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.

Margret's Still Life Oil Paintings

Formal still life oil paintings came into popularity in 17th century Dutch when people became more affluent. They were also withdrawing from the rigid constraints of the church and could paint subjects other than from the bible. Still life oil painting has remained a popular form of expression since that time.

De-ja Vu

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While reading one of my favorite still life books this week, something very intriguing caught my attention. You have probably had an occasion where you have read something or seen something, and then had a nagging thought that you saw it somewhere, but couldn't put your finger on where or when. The mysterious tidbit I am describing here is a … [Read more...] about De-ja Vu

Blue Ribbons

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A very faithful reader of this blog brought to my attention that I have not included any information about painting #6. I promised to write a post describing this painting which actually was completed several weeks ago. Shown here is a very small detail of my completed painting based on the Rembrandt and the Golden Age of Dutch Art Exhibit … [Read more...] about Blue Ribbons

Daily Mantras

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As the months have gone by and the work on #6, #7 , #8 has been progressing, I have had a nagging issue with the very first project painting, #1. Last week I made the decision to remedy this. It would only be natural that I would become more and more adept at handling the very different historic pigments, just from the constant daily use. I must … [Read more...] about Daily Mantras

Another Sneak Peek

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Pictured is The Hunter's Present by Gabriel Metsu from the Dutch exhibit. I used this image for painting #3 which was an immensely enjoyable color palette to use because of the many variations. From a rich vermilion in the woman's dress to a subtle muted green in the background the lovely tones were perfect for my project. This painting has … [Read more...] about Another Sneak Peek

Sneak Peek

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Here you can see a detail of the still life painted from the color palette of the landscape by Jan Asselijn. Other than the color on the vase, it has the same monochromatic tone as the Dutch painting with several touches of bright color on the teapot. This painting will not be shown in its entirety until the exhibition in June at the Lawrence … [Read more...] about Sneak Peek