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.

Pigments: Historical and Modern

There is a distinct difference between modern day pigments and the natural pigments used prior to the middle of the 1700s. In the past, artists had apprentices who ground the colors for them throughout the oil painting sessions. Because they were made by hand, the pigments retained a natural grittiness and consistency with larger particle size. Today's oil paint manufacturers make synthetic colors in huge vats where the end result is exceptional smoothness. Prior to the middle of the 1700, natural pigments came from dirt, minerals, and even plants.

Dung Balls and Sun Gods

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As said before, when delving into a colorful history of any culture, you never know what will be unearthed. This fabulous necklace was found in the tomb of King Tut who reigned in the 18th Dynasty, 1334-1325 BC. The recurring theme in this design is the rising sun-god. The lapis lazuli scarab represents the sun-god, khepri. Scarab … [Read more...] about Dung Balls and Sun Gods

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

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THE PHARAOH’S BLING CAPTIVATES FOR NEW PROJECT Well, it has happened again. I have been captivated by bling. This time however, it is not Rembrandt’s bling, or the Dutch Masters’ bling. It’s the bling of the Pharaoh. For the past many months, I have been dreaming, imagining, planning, and laboring side-by-side with the Pharaohs of ancient Egypt. … [Read more...] about FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

All That Glitters is Gold Leaf

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A couple of weeks ago a regular reader commented she would like to have more information about the various supports on which oil painting can be done. Pictured here are supplies needed for painting on gold leaf which is a splendid ground to work on. Most common is gessoed wood panels for leafing, but I experimented with canvas with great success. A … [Read more...] about All That Glitters is Gold Leaf

Dragons and Elephants

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Without going too deeply into the scientific technicalities of cinnabar/vermilion properties, the differences between the two pigments are: cinnabar is created by the combination of mercury and sulfur through a natural process and found in mines in many locations, and vermilion is made by combining mercury and sulfur in very hot temperatures … [Read more...] about Dragons and Elephants