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.

Strasbourg Medium

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Robert Massey’s Canada balsam and sun thickened oil medium recipe resembles closely the legendary but no longer available, olio d’Abezzo.

Strasbourg Medium

Canada balsam, 4 parts, sun thickened linseed oil, 1 part, turpentine, 2 parts.

Combine and warm the ingredients either in hot sunshine or over a double boiler, and stir them until they mix completely. This is a very viscous, fragrant, water clear, medium. I make it on my deck using a double boiler. A few drops mixed right into the paint will speed drying and create a splendid enamel like surface.

Have any of you made and tried this medium?

 

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.