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.

Oil Paint, Brushes, Substrate and Frames

The type of paint used in oil painting is as important as the type of brush and the substrate. Paint can be historical or modern, surface is a flexible canvas, a rigid sheet of copper, or panels prepared with gold leaf or silver leaf. All are beautiful and interesting in their own way. The choice of frame is also critically important and many companies around the globe manufacture frames specifically for oil paintings with a deep rabbit to fit the depth of the canvas.

Dancing Backwards in High Heels Part ll, More Lessons with Fred and Ginger and Judith Leyster in Haarlem

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It's an endless saga, just a different woman in another country. It’s a wonder this artist made a name for herself having to combat such serious obstacles. Judith Leyster is yet another woman artist surrounded by setbacks and intrigue which involved fraudulent actions against her work, deliberate deception and misattribution of her work, and work … [Read more...] about Dancing Backwards in High Heels Part ll, More Lessons with Fred and Ginger and Judith Leyster in Haarlem

Dancing Backwards in High Heels Part Two; Cliff Notes Version of Color Sleuthing

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Many of you have asked about the pigments used by the featured women artists in Part Two of Dancing Backwards, More Lessons from Fred and Ginger. This is where my Mad Scientist Pigment Nerd Self gets itchy. For decades now, I have been delving into the historical materials and techniques side of painting. This is as interesting as the actual … [Read more...] about Dancing Backwards in High Heels Part Two; Cliff Notes Version of Color Sleuthing

Getting Down to Specifics: Part Two

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This commission piece was a delight to paint, and each day a pleasure, not work at all. As the painting progressed, I found it hard to stop at the end of each painting session. Often, I took photos of the transformations and sent them along to the clients. Because of the marvels of the iPhone camera, it was easy to document day to day progress and … [Read more...] about Getting Down to Specifics: Part Two

Getting Down to Specifics: What’s in Your Mind’s Eye?

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Part One One of the most enjoyable projects in my painting life is working directly with collectors planning a commission piece, and this was no exception and loads of fun. Several months ago, a couple from nearby Washington State contacted me inquiring about a very personal painting for their collection. They wished to include a few heirloom … [Read more...] about Getting Down to Specifics: What’s in Your Mind’s Eye?

The Final Home Stretch: Quintessential Blue

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Quintessential Blue Pigment Project has been great fun for a pigment nerd like me. For this series, I used some unusual colors on my palette with unexpected surprises. One is the cobalt turquoise and the other manganese blue that both are now my all-time favs. Though neither are historical colors, I know I will continue to explore making and using … [Read more...] about The Final Home Stretch: Quintessential Blue