Kimberly van Riper is an Arizona artist, who found her beginnings on her parents ranch outside of Sacramento California. She always had a propensity for art, and even as early as six years of age, worked with oil pastels, watercolors and calligraphy. She attended high school in Arizona, and won awards throughout her education for her acrylic paintings and graphite drawings. She was very active in volunteer youth organizations, lending her artistic talents to the programs.

After high school, Kim traveled the country, enjoying many of the nation?s National Parks, and cities, broadening her cultural and social understandings of the world. Her international travels include Spain, Germany, Czech Republic, Hungary, Austria, South Africa, Ireland, England and Slovakia, giving Kim a unique and broad insight into issues that cross cultural boundaries, as well as different interpretations of art in different regions.

Driven by her passion for the arts, Kim decided to attend Arizona State University for a degree in the Fine Arts. Throughout her college career she began to realize her dream for VanRiper Art Studios, and continually produced and sold quality artwork. Van Riper Art Studios became a reality in 2007, and is known for producing quality artwork and innovative design. With her oil paintings in private collections around the world, Kim continues to strive for excellence and quality craftsmanship.

Thus far, exhibitions include non profit charity events (Building Sustainable Community Relationships:Art and Health care 2004) as well as at various venues supporting local musicians (Through Black Diamond Productions TM) and local art programs. She is currently on the fourth edition of THE COLORADO PLATEAU(2005-2010) in which she has illustrated five chapter heads and up to 13 various wildlife illustrations Per Book. She has also produced a book cover for ON THE WINGS OF A DOVE (2007), as well illustrations for A BIRD GUIDE TO THE RIO SOLADO (2007) Kim also has contributed to several scientific papers and projects with map illustrations and charts. (Van Riper Et al.)She is currently working on the Manifest Mind Collection of fine oil paintings, as well as producing work out of her studio, located in Arizona.

When painting or drawing from life and from imagination, the art that Kim produces is innovative, unique and striking. She works in many genres of art, taking some of the best qualities from masters past, and integrates them into modern works of art, which fall into a space between the general categories of art. Cubism, abstract, realism, figural and surrealism influences are apparent in nearly all of her work. She aligns with the belief that --To stimulate is to influence, and influence produces change, both on the individual and the social level. As an artist, I strive to entertain, satisfy and evoke emotions from the viewer through use of the elements of art. I produce art that distracts the viewer from reality long enough to allow them to reset their perspective, and when they walk away, that they do so with more than what they came with. I have been an artist always. I love crating art, and I love how it continues to inspire me.