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.

Current Events

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Because of my involvement with this Ancient Egyptian Part Two pigment project, I feel a connection and fascination with the current events in Egypt. It is both horrifying and mesmerizing to watch things unfold from day to day. During my two years of research and studies since traveling there and seeing so many sacred places, I have become intimately familiar with two of the most important spokespersons who are now in the limelight.

Bob Brier

Bob Brier, the preeminent scholar and Egyptologist, has spoken out about the terrible damage done to some of the artifacts in the Cairo Museum. This is a very eerie experience after listening to hours and hours of his lectures on the history and glory of the ancients. Brier is a brilliant speaker who portrays lively stories through his 48 part History of Ancient Egypt series and 12 part Great Pharaohs of Egypt. I have watched both series, twice.

Zahi=Hawass

Zahi Hawass

Anyone who is remotely interested in Egypt knows the name Zahi Hawass, the Secretary General of the Supreme Council of Egyptian Antiquities. In past years he has been all over the History Channel hosting programs about excavations in tombs and other topics. I am sure I have watched every one of them at lease twice also.

Just yesterday he was appointed Minister of Antiquities, a newly created department which will be charged with the care and protection of all Egyptian monuments and museums. Maybe some of you heard his heartfelt words after news of the looting first surfaced, “My heart is broken and my blood is boiling.”

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.

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Comments

  1. Margret: Boy, this is your subject, isn’t it? It’s always so confusing in the heat of the moment and it will be interesting to see what really happened in a few months.
    BTW, your blog looks GREAT!

  2. Margret: We have two of your paintings, one being Senti Menti, and would love to know if you have a local showing someplace.
    We have been out of the country for three years and are now back in our home here in Portland. We so admire your work and would love to see some ‘up close and personal’. We did receive your brochure re: Galerie Gabrie. Thank you for that. We love the cover painting but will not have an opportunity to be down in Pasadena.
    Don and Diane Harris