"By the Old Mill" 30" X 20" Watercolor

By the Old Mill by April M Rimpo

By the Old Mill

Watercolor

30" X 20" painting
in a 35 X 25" white mat and brushed silver metal frame, with Plexiglas™

SOLD through HorseSpirit Arts Gallery's Online Shop

By the Old Mill reveals a perfect place to fish in the quiet of an old abandoned building. I always enjoy seeing places that have started to decay and collapse. I think I find them fascinating because their history is revealed. This building challenged me in countless ways with so many different materials (brick, reflections on glass, rusted metal, tree brambles and vines, water reflection, and the undergrowth of the distant woods.) Although I loved figuring out how to portray these textures it is the story of the place and the lone fisherman that drew me to paint it.

You can read more about creating this painting in a post titled

• How Long Did It Take? Answers to Consider

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.

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.

Looking Back - Watercolor on 10" X 10" Aquabord

Looking Back a 10" X 10" Watercolor on Aquabord
by April M Rimpo

Looking Back

Watercolor on Aquabord

10" X 10"

Varnished and in a Black Wood Floater Frame

Looking Back is inspired by the Arizona Living Pioneer Museum in Pioneer, AZ. The museum has changed drastically since I took this photo. We were there in the 1980s when I remember only a single museum building with no one dressed in historic clothing.  I'm not sure if all of this equipment is still scattered behind what was the main museum building. Nothing like capturing the history of a history museum. You know I love capturing light in my photos. We must have been there mid-day and the intense Arizona sun poured down on this old equipment creating a great contrast between the tops of things, such as the seats and wheels, with dark shadow essentially everywhere else.  Of course, rust also turns quite dark over time, looking nearly black, but you can still see here and there the burnt orange color of rust.

I was particularly enthralled with the small distant building and had to include that since it was so vivid in my memory. We never knew the story behind that building.

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

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.

How Long Did It Take? - Answers to Consider

Metal Flashing Detail from By the Old Mill © 2019 April M Rimpo

Artists are often asked "How long did it take you to paint this?" Granted some take longer than others depending on a myriad of factors:

• Even if you are working from your own source photos, there is often research needed about your subject to be able to create a good design.
• Deciding on a color scheme - Color could be driven by the emotion you want to portray or could be influenced by a client's preferences. 
• The amount of detail in the painting - applies to both realistic and non-objective work where details may be more in the realm of textures needed to communicate the thoughts and feelings behind the work.
• In representational painting - the variety of materials you're simulating in your painting - such as metal, brick, cement, wood, glass, undergrowth in woods, rusted tools, a snarl of fallen trees, water, vines, a sprinkling of fallen leaves, pottery, delicate crystal, various types of fruit, clothes, crocheted items, intricate fabrics. The list is endless all requiring different approaches to creating them. 
• How you plan to present the work - framed, gallery wrapped, varnished all require different considerations even before you start the painting.

Detail - Vines growing on brick,
and reflections in windows
© 2019 April M Rimpo

As a result, when asked this question, I may answer with a little bit about the process I used to create the painting, since I suspect that might be more what the person is curious about.  I don't mean a technical description full of words that are understood only by artists, but a more general description.  

I may also talk about the inspiration and what I had to do to be sure the story or emotion of the moment was captured in the painting.

I recently finished a painting with many details and a variety of materials simulated in the painting. As a result, this painting took much longer than many of my paintings, but is that really want you want to learn about the painting?  I don't think so. Much of the time was spent figuring out how to represent each of the materials. 

I've included some detail images of my painting, By the Old Mill, to let you see up close how different each of these sections are. Perhaps less obvious is how different the painting application is to create the look of metal versus brick and vines, water, detailed branches and the illusion of distant undergrowth in the wood.

Detail from By the Old Mill - A Snarl of Branches and Water © 2019 April M Rimpo

Detail - The Illusion of undergrowth in the woods 
© 2019 April M Rimpo

Those who read my newsletter got a sneak peek at the whole painting, but I'm not sharing it widely since I plan to include this painting in an upcoming feature of my work.

If you'd like to learn more, just ask.  

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

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 Firehouse" 14" X 11" Fluid Acrylic on Aquabord™

The Firehouse by April M Rimpo

The coming of fall is always a time to celebrate in paintings. Fall colors complement the brick and natural stone in Ellicott City.  The yellow building of The Firehouse Museum stands proud in this historic town.

