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.

Recap Recap

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For all of you who are drop in or first time readers of this blog, I would like to recap the nature of my “Lessons from the Low Countries” Project. Alyson actually suggested I do this. She is my career coach and has been instrumental in guiding me through the steps of posting cohesive ideas. The project is actually all summarized in the first couple of postings, but I will outline again once more just for clarity.

The fundamental plan is based on the Rembrandt and the Golden Age of Dutch Art exhibit now showing at the Dayton Art Institute in Dayton, Ohio. This exhibit will travel to Phoenix in January, 2007 and on to Portland, Oregon in June, 2007. I began reading about this Dutch show many months ago and to take full advantage of the master paintings I have developed the following plan:

  1. Examine all ninety paintings from Rembrandt and the Golden Age of Dutch Art
  2. Select 10 favorite paintings
  3. Paint a body of work based on the palette of the selected pieces using only the pigments available during the 17th century
  4. Exhibit the finished paintings at the Lawrence Gallery
  5. in conjunction with the opening of the Dutch Exhibit at the Portland Art Museum next June.

 

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.