Heritage Watercolor 24" X 24" painting 26" X 26" silver metal frame
Heritage is part of my Inner Stories portrait series where the goal is not a traditional portrait of a person but a look at the story of the person. These paintings will be included in an exhibit at the Columbia Art Center in 2021. Elaine Weiner-Reed and I are joining forces again in this exhibit that will expand one our "Every Painting is a Story"/"Every Painting is a Song" initiative that you first experienced at our joint show in 2019.
Sometimes the stories in my "Inner Stories" series are my emotional response to that person, how I feel they are inside. Others, like this, look back to her roots growing up in Vietnam.
The inlays that surround her are derived from a Mother-of-Pearl inlay piece in her home that tells the story of the Trưng sisters, National heroes in Vietnam. They were Vietnamese military leaders who ruled for three years after rebelling in AD 40 against the first Chinese domination of Vietnam.
I loved the story of these brave women and wanted to represent the model as though her story was also preserved in Mother-of-Pearl. To me she represents a strong brave women in today's world.
"Heritage" is included in the 2021 Visionary Women exhibition at the Columbia Art Center. The exhibit will be on display through Mar 26, 2021.
Interested in April's artwork or taking one of her classes? Consider becoming a Studio Friend by signing up for her weekly 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. Oh, and please be sure to click on the link in a second email to verify your interest in joining my newsletter. Without the verification you will be left in a limbo state where you will not receive my emails and I can't complete the verification on your behalf. If you receive a response that you are already subscribed, email me to confirm and I can send you a different link to update your profile and get the verification email resent to you.
LMy My My inspiration for Let’s Dance
came from a trip to New Orleans during the French Quarter Jazz Fest. A great
festival with 21 stages from small ones like this stage set up next to the
French Market to very large stadiums. A portable dance floor was in front of
the stage encouraging everyone to dance. The central couple appeared to be
professional dancers and their movements and energy motivated me to paint the
scene. I had fun brightening it up with color to reflect the energy I felt while watching the dancers and listening to the lively music.
Whether
you are a dancer or like me enjoy watching other’s dance I hope you enjoy this
painting and the story of the day.
This painting was selected for the prestigious Baltimore Watercolor Society's 2020 Online Mid-Atlantic Regional Exhibition. Paintings are available through the artists and available upon completion of the purchase. No waiting for the end of the exhibition.
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. Thank you for your support of April M Rimpo Art.
$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 remainproperly 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.
This feature show transitioned from HorseSpirit Art Gallery's physical gallery at Historic Savage Mills to an Online Show at the link provided above. April reveals several new paintings in this show. You'll see some new themes in April's work but all with a story to share. She'd love to hear what story you see in her work as that enriches the work for all.
In April's art she uses Color and Light to Tell Stories of Life. Some are stories that capture history, show reveal the effects of time, others are a quiet spot where you can get lost in a calm and dreamy world. She has also included some small work of clouds that return April to her childhood when she would lie in the grass with a friend and they'd tell each other what they saw in the clouds.
These is a small series that portrays seasons of the year. Rather than just capture the iconic symbols of each season April included birds that she sees at the bird feeders her husband set up in the backyard of their home. In these paintings the birds are all placed on the same mailboxes but their setting changes in each, transporting you from garden, to lake, to farm country, and a snowing drift.
Most of the work is watercolor that has been mounted, varnished, and either framed or gallery wrapped around stretcher bars. A few of the pieces are fluid acrylics that are also painted on watercolor paper. Six of the pieces were painting on Aquabord, a trademarked clay surface available from Ampersand Supplies. These too are varnished providing a very modern display with no glazing. Two of the watercolors use traditional framing under Plexiglas and a white mat.
If the 3 minute video peaks your interest, please consider joining Online sessions on the HorseSpirt Arts Gallery's Facebook Page
Opening: May 17 2 PM EDT - Tune in to see Robin Holliday interview April
Facebook Live Artist Talk: Friday, May 29 at 7 PM Eastern Daylight Time (EDT)
April will also present a Facebook Live demonstration - painting Magnificent Skies
May 23, 2 - 4 PM EDT
Also feel free to comment on this post with any questions you may have about the art shown in the video. Questions can also be directed to HorseSpirit Arts Gallery at:
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. Thank you for your support of April M Rimpo Art.
Schubert - Piano Trio In B Flat (2nd Movement) performed by Apollo Symphony Orchestra License Agreement with SHUTTERSTOCK MUSIC CANADA ULC, doing business as PremiumBeat.com Artwork 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.
I found out about this challenge after the first 2 days were compete, so I've got 9 images for the first 11 days. Unlike painting a day challenges where you are supposed to finish a painting per day, in this the goal is simply to do something artistic each day. No requirement to complete anything. However, I've used this as an opportunity to complete a variety of small works with only two requiring two days. One had been started before the challenge, but wasn't very far along. I hope you enjoy the variety. I certainly have enjoyed bouncing around on subject matter.
September 2019 - First 9 days of 28 day Creativity Challenge
Day 1 (for me) - Day's Journey - Watercolor - 14" X 11"
Day 2 - Beginning of Village by the Sea, started as a demo piece in a Fluid Acrylic workshop - 21" X 15"
Day 9 - Heading North - Watercolor - 4" X 4" X 2" block
I think my next painting will be a more typical larger painting that I might submit to an exhibition, if it comes out well enough. We'll see what happens.
