April M. Rimpo Art: paintings on Ampersand Aquabord

Showing posts with label paintings on Ampersand Aquabord. Show all posts

Friday, September 25, 2020

"First Look" a 12" X 12" Watercolor on Aquabord

First Look © April M Rimpo

First Look

Watercolor on Aquabord™

12" X 12" Painting

in a 13.5" X 13.5" Black Wood Floater Frame

$500

This sweet little fawn was born in the tall grass in our yard. Who knew that negligence, due to a lot of rain, would result in a perfect hiding place for the doe to deliver her fawn. We were fortunate to have a view looking down into this spot from our living room. My husband and I both took pictures as we watched our new neighbor.

I believe this was its first time standing as it looked about on the world. Not long later the mother arrived to check on her fawn, who walked over to nurse. They sure get moving quickly. We were so honored to witness these early hours of the baby fawn's 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. 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.

Contact April and see more of her art on her website

Note: You may be taken to an error page asking if you want to proceed to my https://..... .php site. This is my secure site created using a php format. It is safe to proceed.

Saturday, April 18, 2020

Graceful Draping 10" X 10" watercolor on Aquabord

Graceful Draping, Watercolor on Aquabord, by April M Rimpo

Graceful Draping
Watercolor on Aquabord™

10" X 10"
in 11" X 11" black floater frame

Available through HorseSpirit Arts Gallery

To be featured in an Online Feature Show May 17 - June 7, 2020

There’s a house not far from where I live that comes alive in the summer as an old Wisteria that nearly encases the front porch blooms. It’s a magnificent sight that takes my breath away. Several times I pulled to the side of the road so I could take photographs from a variety of angles. I’ve struggled with how to do it justice, so in this 10” X 10” painting on Ampersand™ Aquabord™ I decide just to paint one small corner of the porch so I could share these beautiful blooms. Some day I’ll be brave and take a much larger view, but for now I’m delighted with Graceful Draping and hope you love it too.

Contact April and see more of her art on her website

Thursday, February 6, 2020

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.

Contact April and see more of her art on her website

Monday, November 18, 2019

"Nature's Paintbrush" watercolor on Aquabord by Ampersand, 12" X 12"

Nature's Paintbrush, watercolor by April M Rimpo

Nature's Paintbrush

Watercolor on Aquabord™

Varnished and Framed in Black Wood Floater Frame

Available through

HorseSpirit Ars Gallery's Online Shop

I love the effects of nature and time on things around us. They take items made by man and turn them into beautiful glistening objects. Perhaps no longer functional for their original purpose, but they tell a story of their time in the world. I captured this moment in the journey of the bucket and can of nails, but no doubt not the end of their life; nature isn't finished with them.

Contact April and see more of her art on her website

Tuesday, October 29, 2019

The Weather Held Out for the Plein Air Event

Just Past Dawn, fluid acrylic on 9"x12" canvas board
by April M Rimpo

Once a year the Columbia Art Center holds a Plein Air Event (paint out) in the Fall. I love that this event is NOT in the middle of the summer like so many others. I dislike the heat of summer, so I don't consider participating in those events. We had a tiny sprinkle of rain, but not enough to slow us down.

Although I arrived thinking I would only do one painting then go home, I did bring a second surface in case I caught the bug and had to do another. I painted this year at Lake Kittimaqundi. The first was fluid acrylic on canvas board. I started it shortly after sunrise and was successful at keeping in mind how it looked at that moment even as the sky, water, and reflections continued to change while I painted.

When I did a plein air painting on Wilde Lake in 2017 I kept falling in love with every change of the reflections in the water and was unsuccessful in sticking to my plan. I was still happy with the result, but it took much longer to finish that painting since I kept changing it. You can change the water and not change other aspects of the painting since the sky affects the water reflections, so there is a big ripple effect each time you change the plan.

I scoped out where I wanted to paint a couple days before the event. It was a gorgeous sunny day and I arrived at noon. The light was quite different from the day of the event where we started with some blue sky in the east but gradually clouded over to a variety of gray clouds as the day progressed. Because of the difference in time of day and light, the place I wanted to paint looked quite different, but the view across the lake was wonderful.

