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.

Brushing Down the Home Stretch

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Time is getting crunchy now and there are five more paintings to go. The only solution is to do multiples in each post until peeks are revealed before the Spring Unveiling event this coming weekend. So far, the blues covered are the ever-glorious lapis lazuli, its modern equivalent, ultramarine blue, and a personal favorite, cobalt turquoise blue.

Vessels for the Water

Vessel for the Water, Oil on Linen 10×11. Peek #4

Painting #4’s title is linked directly to the pigment used in the composition, hydrangea blue. Although there are no flowers here, it seemed apropos to title this painting the symbolism of the hydrangea. The name of this stunning flower comes from the Greek word hydra and means water carrier because of the cupped shape of the petals.

Hydrangea Blue H313 made by Holbein Pigments

In the Japanese culture, it is named Ajisai, or water drinker because they need lots of moisture to thrive. The actual colors of the petals range anywhere from pale baby blue to dark and rich to many shades of violet. The tiny snippet above is the handle and edge of a porcelain jar. Whoops! That’s all I am going to reveal.

Squint to See Subtle Differences

Rembrandt Pigments Cobalt Blue straight from tube left with addition of Utrecht Flemish white on right.

Peek #5 is a horizontal composition using cobalt blue made by Rembrandt Pigments #PB74. I placed the color swatches close together so that you can see the subtle differences. The hydrangea colors above are dense and lean ever so slightly towards the greenish side of the spectrum. The cobalt blue to the right has a clear crisp true-blue hue.

Peek #5 is Endlessly True Blue.

Peek #5 is a horizontal modello 6×8 with rarely seen cobalt blue lace.

Measuring the Impossible

Both of the blues featured here could easily be used in any ocean paintings as they would depict the unfathomable, ever-changing, never-ending, ominous, calm, vast, legendary, and hypnotic beauty of the water. Can you see the rich deep hydrangea blue on the horizon and the cobalt blue in the sky?

Makapu’u Lookout, near Makapu’u Beach Park on the windward side of O’ahu.
Just before getting to the lookout, you pass the famous Halona Blow Hole and equally famous “Here to Eternity” Beach.  The ocean seen at the top of the photo is Kaneohe Bay.
Photo courtesy Gary Everest and Michele too.

Spring Unveiling coming May 5 through 7,
Cannon Beach, OR

Quintessential Blue

Watch for the final 3 coming soon!

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. Aloha, Margret, We can hardly wait for the reveal! Wish we could join you and Dave at the opening. Thanks, too, for the endlessly fascinating stories of the beautiful colors.

    • Oh my gosh! Wouldn’t it be lovely if you could sail across the ocean blue to join in the festivities. Thank you for sharing your wonderful images of paradise.