Featured Artist April M. Rimpo

Inspired by travels and the activities of life, April M. Rimpo has created a portfolio in her own unique style. Enjoy, and visit her website to see more from this talented artist.

 

 

Art is a thread woven in and out of my life since I was a child. Sometimes it was in the forefront and other times art sat silently in the wings while my life spun in different directions.  There has been one constant about my art, it always takes me to a different place where all the stresses of life disappear and I am absorbed into the painting.

 

 

I portray little bits of life that I have seen which make me wonder about the deeper story. The bicycle tied up at the side of the road with weeds winding among the spokes is a good example.  Is the owner too busy to use the bike or maybe gone off to college and left the bike behind?

 

 

I also enjoy painting people in action.  Since their activity is what is important, I often abstract the backgrounds and play with color to pull attention to the activity.

 

 

There are times where the beauty of the surroundings is so integral to the story I have to include more detail in the background, as in the rocks in “Moving Up.”

 

 

I’ve been lucky enough to visit some beautiful places; it brings me joy to share a bit about the cultures I’ve seen.  You will see many glimpses of Guatemala in my painting.  I love their traditional clothing and also providing a look at every day events.  Although I work in watercolor and in fluid acrylic, I like to incorporate texture in my work.  Texture is a bit trickier in watermedia so I’ve had to learn techniques to create the illusion of texture.  In “Basket Maker” the organic feeling in the rocks and the wooden door is created by applying some acrylic and, when not quite dry, spraying the paint with water to wash away the wet areas.  This leaves irregular hard edges where the paint has dried.

 

 

I often paint people who are looking away so viewers can insert their own story line into my painting.  However, sometimes an expression is critical, as in “Making Tortillas.”  I wanted to capture her joy.  Using the halo of the sun on her cheek, nose, and mouth allowed me to capture her expression, which I hope makes everyone looking at this painting smile, too.

 

 

I also paint landscapes which capture not only the beauty of a place but also a moment in time that expresses something about the location.  I first saw the town of Flores at sunset, but decided to paint it with morning light, including a fisherman making his living on the lake.

 

 

Sometimes I find the story of a culture is best portrayed through their traditions. During All Saints Day Guatemalans tie messages to kite strings, and then release them to send the messages to their ancestors.  “Messengers” is my tribute to this tradition.

 

 

I am equally fascinated by modern architecture, but choose to portray it either through reflections of the city in glass or as intricate patterns of lights and dark that require a little exploration before the scene is clear.

 

April Rimpo invites you to follow her on Facebook.