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.

Oil Painting Critiques

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This past week, I had the pleasure of participating in the Oil Painters of America Critique Program. For the nominal fee of $25.00 (which goes to OPA), artists have the opportunity to have a signature or master level member review their oil paintings and give instructional advice on how they might improve their technique. Because I do not do any … [Read more...] about Oil Painting Critiques

Iron Oxide Pigments, Colors and Uses in Oil Painting

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George O’Hanlon’s Best Painting Practice Class held in Portland this past weekend was a treasure trove of valuable information.  Much of the information presented was material I have studied over the years since my art quest began, and happily, there were many nuggets presented too.  The topics of materials, techniques, mediums, oil painting … [Read more...] about Iron Oxide Pigments, Colors and Uses in Oil Painting

Composition Juggling

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Sometimes in the process of working on a painting, things change. Things that seemed perfectly placed just do not come together as planned. If you are lucky this does not happen very often, however for the painting on my easel at this time, I had to juggle some of the objects to make my concept work better. As you can see, I initially placed some … [Read more...] about Composition Juggling

Final Results – Stack White Process – Part lV

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Stack pots after two weeks of corroding. The smell of acetic acid (vinegar) is still present inside the stack shed, but not as sharp as it was initially. The temperature within the compost heap is raising, but on the surface it is still at ambient temperatures. Flakes have formed on the lead coils. The relative humidity inside the shed is nearly … [Read more...] about Final Results – Stack White Process – Part lV