Besides making paints, now there is a newly found use for the ancient pigment, Egyptian Blue Frit. This pigment, made by heating a mixture of copper, quartz, sand, lime, and an alkali, dates from 3250 BCE and was used to decorate tombs, statues, coffins, and temple walls in Egypt during the long reign of the Pharaohs. Who Knew Pigments Could Be … [Read more...] about Ancient Egyptian Color Gets a New Life
Search Results for: Egyptian Blue Frit
Egyptian Blue
Though often lavishly used in decorative arts in Egypt for thousands of years, there is no evidence that lapis lazuli was used as a pigment. The ancient Egyptians invented a different and just as beautiful blue called Egyptian Blue frit, shown above. This pigment consisted of a crystalline compound of silica, copper, and lime. … [Read more...] about Egyptian Blue
Lessons from the Unfathomable Colors of the Oceans
Back in 1994, when I was just barely sure of what I wanted to be as an artist, I found an intriguing semi-official survey taken by two serious-minded artists named Alex Melamid and Vitaly Komar, both Russian emigres. Along with other art preferences, they set out to find which color is most overall favored adored and desired by ordinary … [Read more...] about Lessons from the Unfathomable Colors of the Oceans
Han Purple, Another Color from the Past
What is most exciting about the world of nature's pigments is you never know when you are going to discover something new. Veronica Bishop, my tech consultant, recently forwarded an article about such a color heretofore unknown to me. Thanks to her, I now have another pigment for possible inclusion onto my own historical palette, Han … [Read more...] about Han Purple, Another Color from the Past
Lessons from the Pharaoh’s Tomb, Part 1
Lessons from the Pharaoh's Tomb is the second of my Lessons Series pigment projects. It was inspired by a trip to Egypt in January 2009, and after intense research and study, I created a body of work using pigments from Egyptian antiquity. The paintings all feature imagery, myths, events, colorful stories of gods and goddesses, and Pharaohs dating … [Read more...] about Lessons from the Pharaoh’s Tomb, Part 1
Minerals, Metals, and Dirt
Artists for many centuries have used copper as a substrate for paintings, many of which were alter pieces. This project titled Minerals, Metals, and Dirt is an exploration of painting with mineral and earth pigments; not only copper, but also gold leaf, silver leaf, aluminum, stainless steel, and brass. The aesthetic of oil paint on the … [Read more...] about Minerals, Metals, and Dirt