By the Foot Bridge, 8"x8" watercolor & fluid acrylic
on Aquabord by April M Rimpo

The second spot I scoped out for a painting was just to the right of where I stood for the morning painting. All I did was pivot to my right and do the second painting. It was a fantastic spot.

For the first hour or so I was alone in that area, with the exception of a few walkers and runners who were enjoying the walking trail. I heard a few people talking who noticed me and recalled the plein air event was that day, but no one came over and talked to me. Although I enjoyed chatting while painting in 2017, that morning had me so drawn into painting that I was glad to be left in peace to paint.

A couple other artists arrived later but they too were busy creating. It was a fantastic day to be outside, granted with a few extra layers of clothes since mid-October can be cool. I surprised myself and really considered going out to paint again on Sunday when the day started out with bright sun. It did turn to rain so I was glad I had not ventured out, but I definitely understand why so many artists do love painting outdoors rather than in the studio.

Contact April and see more of her art on her website

Saturday, March 18, 2017

"Sunset" 6" X 6" Fluid Acrylic on Aquabord

Sunset by April M Rimpo

Sunset

Fluid Acrylic on Aquabord™

6" X 6" image in 6.5" X 6.5" Golden Frame

$100

Available to Purchase HERE

Working on Aquabord™ requires a few different techniques compared to working on canvas or watercolor paper. One of the primary differences is the tendency of Aquabord™ to bubble when first applying paint. By applying water to the Aquabord™ before you apply paint and letting it sit for about 4 minutes, most, but not all, of the bubbles dissipate. By letting the first layer dry and then adding additional layers of acrylic you can cover the bubbles, if you don't want that texture in your painting. I've found it can be a bit easier when using fluid acrylic, as compared to watercolor.

When using watercolor you have to be very careful NOT to lift earlier layers of paint when applying another layer. This doesn't happen with fluid acrylic, because once dry, acrylic paint doesn't move or lift. You could scratch off the acrylic, but it would cause some damage to the surface and probably look like a flaw. If you need to recover some white when using fluid acrylic on Aquabord™, use white paint.

Do you have experience working with Aquabord™ and have any tips on things you found work well with this painting platform?

Aquabord™ is a Trademark of Ampersand™

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.

Tuesday, September 13, 2016

Working plein air - "Solitude", "Windy" and "Harbor Bait"

Solitude 8" X 12" fluid acrylic on watercolor paper
by April M Rimpo

I am without a question a studio painter, but about once per year I venture outside to paint plein air. I traveled with four friends to Maine, where we rented a house for a week with the intention of painting plein air most every day. We started out strong. First meeting with a someone who paints in this area for four months each summer to find out the "best spots" for plein air painting. She had quite a few suggestions, so we headed out our first day to explore the Cuckolds Island lighthouse in Boothbay Harbor.

Cuckolds Island Lighthouse

I don't think I was the only one to be surprised how far offshore this lighthouse is from the public wharf, but it just seemed right to me to be the first thing I painted on this trip. I did feel like having binoculars might have helped to see, but I think it freed me from worrying about the details, which are somewhat superfluous when painting outdoors. Plein air painting all about simplification and capturing the moment. By lunch time Solitude was complete. As you can see I took liberties by adding the colors of sunrise to give the scene some spark. The teal blues were visible in the sky and water, although you can't seem them in the photograph.

Windy 6" X 6" fluid acrylic on Aquabord
by April M Rimpo

After lunch I moved out on the dock to paint another scene. The wind decided to come up that afternoon, first blowing my hat off and later whisking my water container off my palette and onto the dock. Although my partner-in-crime, who was also painting on the dock, decided to head back in where there were houses to block the wind, I persisted.

I was working on a 6" X 6" Aquabord and was determined to get it done. Windy is the result. Working on Aquabord is quite different from painting on watercolor paper. It requires a lot more layers, so the result looks a lot more like an oil than a fluid acrylic.

In just a couple hours the water had changed from the lovely warm and teal blues we saw in the morning to gray with lots of rough water caused by the wind. It has always been amazing to me how some plein air painters even paint in the snow to capture the moment. I guess my windy experience showed me how an artist can get pulled into dealing with the weather to make the painting happen.

Windy - SOLD through HorseSpirit Arts Gallery

Fisherman's Wharf in Boothbay Harbor

Another day we ventured to the local fisherman's wharf. This part of the harbor was thick with boats, buildings, and houses along the shore. Equipment and storage containers littered the docks. It was overwhelming. The image at right shows the scene before me while I was painting.

