Margret E. Short Fine Arts

Portland, Oregon artist Margret Short - a modern day master of 17th Century Dutch art using the chiaroscuro technique to create still life and floral paintings.

Margret Short

Red Haired Men and Other Curiosities on Pigments

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A lively and strange excerpt from Bright Earth by Philip Ball,  gives us a recipe for Spanish Gold using pure magical thinking. From the writings of Theophilus: "There is also a gold named Spanish gold, which is compounded from red copper, basilisk powder, human blood, and vinegar. The heathen, whose skill in this art is … [Read more...] about Red Haired Men and Other Curiosities on Pigments

The Basilisk

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According to Micha Lindemans, the basilisk is the mythical king of the serpents. This cockatrice creature was born from a spherical, yolkless egg, laid during the days of Sirius by a seven year old rooster and hatched by a toad. It also played a role in the making of Spanish Gold. The basilisk could have originated from the horned adder or hooded … [Read more...] about The Basilisk

American Art in Miniature

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Again this year, Gilcrease Museum in Tulsa, Oklahoma, is presenting the American Art in Miniature exhibit. This popular show is a juried invitational and features 220 artists from across the country. The prices range from $275 to $6,200 and measure no larger than 108 square inches. This is one of the museum's many annual fundraising events that … [Read more...] about American Art in Miniature