When I decided to paint scenes from Ellicott City there was a wealth of material begging for attention.  The hard part was deciding what to paint first.

You can tell the people of Ellicott City love their town. The old town center is beautifully maintained and, as you can see in The Firehouse, American flags fly out front of several shops. 

Now a museum, the firehouse was first built in 1889 and was the first firehouse in Howard County. According to the Howard County website is was used after 1923 as a meeting hall, county office space, and a library. It is located at the intersection of Main Street and Church Road.

The Firehouse

Fluid Acrylic on Aquabord™

14" X 11"

$375

Original painting SOLD
Prints available through HorseSpirit Arts Gallery

Other paintings of Ellicott City can be found here:

• B and O Caboose
• Ellicott City II
• Welcome Since 1772

Aquabord is a trademark of Ampersand

"Historic Train Station" a 16" x 20" fluid acrylic

Historic Train Station by April M. Rimpo

Historic Train Station

16" X 20" Fluid Acrylic on Watercolor Paper

Mounted on a 2" Deep-Cradle Wood Panel

$775

Original Available in April's Spreesy Store

Prints available through HorseSpirit Arts Gallery

I've been wanting to paint this train station, now museum, for a while. However I've struggled with how to make it look interesting since the building and cobblestone were all similar in color. The front "courtyard" is a large expanse that seemed empty in my photographs.

My first design concept was to transform the scene back to the late 1800s when the station was still in operation. This resulted in the addition of the horse drawn carriages in the distance and the woman in 1880s clothing, but it still needed more color and something to fill that courtyard area.

Recently I decided I could add some potted flowers to the foreground, which not only adds some needed white, but also adds some brighter yellows and a place to repeat and emphasize the reds from the roof and distant building. I placed the flowers so they introduced an interesting curved shape, breaking up the large expanse in front of the building.

I'm so glad I took my time thinking about the design of this painting. I believe the result is far better than my original plan. I'd love to hear your thoughts.

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.

"B&O Caboose" 11" X 14" Fluid Acrylic on Aquabord™

B&O Caboose by April M Rimpo

B and O Caboose

Fluid Acrylic on Aquabord™

11" X 14"

$375

Original SOLD 

Prints on watercolor paper available at 

HorseSpirit Arts Gallery
8090 Main Street
Ellicott City, MD 
Phone: 410-461- 4505

HorseSpirit Arts Gallery

info@horsespiritartsgallery.com

410-461-3505  

You won't really find this 1927 "I-5" Caboose on the rails since the Ellicott City Railroad Station no longer operates train rides, but you will find it on display on Maryland Avenue in Ellicott City, Maryland.  That is one great thing about being an artist, you can jump back in time and sudden turn history into the present. 

Other paintings of Ellicott City can be found here:

• The Firehouse
• Ellicott City II
• Welcome Since 1772

Aquabord is a trademark of Ampersand

"Ellicott City II" "11" X 14" Fluid Acrylic on Aquabord™

Ellicott City II

Fluid Acrylic on Aquabord

11" X 14"

$375

Original SOLD 

PRINT NOW AVAILABLE AT HORSESPIRIT ARTS GALLERY 

410.461.3505 
info@horsespiritartsgallery.com 

Entering through the Ellicott City sign on the B&O railroad track you find the former Patapsco Hotel, which was rebuilt in 1925.  At one time the second floor of the hotel served as a passenger waiting room of the B&O Railroad.

Other paintings of Ellicott City can be found here:

• The Firehouse
• B and O Caboose
• Welcome Since 1772

Aquabord is a trademark of Ampersand

"Ellicott City...Welcome Since 1772", 11"X14" Fluid Acrylic on Aquabord™

Welcome Since 1772 by April M Rimpo

Ellicott City is a charming town not far from where I live. It is full of art and antique shops that draw people from far and wide.  It is a favorite place for artists to paint.  In fact, each year Ellicott City holds a paint out that brings artists to town to spend a weekend painting. The result is an exhibition, held in one of the Howard Country Arts Council's Galleries.  There are so many paintings they often spill out into the hallways.

I have never taken part is this paint out, but recently decided that, since I paint places from across the United States, Provence France, and Guatemala, why not share a bit of home as well. 

Welcome Since 1772 is, I expect, the first of several paintings of Ellicott City.  The title derives from the little ribbons painted in the upper left and lower right of the Ellicott City sign, that decorates the old train bridge you pass under on the way into town.  One ribbon says, "Welcome", while the other proclaims the heritage of the town "Since 1772." 