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.
Transitions: A Self Portrait, a 16" X 16" watercolor
I've considered doing a self portrait for years. I wanted something that would represent my life from the early days through the present. Previously. I wasn't quite sure how to do that. In this portrait, the ribbons represent phases of my story.I decided to use ribbons of history to capture memories about my life through the symbols on the ribbons, which you'll notice run over my head and make their way into me, depicted by the shapes on my face and neck. After finishing the painting, I decided one of the ribbons actually served a dual purpose since some of the shapes reminded me of hieroglyphics. I was always fascinated with the ancient Egyptians, doing a report on hieroglyphics in either the fifth or sixth grade. Later, I went on to study anthropology, including archaeology, ancient cultures and modern cultures, long before switching to a path in electrical engineering and semiconductor design, which was the original thought behind that ribbon. I won't share the meaning behind other ribbons so you can have your own interpretation. Recently, I've created portraits where I want to capture more about the person than their image by using unusual colors and symbols to represent their life or how I interpret their inner being. Now I just need an opportunity for a photoshoot where I can capture a more dramatic shot than a typical family photo. Stay tuned for more of these portraits of life.
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.
Wondering is an exploration into telling a story, about a moment in a person's life and what I image may be her thought, through colors, lighting, and shapes. Leveraging full
strength, non-representational, wet-into-wet watercolors for the shaded side of
her face, I then juxtaposed this strength with very pale natural colored washes
on the brightly lit side of her face. Hard lines add texture to her hair, along
with a few touches of splatter, mimic the splatter that forms the feathers in
her hair. The addition of some geometric shapes in her face, in the foreground
and background contrast with highly organic blends surrounding her. These
organic blends are repeated in the squares on the left side of the painting,
serving as a means to pull together the organic and geometric contracts found
elsewhere.
I'm delighted that "Wondering" was selected by juror, Joseph Becherer, for the International Society of Experimental Artists International Exhibition. Joseph Becherer is the director of the Snite Museum of Art at the University of Notre Dame and formerly founding director and curator of the sculpture program at Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park in Grand Rapids, Michigan. This exhibit will run from September 7 - October 26, 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.
"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. Sheserves 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.
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.
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.
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:
* Contact April regarding purchase outside USA or if interested in the painting without the frame
When sitting in a park (Madison Square Park in NYC) a woman
appeared in the distance carrying a parasol to block the bright sun.As she passed in and out of shaded spots the
umbrella would light up like a spotlight.She was wearing light colors and her hair was blond so she appeared to
almost glow against the backdrop of the park. With my camera at the ready I
started taking photographs as she walked in hopes of catching a moment when she
was lit up by the sun. I wanted to
feature the stark contrast between the glowing woman and the dark textured
foliage and fence rails that she passed. My painting, Aglow, was the
result.
I decided I wanted to make the background very colorful to add a lot of interest since I planned to make the colors of the woman very light and simple. The contrast of light against dark augmented with simple versus complex color blends felt right. I chose to use fluid acrylics for the background which I first applied in a few areas and let partially dry before washing off most of the color. This approach leaves a ragged edge "batik-like" appearance that added texture to the background. While the background was very wet, I flowed in a wide variety of colors: blues to make the orange parasol pop, reds, greens, golden, and purple hues that blended and swirled to make wonderful variety in the dark background. The balance of the painting was done with watercolor. I saved some spots of white which I later tinted with pale colors to add a bit of sparkle throughout the painting.
Jazz music has been one of my favorite genres of music for quite some time, but perhaps my love of this music grew just a bit more after a visit to New Orleans during Jazz Fest. The energy at this 5 day event was contagious and we roamed around between the 21 different stages and performance venues to take in as much as we could. Last summer the "Voodoo Threauxdown" tour come to Baltimore and my husband and I bought tickets immediately. We knew some but not all the groups who performed that night. The energy again was high. The various performers gave their all and we took it all in, loving every moment. This concert has resulted in quite a few paintings by me, with even more planned. I'm saving most of these paintings for a first reveal at my exhibit "Portraits of Life: The Art of Storytelling" that will feature artwork by me and Elaine Weiner-Reed. This will be one of my paintings. Jammin' features the saxophonist and trumpet player from Galactic.
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.
I can't think of the phrase, "By the Sea," without this tune flashing through my mind.
"By the sea, by the sea, by the beautiful sea!
You and me, you and me, oh how happy we'll be!"
Excerpt from "By the Beautiful Sea" from the musical "For Me and My Gal" (Harold Atleridge / Harry Carrol) (1914)
I find paintings can work the same way. During the creation of a painting I feel like I am transported back to the place that inspired it. It always makes me smile when someone sees one of my paintings and tells me about a memory they feel when they see it. It is the greatest thing that someone can tell me. So I've decided not to share my story about the paintings in this blog post and ask that you share yours with me. Please leave a comment.
Below you can see how including paintings around a consistent theme can enhance a room.
Click here to Contact April Please consider joining April's friends and collectors by signing up for her twice-monthly email. You will learn more about April's art inspirations, tips about her painting process, or art business tidbits. April also shares when her art is in exhibits and where.
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.
