Series: Down by the Sea

The Beach, 22" X 10.5" watercolor

by April M. Rimpo

It seems like unconsciously I work in series without really planning to do so.  In looking back at my work I find ships, sailboats, water scenes keep popping up. The latest The Beach is shown at right. This painting received a Second Place award. In this painting the sailboat is secondary to the people musseling on the beach, yet the pathways in the sand and water do bring you back around to the lovely sailboat making me want to sail away.

The Beach

watercolor

22 " X 10.5" image

28 " X 16" brushed silver frame
$650 within the United States *

Available for Purchase Here 

Sailboats are the central focus in several of my paintings over the years.  Race on the Cove was sold from a solo exhibit at the Dorchester Art Center in Cambridge, Maryland back in 2002.

Race on the Cove, watercolor by April M. Rimpo

Even oils that predated my switch to watercolor in 1997 depicted people on the beach, as shown in Kennebunkport below.

Kennebunkport, oil by April M. Rimpo

So what draws me to beach and water scenes?  I think it is the serenity I find by the ocean.  This struck me most dramatically when I visited the Pacific coast in Oregon as a college student.  Unlike the beaches I  experienced on the Atlantic coast as a child, there are very few people; there is nothing but the sound of crashing waves and maybe the frolic of an otter.

The power of nature is very real and poignant; when there I feel totally at peace.  I can sit on the cliffs by myself and just stare for hours.  There are no troubles of the world, there is nothing that I feel I have to do except sit and enjoy.

Clearly in Race on the Cove there is a lot of activity on the water, but as I remember that day there was no throng of people crowding a beach and distracting me from the race.  Again, quiet was the predominant sensation.  Of course, the color of the sails add that splash that I love, so this became another one of those precious moments I cherish. 

I have a few quotations at the bottom of my blog.  One is by John Burk that perfectly characterizes how I feel about many of my paintings.

 "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."

Perhaps that is why I paint so many of these types of landscapes.  I know you won't revisit my experience when you look at these paintings, but I hope they do bring back to you some wonderful time you spent by the ocean or on a lake.  I'd love to hear your stories.  They will add a new dimension to my art that I could never enjoy otherwise.

For other water and boat scenes take a look at these other blog posts.  

• Port of Call - NYC
• Tall Ship Gloria
• The Dugouts
• Flores  SOLD
• Wash Day
• At One with Their Gondolas 
• A Day at the Fountain

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, but all other uses are prohibited.

Intersections and City Reflections II, watercolors on paper

Intersections, 29" x 22" watercolor 

When most people go to NYC they probably take pictures of The Empire State Building, The Chrysler Building, Time Square, the Flat Iron Building, Freedom Tower, and of course the Statue of Liberty.  Like everyone else I take those photographs, but I also am intrigued by what is on top of all the other buildings.  There are all kinds of interesting equipment, water towers, heat and cooling systems, and other things that I don’t really understand.  The tops of buildings feel much like little cities of their own.  They often look like a throw-back to another era.  I’m especially intrigued by the water towers, which I assume are for use in case of fire.

My painting, Intersections is my homage to the rooftops and the amazing architectural details on so many of the building in NYC, the view from on high.  In a way I consider scenes like this as portraits of what keeps the city going, the internal workings of the city.  I also hope to help others see the scroll work and other architectural details that looms above your head as you walk the streets looking for the perfect restaurant, your hotel, or as you make your way to a show on Broadway. 

Intersections
Watercolor

29" X 22" image

36" X 29" brushed silver frame
$1525

AVAILABLE NOW FOR PURCHASE HERE

City Reflections II, 23" X 16" watercolor 

City Reflections II depicts 

reflections of older buildings in a modern glass building.  Included in the reflections are elements from the roofs of older buildings.  My goal is to meld the old with the new, joining architectural eras through the reflection. For me the details of the chimneys and ventilation systems are part of what makes it interesting to explore this painting.  As in Intersections the normally unseen is brought to the forefront in City Reflections II. This painting was based on a photograph I took in Seattle.

City Reflections II

Watercolor

23" X 16" image

31" X 23" brushed silver frame

$925

AVAILABLE NOT FOR PURCHASE HERE

I hope you enjoy my silent nods to parts of the city less traveled. To see available prints check my store.

Blog posts on some of April’s other cityscape paintings can be found at these links:

• Madison Square Fountain

• Morning in NYC

• Port of Call - NYC

• The Conservatory

• City Reflections I

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.

"The Vendor" watercolor 29.5" X 18"

The Vendor by April M. Rimpo

The Vendor

watercolor

29.5" X 18" image
36.5" X 25.5" brushed silver frame

$1200 when shipped within the United States*

AVAILABLE TO PURCHASE HERE

The emphasis of The Vendor was the wonderful shadows cast on the vendor and his surroundings, when the late afternoon sun shone through the fence.  Shadows help convey an instant in time, which I enjoy capturing. I feel like we are glimpsing a tiny piece of life and that each viewer can fill in the story associated with this instant.

I suspect the vendor was preparing boxes in which he places the last packages of food he’ll be selling before the sun sets.  I hope people will wonder about his story and take a moment to think about the beauty of everyday events.

Taking a Break
 by April M. Rimpo

In this painting I used hard edges to emphasize the shadows rather than using smooth transitions which may dilute the shadows.  I also used a limited color palette to keep the focus on the shadows.

The Vendor is a companion to Taking a Break (SOLD) which also highlights late day shadows. 

Some of my other paintings that capture an instant in time include:

• A Day at the Fountain -where the fountain spray and children at play are frozen in time
• Wash Day - which captures women washing their clothes in a lake
• Heading to Market - where her blurred feet portray the speed with which this woman was walking
• Aglow - where the contrast of bright light and sun dappling against the dark background freezes time

To see available limited edition prints check my online store. 

April standing by The Vendor,
which was hanging in the Laurel Art Guild Open Exhibition

* Contact April regarding shipping costs outside the United States

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.

"City Reflections I", 14" X 40" watercolor

City Reflections, 14" X 40" image, watercolor

My city paintings are frequently about pattern and color.  Like many artists, I am drawn to the reflections in city windows.  This building had sixteen panes reflecting back surrounding buildings.  Since I wanted the details of the patterns to be more visible I cropped down to the four panes shown here.  Distortions in the windows cause the reflections to look more like a Picasso painting where the buildings are melting instead of a picture perfect image of the surrounds.  To me the distortions were the charm I wanted to emphasize.  Having the straight vertical window muntin bars that hold the panes in place seems to emphasize the fluid, melting reflections.  If you squint at the painting, which helps emphasize value rather than color, I used the darker values as pathways to connect one part of the buildings to another. Quiet blue sky reflections provide occasional relief to the jumble of the reflections.

Taking a Break

I used a triad color scheme focused on orange as the primary, blue the secondary with hints of greens.  Including the light pole surrounded by flowers that was in front of the building allowed me to add in a few touches of green.   I have found this triad very dynamic in other paintings I have done.  Taking a Break, shown at right, is the same color plan but with slightly redder oranges.

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