Welcome Since 1772

Fluid Acrylic on Aquabord

11" X 14"

$375

Original SOLD - Prints available at Still Life Fine Art Gallery

This painting is done using fluid acrylic on a deep cradle Aquabord™, a trademark of Ampersand.  Ampersand describes Aquabord™ as "an acid-free textured clay surface that absorbs watercolor like a fine paper."  I used a version of Aquabord™ that has a 2" deep cradle that eliminates the need for framing.   I varnished the finished piece to protect it from dirt, moisture, and discoloration. 

I'd love to hear your thoughts on this painting and I'd be happy to answer questions about my experience using fluid acrylic and watercolor on this painting surface.

Here are a couple watercolor paintings I did on Aquabord:

• Guatemalan Girl
• Flowers to Remember

Other paintings of Ellicott City can be found here:

• The Firehouse
• Ellicott City II
• B&O Caboose

"Struggles in the Sourthwest", 24" X 34" gallery wrapped fluid acrylic on paper

Struggles in the Southwest by April M. Rimpo

You may remember my June blog post called Pouring Paint, about a workshop I had taken from Linda Baker.  During that workshop I painted Harder Times which was a close up of one grave in Mission Tumacácori.  I designed Struggles in the Southwest earlier but decided it was too much to tackle in a workshop and went with the simpler version. I visited Mission Tumacácori sometime in the 1980s as part of my explorations of Arizona. After moving to Arizona in 1980, my husband and I continued to explore many National sites with Indian ruins during our 17 years in the state.  One of my interests, in fact my initial major in college, was archaeology, so visiting these sites allowed me to catch a glimpse of the past.  To learn more about this Mission visit the National Park Service site.

Like Harder Times this painting was poured, but with fluid acrylic instead of watercolor. Below are a few images showing steps in creating this painting.

Value Sketch

I generally start each painting with a drawing of the outlines of the shapes in the painting, but this one was complex enough that I decided to do a value sketch. The purpose of a value sketch is to work out the darks, mid-value, and lights in the painting. I admit I went beyond a value sketch and toward a much more complete drawing. However this was done on tracing paper to allow me to more easily transfer the drawing to watercolor paper.

The image at right shows the result of the first pouring of acrylic paint.  The acrylic was poured after I transferred the drawing, then masked areas I wanted to keep white. The first pouring uses the lightest colors in the painting, filling the role of the lightest mid-tone.  To accomplish this with acrylic, the pigments are very diluted with water.



When the first layer dries, more masking fluid is added to some areas where I want the lightest mid-tone.  A second pouring is done that has nearly the same amount of water mixed with the paint. Since it is on top of the first layer of color, it looks darker.  I added more blues to the second pour allowing them to mix with the Quinacridone Coral pigment to create lovely lavender shades in areas where there are shadows.

In this third process photograph I have added a few darker areas and, when the paint dried, I removed the masking.  

Notice the golden tan stripe along the left edge.  After I gallery wrap the painting over a stretcher frame, the stripe will be on the edge of the painting. Sometimes I run the image around the edge and sometimes I use color stripes.

    

This last photo was taken after several touch-up sessions. A variety of dark colors is added in the darkest shadows under the rocks and more color to the crosses. A great deal of work was done on the rocks to blend some of the dark edges and to emphasize the twigs and grasses in the sand around the stones.

There was a small amount of additional touch-up to finish the painting after this image was taken.  The finished painting in the top image shows just the front of the painting after gallery wrapping. 

Arriving at Kensington, 24" X 34" fluid acrylic

Arriving at Kensington by April M Rimpo

Arriving at Kensington

Fluid Acrylic
24' X 34" varnished and brushed silver frame
Original SOLD

Prints Available to purchase at HorseSpirit Arts Gallery

info@horsespiritartsgallery.com 

410-461-3505 

 

Arriving at Kensington I walked around Kensington getting to know the town, including the antique shop district and the lovely tea room, but the train station was the spot that struck me as something I wanted to paint.  I'm sure the station has been painting hundreds if not thousands of times, but I had to take my stab at it too.  I was quite happy with the result and hope you are too. 

Here are links to several of my other landscape paintings.

• Flores
• Pigeons I
• Making a Difference
• Ponte Vecchio
• The Conservatory
• Vineyard Life
• The Beach

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.