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.

The Most Magnificent Profession

by

William Merritt Chase 1849-1916
William Merritt Chase, Self Portrait, 1915-16

The re-known artist/teacher and fellow Salmagundi Club member, William Merritt Chase, once said, “Painting is the Most Magnificent Profession”. Though he was born at the middle of the 1800s and died in 1916, he and I are kindred spirits in this belief. There is nothing more enjoyable than observing a splendid sunset and recording it on canvas, or capturing an unusual vase or figurine from an antique shop and planning a new composition involving the new found objects.

The reading, writing, experimenting, traveling to exhibits, stretching canvas, setting up the still lifes, making new contacts, marketing, and, yes, even washing the brushes are each in their own way, meditative acts that make this profession fulfilling. In an ongoing quest to learn more and better ways to make writing more interesting for you, the followers of this blog, I have enrolled in the Blog Triage class presented by Alyson Stanfield and Cynthia Morris.

Most certainly, you are a diverse group; living all over the world, of all ages and background, but your common thread is your passion for classical art and especially art and techniques of the masters. What are your common threads? How did you begin your passion for this magnificent profession?

In the coming weeks, as the class progresses, please leave a comment and let me know about you too.

 

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. Hi there Margret! This is Toni from your Blog Triage class. I can sense your commitment to painting and to classical art. You mentioned that tasks like washing your brushes can be a meditative act that is fulfilling. I find that the act of sketching my girls while they sleep evokes a similar emotion. Lovely work!

  2. Margret, it’s Pam from the blogging class. When I read your introduction, it really struck me that your work was so intriguing. I read/write historical fiction, and so the fact that you know all about how artists mixed their colors before the modern era is quite impressive.

  3. Nanci here. Fellow Blog Triage participant. I am excited to be connecting with other artists who are passionate about their work.
    Looking forward to reading your blogs and seeing more of your work.

  4. Hi Margaret,
    Karen here from your blog triage class. So pleased to meet you and delighted we have painting interests in common. I so look forward to reading your blog posts and learning more about your painting process.. I am curious, have you had a one mentor in your career or several?