New Series: How do you feel?

Bubbling with Joy by April M Rimpo

Bubbling with Joy

Watercolor on Yupo

Varnished

12" X 12" Brushed Silver Frame

$375

Effervescent by April M Rimpo

Available for Purchase

Effervescent

Watercolor on Yupo

Varnished

12" X 12" Brushed Silver Frame

$375

Available for Purchase

United (diptych)

Watercolor on Yupo

Two 18" X 12" paintings in

24" X 18" Gold Metal Frames

$1125 for diptych

Available for Purchase Now

Contact April if you are interested in purchasing separately ($625 each)

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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.

ISEA 1st Annual Members Virtual Exhibit

Inspiration by April M Rimpo

Last year I joined the International Society of Experimental Artists, entered and was accepted into their 23rd International Experimental Artists Exhibition. At that time I had just started pouring fluid acrylic and my painting Moving Up had been the result of my first poured painting. 

While doing that and other poured paintings I noticed that the painting started out as a very interesting abstract and gradually built to the image I wanted to portray.

This year, during the 30 Paintings in 30 days Challenge, I decided to create  some non-objective paintings as the starting point for a series of yoga poses that I planned to paint.  I used large sheets (40 X 50") when doing the pours so I could have a lot of variety to chose from when I later cut these sheets apart to make 8 X 8" wrapped "canvases" for the sections of the yoga poses.  My goal during the pouring was just to make some interest patterns and color combinations. I had not yet drawn the poses, so there was no masking intended to preserve areas for the final paintings.

After the backgrounds were done and I had drawn the poses, I selected sections of the non-objective, poured sheets that I thought I could use for the yoga poses.  When selecting the 8"X8" sections I looked for lighter areas that could be formed into the person and textures that would help accentuate the pose.  The next step was to draw the post across the segments and then add paint to help emphasize the human shape while still leaving each abstract segment as abstract as possible.  Until the four segments of "Inspiration", shown at left, were put together, it was difficult to see the figure. Even assembled it takes some looking to find her form in the painting.

Being quite happy with my result I decided to enter this pose (there are a total of six poses made up of 21 8" X 8" panels) into the ISEA Member Virtual Exhibition. I was so happy is was accepted into the exhibit. 

To see all the other experimental paintings by going to the ISEA website. I think the work is quite fascinating in this exhibit.  Do take some time to read the descriptions provided by each artist explaining why the piece was experimental for them, since being experimental is a personal experience.  I am so glad their is a group like this that honors each artist's personal experimentation. Two of my artist friends also have work in this virtual exhibit.  Please be sure to check out the paintings by Sue Marrazzo and Marilyn LeMay Patterson.  Sue Marrazzo also has a blog, so if you want to see more of her artwork check that out here.

"Intertwined" 45" X 45" acylic on gallery wrapped paper

Intertwined by April M Rimpo - SOLD

Since I generally paint semi-abstract or realistic scenes of people and places, when I venture out in new directions I can't help but see things in my non-objective work.  I think it's a bit like looking at clouds and seeing people or animals. Or maybe something like when people from long ago gazed at star formation and found pictures that became named constellations.

I don't know if humans have some reason that causes them to look for the familiar?  I find it fascinating how when shown random objects we seem to want to make some kind of order to them.  Even the Rorschach psychological test created by Swiss psychologist Hermann Rorschach used ink blots to try to evaluate people's thinking processes.

I won't share what I see in my own painting so as not to bias your experience, but it would be interesting to me to hear what if anything you see in Intertwined.  Enjoy!  I hope this painting brings you as much joy as I had creating it.