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.

Birch Panels

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Panel_prep2In addition to the linen canvases, my plan is to use 4 birch panels as a painting surface. Pictured here are 3/4 inch birch panels cut to size. Traditional gesso made with rabbit skin glue, chalk, and water was soaked, heated and applied in 7 coats, sanding lightly between each coat. This mixture is applied with a fine soft brush stroking in alternate directions for each coat. The surface is very smooth and is ready to paint in 24 to 48 hours after drying. The use of gesso is also archival and has been used since antiquity. It is especially useful for preparing surfaces for goldleaf applications because it can be sanded to a polished mirror/like smoothness.

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.