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
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
Earth’s Pigments & Beauty: Sometimes a Dangerous Combination
While at a recent First Thursday in Portland, I talked at length with Kay McGraw, wife of one of the gallery owners. She brought up a topic I hadn't thought of since writing about it in my post All for Beauty in 2006: historical pigments used in women's makeup throughout the ages. The Innocuous Colors Now mind you, some colors are perfectly … [Read more...] about Earth’s Pigments & Beauty: Sometimes a Dangerous Combination
Repoussoir: An Odd Name for a Powerful Compositional Effect
Ever wonder about the tricks the masters used to compose their paintings? Of course, there are many tricks such as color intensity, perspective, size, placement, and so forth, but one that most people don't know about is repoussoir. This centuries-old method creates drama and engages the viewer. Many of the masters such as Chardin, Vermeer, … [Read more...] about Repoussoir: An Odd Name for a Powerful Compositional Effect