Like most of you, strategizing meaningful chores to fill time at home is a daunting task lately. Up until now, I’ve been clearing clutter, tossing dried-up paint tubes, cleaning closets, washing brushes, washing my hands, and oh the horrors - watching re-runs of Bob Ross’ Happy Paintings on PBS. Idle Hands and Demons Much more appealing is … [Read more...] about Painting in the Time of Covid-19
Margret's Blog
Joker in the Tulip Bed
When I first developed my Lessons from the Low Countries pigment project in 2006 / 07, I became completely in awe of the many glorious attributes of the tulip. Since then, I have utilized this workhorse flower for many compositions. The reasons for this are simple: it is one of the most breathtakingly splendid flowers in the world and … [Read more...] about Joker in the Tulip Bed
Lapis Lazuli Pigment Discovery: You’ll Never Guess Where
Last week I read a story about - no kidding - the 850 year old skeleton of a woman whose teeth were recently examined alongside other specimens in the same cemetery in Germany. According to the story in the journal Science Advances, scientists like to poke around in very old dental skeletal calculus to find evidence of food, bacteria, and … [Read more...] about Lapis Lazuli Pigment Discovery: You’ll Never Guess Where
Portrait of a Girl, Mok Lan
Sometimes if we are lucky in life, certain people come along that we find inspirational. And if we are doubly lucky, we get to know them and even call them friends, or even better than friends. This happened to me many years ago when my daughter, Holly, married Craig, a man of Chinese heritage. His family has a fascinating history, and I have a … [Read more...] about Portrait of a Girl, Mok Lan
Harvest Moon Gladiolas – Thanks to Neil Young
Recently, I stumbled upon a luscious piece of floral fabric that I just could not resist purchasing. I knew it would be a terrific prop for a painting one day. Sometimes it is very worthwhile to ramble aimlessly through a market just to see what captures your eye. When I saw the pattern on this cloth, I instantly knew it was something very special … [Read more...] about Harvest Moon Gladiolas – Thanks to Neil Young
Ancient Egyptian Color Gets a New Life
Besides making paints, now there is a newly found use for the ancient pigment, Egyptian Blue Frit. This pigment, made by heating a mixture of copper, quartz, sand, lime, and an alkali, dates from 3250 BCE and was used to decorate tombs, statues, coffins, and temple walls in Egypt during the long reign of the Pharaohs. Who Knew Pigments Could Be … [Read more...] about Ancient Egyptian Color Gets a New Life