ART STUDIES.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVI, Issue 297, 16 December 1935, Page 8

ART STUDIES.

WORK OF ELAM SCHOOL PROGRESS IN EVERY BRANCH. OUTSTANDING STUDENTS. A visit to the annual art exhibition of the Elam School of Art, held this ye?ir in the Art Society's rooms, Kitchener Street, will be well repaid. A wide variety of the work of the students is shown and the impression is one of solid, sound, construction, with a good deal of promise shown in several directions. There are several innovations and some of the work is of first-class quality. 'The exhibition answers adequately any doubts as to whether New Zealand has promising artists. Throughout iho display there is uniformly good quality and a hint of future development.

It is apparent that while the individuality of the student is not suppressed there is a strong sense of the value of good draughtsmanship and a foundation on conservative forms. The main characteristic lies in the unostentatious soundness of the drawing, and not in any .flamboyant individuality. Both in sculpture and painting is shown this adherence to the academic side of draughtsmanship, which is the best foundation for good art. Representative Work. The exhibition is representative of all sides of the school, senior, intermediate and junior, and though there is a fair proportion of finished work there are also shown some interesting working drawings, mainly from the junior school. The department of portraiture has suffered to some extent owing to the difficulty of getting suitable models, but nevertheless there is a good section. The specimens of paintings and head drawings are of interest. The outstanding work in this section Is contributed by Miss Jean Farquhar, with several portraits. One, "Head of a Girl," shows not only good draughtsmanship, but also a fine sense of colour. The pencil portraits of Miss Eona Woods are also exceedingly fine. Some good still-life studies are contributed by Miss Dorothy Rew, Ena Roscoe and Joan Lillicrap. In the field of outdoor sketches and of pen and wash drawings the work of Arthur Thompson is outstanding. Thompson has contributed to several of the school's exhibitions, and his drawings show a great deal of promise. Gilbert Murray has also some good pen and wash drawings. Graphic Art Progresses. The graphic art section lias made considerable progress under the direction of Mr. Arnold Goodwin and in certain sections the students have made a great advance. There are some excelleut etchings and some good lithographs, some of the latter with a stasre setting. In this section also Arthur Thompson and Gilbert Murray have some prominent work, while Brian Donovan and Peter Wbite also contribute crood work. Misses Ina Roscoe and Dorothy Rew have some notable items in the lettering section. n

An interesting innovation at this year's exhibition is the exhibition of paintings by a number of old students in the school, who have formed themselves what is titled the Rutland group. Their definite association with the school's exhibition should give added interest not only to this but to future exhibitions. Outstanding in this group is a landscape painting by Blanche Hazelwood.

Another interesting innovation is that all the art studies on exhibition are offered for sale at a flat rate. In this connection the students make one excellent offering in a portfolio of first class etchings, lithographs and linocuts. In this manner patrons of the exhibition and those who have interest in the (encouragement of New Zealand's art students are enabled to testify materially to their interest, at the same time enabling some of the students who are not well placed financially to continue their studies.

Sculptural and craft work, while not so numeious is of good qualHv. The exhibition is open to-day, to-mor-row and on Wednesday.