, but as the painting developed I decided I needed to have more to balance with the front of the painting. My first revision was to add some plants to the background on the left side.  I placed them all at about the same height because I thought the umbrella should be the only item that went to the top of the painting.  However as the painting progressed I felt the woman on the right was off by herself with only a few items of fruit in front of her. There was a large empty gap between the fruit and her that went up to the umbrella.  So I decided to add a few plants on her side of the painting.  This proved to be not enough.  The top still felt quite empty and really needed something dark in the upper left quadrant of the painting.

I decided to research plants native to Guatemala.  I found one called “Heliconia Wagneriana” that had dark stems, long leaves, and great blossoms that had the same reddish orange I used in several other place within the painting.  These plants grow from 5 to 15 feet tall, so they were a good candidate to fill the space.  I found a few different photographs of this plant then drew it to fill in the space that I thought would balance the design. I think the addition of this plant did the trick.  What do you think?  I'd love to hear from you. 

To see other work by April visit her website at http://www.rimpo.org/april/  where you can shop for card or prints.

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.
 

FIGURE 8 PLUS 1: Opening Reception

Group Wall has examples
of each artist's work

Touchstone Gallery held the Opening Reception for a small group exhibit titled FIGURE 8 PLUS 1 on March 4th.  Eight 2-dimensional artists plus one sculptor explore the human form in a variety of media. The exhibit includes contemporary art in oil, acrylic, photograph, pen and ink, ceramic sculpture, and watercolor.
The artists (left to right)
Janathel Shaw, Steve Alderton, Dana Bratman, Gail Vogels, April M Rimpo,Timothy Johnson, and Shelley Lowenstein 

Unable to attend the reception were artists: Michael Lang and Paula Lantz, who were missed.

Great crowds attended the opening reception and asked a lot of questions about the artwork. I know I enjoyed explaining the stories about my inspiration and my painting techniques and based on the grins on the other artists' faces I know they too had a wonderful time.  

Enjoy these photos from the reception. If you missed it, there will be another chance at the Artists Talk on March 19th, starting at 2PM.

   

 

"Antiguan Drummer" 24" X 24" Fluid Acrylic

Antiguan Drummer by April M Rimpo

Antiguan Drummer

 Fluid Acrylic

24" X 24" on varnished, gallery-wrapped watercolor paper

 NOW AVAILABLE   FOR PURCHASE  

I traveled to Guatemala for a workshop several years ago and our group was treated to music at our welcoming party. The musicians were a family,  including the father and two of his sons, who provided the entertainment. Antiguan Drummer features the youngest son who was nearly hidden behind his drums and tortoise shell cymbals proudly playing his maracas. 

My goal in my art is to show everyday activities - a way of life - with subjects around the world.  In each case something grabs my attention and makes me feel I must tell the story. Storytelling, and preserving a moment in time, is important in my work. My love of learning about people from cultures around the world, present and past, has been with me since my teens. When I first started college, my major was anthropology, which includes not only the study of current cultures but also the ancient history of man. I have never lost that love of learning about how people live, and cherish my ability to portray their story in my art.

Side note: A couple years ago a friend from Guatemala, who I met through Facebook, shared with me a photo of a young man playing these same drums and tortoise shells and I realized it was this same young boy continuing the family tradition.   

Other paintings inspired by my trip to Guatemala can be seen by clicking on the titles:

 

Woman with a Wrapped Hat

Basket Maker

• Woman with a Wrapped Hat -  Award Winner
• Basket Maker
• His Dugout - Award Winner  (Post includes original photo and steps to create)
• Making Tortillas - Award Winner



His Dugout

• Messengers
• Guatemalan Family
• Incense
• 
  

• 

  Messengers

  Hammocks
• Stopped to Chat
• Flowers to Remember
• Poinsettia Tree
• Back Strap Weaver
• A Moment to Relax
• Heading to Market



Poinsettia Tree

• Wash Day
• Flores 
• Fruit Vendors
• The Dugouts
• Ring Around a Rosie
• Street in Sololá - Award Winning

Wash Day by April M Rimpo

The Dugouts by April M Rimpo

Prints are available for many of my paintings. If you don't see the one that delights you in my Print Store, contact April to request availability.

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.

#HoCoArt

#aprilmrimpoart

#Guatemala

#figure8