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.

Penelope’s Web Details

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Penelopes Web horiz. left lace 72So much of the time while I am painting lace I feel like Penelope herself. Often, many many hours will be spent carefully creating the look of the weavings on a particular passage only to scrape it away and start over. My goal is to paint, not “render” the patterns. So, I go along and paint a little detail then smudge until it doesn’t look too perfect but looks right. The look of something that is photographically realistic is not that attractive to me. I try always to remember the old saying, “less is more.” To me, painterly and freely applied brushstrokes are more beautiful. That is part of the charm of using oils, because texture can be built up in just the right places. Then if it does not work, scrape it away. Do any of you proceed with this technique?

While John Singer Sargent was painting  “Carnation, Lily, Lily Rose“, he scraped the surface away many many times until just the right look was achieved. This painting is a twilight scene with two little girls lighting lanterns in a garden. The contrasts of warm and cool, violet-blue and gold are mingled. During the short duration of the twilight of the evening, he tried to capture this effect only to scrape and start again the following evening. Each evening the two children were dressed in white frocks and the lanterns lit. But the autumn wore on and the sagging flowers had to be wired in place and many other adjustments made so the artist could proceed to completion.

Chiaroscuro Painting

Oil painting with the chiaroscuro technique illuminates the focus area with a strong light. All other areas are painted with less detail, lower values, and intensity of color giving a mysterious appearance. By putting one or two objects in the important focus area, a strong but simple composition will emerge. Combining these oil painting techniques with a selection of superior natural pigments and oil paints result in the beautiful and evocative quality known as Chiaroscuro Painting.

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Comments

  1. It’s a pleasure to see you interweave your painting with intelligent thought. Whether historical, philosophical or mythological you enhance the depth of your image making. I have lost patience for painters who cop out saying that their painting speaks for itself. Perhaps they have nothing to say. And thanks for reminding me about the validity of ‘scraping away.’ When something is not right, most paint over and over until the inevitable mud dominates…then they say, oh, that’s what I intended. Your coloration is very clean as a result of your scrupulous methods…I hope to see the real thing sometime.

  2. You must have so much patience!! Your work is absolutely stunning! The painting in the Gilcrease is wonderful and deserves a great setting like that museum. I visited there earlier this year and was so impressed with the collection!