If I was an experienced plein air painter I would probably select one or two boats and paint those, but the studio painter in me wanted more. I spent nearly an hour creating a sketch of the scene and then another half hour transferring it to my watercolor paper. By the time I started to paint, several of my comrades had made great progress on their paintings. The woman who paints in Boothbay each summer joined us that morning and completed her painting in the time it took me to get ready to start painting.

Harbor Bait by April M Rimpo

My "simplification" was to only eliminate the boats and buildings along the shore in the background. I chose to add people who were on the dock at various times while I painted. By the time we stopped for lunch I was nowhere near done, so I worked on it back at the house off and on for a couple days to finish this up. As you can see the immediacy associated with plein air work is NOT apparent in Harbor Bait, but it was still fun to get it started on site.

Wednesday, August 10, 2016

Art Fundraiser for Ellicott City

Welcome .. Since 1772 by April M Rimpo

Purchase my art to help me increase my donation to help rebuild Ellicott City. Fundraiser ends October 31st.

I will be donating 50% of the value of my sales from my Spreesy Store between now and the end of October to the Ellicott City Partnership. They are a 501(c)3 non-profit organization raising funds to rebuild Ellicott City.

The power of water is unbelievable and the destruction in Ellicott City devastating to see in all the videos and images we've seen on TV and the internet. The only uplifting thing has been seeing all the volunteers reaching out in so many different ways to help those who live, work, and own businesses in Old Town Ellicott City.

B & O Caboose by April M Rimpo

Church Road by April M Rimpo

Ellicott City II by April M Rimpo

Historic Train Station by April M Rimpo

Fire House by April M Rimpo

I've included images here of several of my Ellicott City paintings that are available as prints in my Spreesy store. But I will be donating any sales through the end of October, not just the Ellicott City paintings and prints.

If you are interested in different size prints these can be increased in size up to about 3 to 4 times the original sizes.

For example, the following paintings are all 11' X 14" and could be printed at any size with the same aspect ration: 24" X 30", 28" X 36, or up to 40" X 51".

Welcome Since 1772
B&O Caboose
Ellicott City II
Fire House

The original painting of Historic Train Station is 16" X 20 and could be scaled to 24" X 30", 32" X 40" or up to 58" X 72". (The largest size is based on what I could fit in my car to deliver, so at this time I could only sell a print this large to someone who lives in the Baltimore-Washington area.)

The original painting of Church Road is 24" X 18" could be printed at 36" X 27" up to 72" X 54". (Same constraint on the largest size listed here as mentioned unter Historic Train Station.)

If you are interested in a print of a different size than the ones in my Spreesy store contact me through Facebook (April M Rimpo) or by email through my inquiry site.

#ECStrong

Tuesday, April 12, 2016

Row Houses I, 12" X 12" Fluid Acrylic on Aquabord

Row Houses I by April M Rimpo

Row Houses I

Fluid Acrylic on Aquabord

12" X 12" X 2" deep wood cradle

$345

AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE HERE

I have been fascinated by Row Houses since moving to the Mid-Atlantic region. There weren't any in the area where I grew up in western Massachusetts nor in Arizona where I lived for many years. The architecture was new and different to me. As I've traveled I've discovered the larger busy cities often have beautiful row houses somewhere in the city.

Between the beauty of these buildings and the presence of a bicycle sculpture I couldn't resist painting this neighborhood. It is a lovely sunny day toward the very beginning of Spring, so the leaves on the trees have not yet arrived, but the smaller shrubs are coming to life with some new growth adding a touch of lovely Spring green to the city.

You'll notice this painting is called Row House I, because I'm sure there are more Row House paintings in my near future.

Friday, October 30, 2015

"Koi Pond" 6"x6" fluid acrylic on Aquabord

Koi Pond by April M Rimpo just finished

Most of my paintings are much larger than 6" X 6", but recently I felt like painting while staffing the gallery. You can see I used mostly small brushes on this one.

Koi Pond was done on Aquabord which bubbles when you first apply water and wet paint to the surface, so the larger brushes you can see were used for that first layer or two when there was more water than paint and the goal was to eliminate the bubbles before I got too much pigment on the painting.

