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.

Lessons from the Pharaoh's Tomb 1

A body of work using pigments from Egyptian antiquity. The paintings all feature imagery, myths, events, colorful stories of gods and goddesses, and Pharaohs dating from 3500 BCE.

Pharaoh’s Offering

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  Pharaoh’s Offerings Sold   12x12  Oil on Linen © Margret E. Short 2009   Lessons from the Pharaoh’s Tomb   Lawrence Gallery, Portland, Oregon  September & October 2009 The ancient Egyptians loved their gardens passionately. To return after death and rest in the shade and eat the fruit from the trees … [Read more...] about Pharaoh’s Offering

Azurite Splendors

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I took this photo of spectacular paintings on the ceilings at Dendera Temple. There are traces of a blue green pigment that is possibly azurite. Not much color could be seen on vertical structures presumably because of wear and flaking over the centuries. However many ceilings had color remaining. The intricacies of the design here are … [Read more...] about Azurite Splendors

Khepri’s Journey

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Khepri’s Journey Sold 14x14  Oil on Linen © Margret E. Short 2009, OPA, AWA Lessons from the Pharaoh’s Tomb Lawrence Gallery, Portland, Oregon  September & October 2009 As said before, when delving into a colorful history of any culture, you never know what will be unearthed. I just couldn't resist using the motif of the stunning … [Read more...] about Khepri’s Journey

Arsenic in the Stew

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        Orpiment, shown above in its natural form and also pigment form, was widely used in Egypt during and after the 18th dynasty, about 1500 BC. During this period the very progressive and successful female pharaoh, Hatshepsut, was in power. It is thought that she initiated trade with other countries and the use … [Read more...] about Arsenic in the Stew

Cleopatra

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Antony and Cleopatra(Opus CCXLVI,1885) By Lawrence Alma-Tadema Donald Ryan Ph D. colorfully describes Cleopatra's life as a "soap opera" with marriages, births, deaths, liaisons, love affairs, political intrigue, and falling empires. Cleopatra Vll is  undoubtedly the most famous personality in all of Egyptian history and has been portrayed in … [Read more...] about Cleopatra

Mummy Tales

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Last week, a follower of this blog, Christine Debrosky, wrote and asked if I had ever read anything about a pigment called, mummy yellow, or mummy brown. Well, I have, and this is probably the most bizarre and creepy pigment story yet. In her book, Colors, Anne Verichon says that in ancient Egypt mummy yellow was sacred because it was made from … [Read more...] about Mummy Tales