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.

Azurite Splendors

by

Blue on ceiling Dendera

I took this photo of spectacular paintings on the ceilings at Dendera Temple. There are traces of a blue green pigment that is possibly azurite. Not much color could be seen on vertical structures presumably because of wear and flaking over the centuries. However many ceilings had color remaining. The intricacies of the design here are breathtaking. This is when I knew it would take a lifetime to study the hieroglyphs and the meanings.

Chiaroscuro Painting

Oil painting with the chiaroscuro technique illuminates the focus area with a strong light. All other areas are painted with less detail, lower values, and intensity of color giving a mysterious appearance. By putting one or two objects in the important focus area, a strong but simple composition will emerge. Combining these oil painting techniques with a selection of superior natural pigments and oil paints result in the beautiful and evocative quality known as Chiaroscuro Painting.