I used fluid acrylic but used many layers to build up the depth of color, just as you do with watercolor. This approach results in great variations in the greens of the lily pads and blues of the water.

Koi Pond 6"X6" by April M Rimpo
(The painting was varnished before this photograph
was taken, so the colors in the lily pads was lost
in reflections off the varnish.)

The same is true for the koi. In order to get a rich red or orange you need to start with a layer of yellow and then apply red over it once the yellow is dry. If you just use a red to begin with you won't have the same vibrance.

I think this small painting has strong enough color to support a wider frame than I generally use on painting of this size. If you want to see it in person, I'll have Koi Pond at my solo exhibit at Ranazul tapas wine bistro in November. You'll find Ranazul at 8171 Maple Lawn Blvd, Fulton, MD 20759. A reception with tapas will be held on November 8th from 4 - 5 PM.

This painting is SOLD.

Monday, January 26, 2015

Apple Clock - Day 26 of the #jan30in30 Challenge

Clock Apple a fluid acrylic on 5" X 5" deep cradle Aquabord

Apple Clock

Fluid Acrylic

5" X 5" X 2" Aquabord

$95

Available for Purchase Here

I find the Steampunk trend interesting in the combination of mechanical parts with everyday objects. Sometimes animals are transformed to made of mechanical parts such as gears and pulleys and engines and sometimes clothing on figures has a mechanical component. Figuring out how to combine gears and pipes into an apple was a challenging experiment. I was an electrical engineer before becoming a full time artist so I have some drafting skills, but I am not a mechanical engineer, so I am sure my clock would not function.

I was determined to make the gears fit into the core of the apple and have a few elements that looked a bit like seeds. It took quite a while working on a drawing while gallery sitting at a coop to which I belong. I played with a variety of angles on the apple and how much of the apple to "cut out" to provide a view to the clockworks and show the connection to the clock hands on the surface of the apple. By adding the tick marks for each five minutes I was able to connect the extracted segment to the face of the clock. A challenge, but very rewarding to come up with this design. I'm definitely going to have to try some more of these.

I'd love to hear what you think about this new endeavor.

Saturday, January 10, 2015

Day 11 of the 30 Paintings in 30 Days Challenge - Chickadee

Switching it up for Sunday. I decided to go with something different today.

Chickadee by April M Rimpo

We are lucky to have a number of little birds that visit our bird feeder throughout the year. The Chickadee is a regular year round. I've loved these little guys since I was a child in Massachusetts and am happy to have them here in Maryland as well. This little guy is holding a seed and about to peck it.

Chickadee

5" X 5" fluid acrylic on a 2" deep cradle Aquabord

$95 - SOLD

I enjoy working on these deep cradle platforms since after varnishing the painting is ready to go.

View some of my other bird paintings here.

#ShopSmall, #jan30in30

Thursday, October 9, 2014

"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:

Aquabord is a trademark of Ampersand

Shop my Online Store

Copyright April M Rimpo

Friday, September 25, 2020

"First Look" a 12" X 12" Watercolor on Aquabord

Saturday, April 18, 2020

Graceful Draping 10" X 10" watercolor on Aquabord

Thursday, February 6, 2020

Looking Back - Watercolor on 10" X 10" Aquabord

Monday, November 18, 2019

"Nature's Paintbrush" watercolor on Aquabord by Ampersand, 12" X 12"

Tuesday, October 29, 2019

The Weather Held Out for the Plein Air Event

Saturday, March 18, 2017

"Sunset" 6" X 6" Fluid Acrylic on Aquabord

Tuesday, September 13, 2016

Working plein air - "Solitude", "Windy" and "Harbor Bait"

Wednesday, August 10, 2016

Art Fundraiser for Ellicott City

Tuesday, April 12, 2016

Row Houses I, 12" X 12" Fluid Acrylic on Aquabord

Friday, October 30, 2015

"Koi Pond" 6"x6" fluid acrylic on Aquabord

Monday, January 26, 2015

Apple Clock - Day 26 of the #jan30in30 Challenge

Saturday, January 10, 2015

Day 11 of the 30 Paintings in 30 Days Challenge - Chickadee

Thursday, October 9, 2014

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

Most Popular Posts This Month

Most Popular Posts of All Time

Followers

Total Pageviews

StatCounter