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.

Salmagundi Club Award

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For the 3rd time I have been honored with one of the top awards at the Salmagundi Club in New York. This time is the Richard C. Pionk SCNY at the 2010 Fall Auction Exhibition. The winning painting is titled:

Flowers for Cleo’s Hair

Flowers for Cleo's Hair 8x8 72@5
8×8, oil on wood panel, copyright 2010 Margret E. Short

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The flowers in many of these small format floral paintings I have been doing lately bring to mind the various jazz singers who tucked different varieties of flowers behind an ear while performing, hence the titles. This one depicts the singer Cleo Lane. Others are titled for Billie Holiday and Pearl Bailey.

The previous awards were way before I started this blog, so I am posting the images here.

2005 Zecchi’s Visit

Zecchi's Visit 15x16 05 72@5 


1998 Prelude

Prelude 24x20 98 72@6 
Copyright all images, Margret E. Short

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.