"Making a Difference" 24" x 24" gallery wrapped acrylic and watercolor

Making a Difference by April M Rimpo

Making a Difference

Fluid Acrylic and Watercolor

24" X 24" varnished gallery wrapped paper

$1375 within the United States *

Available at HorseSpirit Arts Gallery

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

Here is my painting for the invitational exhibition held at the Columbia Art Center Galleries in coordination with the Howard County Tourism & Promotion's Blossoms of Hope, which runs April 10-April 27, 2014. This year's theme "Vision of Hope" is in recognition of James Rouse’s 100th birthday, and celebrates Mr. Rouse’s spirit as a visionary.  The paintings in the exhibit are inspired by his quote “Optimism stimulates energy, spirit, home, and action.”  Proceeds from the exhibit support the Claudia Mayer/Tina Broccolino Cancer Resource Center at Howard County General Hospital.

For my entry I wanted to combine Mr Rouse's vision of hope with the great work done at the Claudia Mayer/Tina Broccolino Cancer Resource Center and decided to focus on a walk for cancer.  I researched the closest breast cancer walks to where I live and decided to highlight the walk in DC and the Washington Monument, where the opening ceremony will occur in 2014. To me these walks epitomize this quote. I also wanted to tie in the cherry blossoms that are the symbol of Blossoms of Hope, so I looked through my photographs of cherry blossoms in DC and found the background for the painting.  From there I looked through photographs of crowds so I could include people who were walking that looked natural.  All of this came together into "Making a Difference".

Posts of this painting while it was a work in progress:

• Just starting out
• WIP Part two

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"Making a Difference" Work in Progress Part 2

"Making a Difference" Work in Progress Part 2

I've made a lot of progress on "Making a Difference" and wanted to share the current state of my painting. The people in the cancer walk are getting close to completion.  I'm sure I'll need to do some clean-up to sharpen edges, but I decided it was time to get in the cherry trees to make sure the similar color between the trees and the people's clothing didn't make the people disappear.  I intentionally muted the trees to push them back and made sure the shadows along the bottom were at the right color and intensity to help the walkers show up. Still to be done is the spring green tree on the left.

Let me know how much I need to intensify the people to make sure they are not lost in this scene of DC.  Thanks for your help.