"Venice III" watercolor 14" X 28"

Venice III by April M Rimpo

Venice III captures Venice life using textures to provide the feel of the buildings, while maintaining the softness of the water in the canal.  As many of you know I love to use an orange/blue complementary color scheme.  Venice III screamed for those colors since those are common colors in Venice.  I just love the blue striped poles scattered along the canal where gondolas, water taxis, and other boats can tie up to let off their passengers.  This painting received an Honorable Mention award.

Venice III

watercolor

14" X 28" image

22.5" X 36.5" golden wood frame

$975 within the United States *

Donated to the Howard County College President's Gala 2017 - Scholarship Fund fundraiser.

To see a sequence of images showing the creation of this painting go to Building a Painting

Other European landscapes by April include:

• At One with their Gondolas
• Ponte Vecchio
• Vineyard Life
• Morning in Provence

* Contact April regarding purchase outside the United States

"Ponte Vecchio" watercolor 10.5” X 22”

Ponte Vecchio by April M. Rimpo

In 1994 we took a trip to Europe, stopping in many cities in Italy.  One of my favorite cities was Florence, where we got to see Michelangelo’s David at Accademia Gallery.  Shortly after visiting the gallery we were delighted to see Ponte Vecchio, the oldest bridge in Florence.  With a little research I learned the Old Bridge at this location was the only bridge across the Arno in Florence until 1218.  The current bridge, the subject of my painting, was rebuilt after a flood in 1345.  During its history is has housed many different types of shops but now is dedicated to goldsmith and jeweler shops.  What a wonderful day.

Ponte Vecchio

watercolor

10.5" X 22" watercolor

16" X 28" brushed silver frame

$700 within the United States *

Original SOLD at HorseSpirit Arts Gallery
info@horsespiritartsgallery.com 

410-461-3505  

Prints Available Here

When I took the photograph in 1994 I thought I would someday paint the scene.  All the little shops hanging off the bridge fascinate me.  Each was a little different, built individually so they don't quite align even though their design is similar.  19 years later Ponte Vecchio has finally come back to life for me in my painting.  One of my favorite quotes, which I first heard last year from Frank Web, is one by John Burke who said,

“Time spent in a painting is very much like going there again on vacation. And when the painting is done, I have seen every detail and nuance so thoroughly, that a glance at the completed work is sufficient for a short visit.”

I feel this way about many of my paintings, but somehow this is especially true of this one.  Perhaps because this trip was my first to Europe and because this view of the shops on the bridge was something I had never seen before.  When searching the Internet to learn more I did an image search using the photograph I had taken and found many people had taken almost the exact same shot, so I hope this scene will bring back memories of others’ vacations as well.

For other European landscapes by April follow these links.

• Morning in Provence
• Vineyard Life
• Venice III

* Contact April regarding purchase outside the United States

To see prints of April's paintings check her store.If you want a print of a painting that you don't see in the store ask me; I don't have all prints on display.

"At One with their Gondolas", 12.5" X24.5" watercolor

At One with their Gondolas by April M. Rimpo

At One with their Gondolas

watercoclor

12.5" X 24.5" image

20 " X 32" framed

$700 within the United States *

There is something about the mystery of Venice that attracts me.  My family had the opportunity to explore Venice once.  It was a very overcast, people were bundled up and ready for rain, but they couldn't resist the experience of a ride in a gondola.  I had always envisioned these rides to be individual romantic rides, the Hollywood stereotype.  The cluster of gondoliers traveling down the main canal altered my perspective.  They really are taxis on the water, with charm.

I wanted to emphasize the concept of togetherness and, at the same time, capture the idea that the gondoliers essentially blend into their boats allowing their passengers to enjoy their ride without interference. In "At One with their Gondolas" I painted the gondoliers in a way that you can't tell where their bodies end and their gondolas begin. I also joined the three gondolas on the left to make them seem like one. Using light values in the gondola poles they stand out, clarifying the separate boats and providing an interesting repetition. The fourth gondolier on the right is slightly separated and holds his pole at a different angle from the others, reminding us each gondolier is truly unique.

April's other paintings of Europe include:

• Morning in Provence
• Ponte Vecchio
• Vinyard Life
• Venice III

To see other work by April visit her website at http://www.rimpo.org/april/  

* Contact April regarding purchase outside the United States