ARTS AND CRAFTS.

Press, Volume LXV, Issue 19757, 23 October 1929, Page 14

ARTS AND CRAFTS.

! ANNUAL EXHIBITION. I i The 1929 Arts and Crafts Exhibition i of the Canterbury Society of Arts was j opened at the Art Gallery last evening. | This is the second exhibition after a ' lapse of some years, and it shows a eon- : siderable improvement on last year's : display, both in the extent and in the standard of work exhibited. The exhibition is of high interest throughout. It is to be hoped that local workers will i make the most of this annual opportunj ity in the future, and that it will grow j from year to year. Exhibitors can \ rest assured that the public is interi ested in this type of show even more, I perhaps, than "in any other annual art ! event. This is particularly the case i with the younger generation, who have ; a natural'inclination towards the forms i o' work dealt with by the exhibition Mr \Y. S. Baverstoek has two ex- | aniples of pen and ink work executed | with L r usual finish, and an attractive ; address in colour. Four woodcuts, two 1 by Mr C. A. Lye, and the others by , Marion Bice, are works with a great ! deal of freshness, due perhaps to their j subjects being well within the powers 1 of the artists. Mrs Rosa Sawtell is re- ! presented bv five small pencil drawings. I The "Sketch from Life" is the best ' of these, if only because of the fact ! that it was done with a time limit. Mr | Pascoe Redwood's etchings are very ! attractive, and include "Collins street, j Melbourne," which is a fine piece of ■ work. Mr Francis A. Shurrock eon- [ tributes half a dozen pencil drawings, j admirably done. One of them is a happy ! sketch of a well-known artist, entitled 1 "Unawares." Bernard Bice, a Contini eutal exhibitor, has seven examples of i his work, all more or less exotic, the best of which is probably "Bosnia," I No. 36. Mrs Elizabeth Wallwork shows her finished style in soven penI eil drawings, all portraits. Mr A. H. | McLintock's work is all very interestI ing, and his drypoint, "Netting, Pounawea," is a bright spot in tho exhibition. Three mezzotints by Mr H. I H. Tombs make a good display, although I he rather fails in one of them. Alfred | Jones's "Willow Tree," however, is a pleasing piece of work. Opinions will always differ as to what is the best group in the exhibition, but most people will undoubtedly consider the four pictuxes bv Mr W. Menzies Gibb as the finest. The three water-colours are excellent, and in the pencil-drawing, "At Pleasant Point," special mention can ! be made of the wonderful cloud treatment. Eva Mouldey's wash drawings are somewhat spoilt by being grouped close together. They might be separated with advantage, as they are all very good. The next groups were craft exhibits by Mrs Amy F.. Walcot Wood, Mrs Danvers Hamber, and Nurse Peacock. The subjects were all creditably handled in what must be three of the most difficult mediums available to art workers. A collar and cuffs set, a doily, and a woollen tie, are exhibited by Mr R. Retalliek, a returned soldier. The wool from which the tie has boen woven was spun by Mr Betalli k also. All three are excellently done., Mr Webster's work is very good, the most successful being a woodcut, No. 107. The linoleum-cut by Louis Thearstone is a fine piece of work, and this sphere of activity deserves as much encouragement as can possibly be given to it. The poster design by Miss Ivy G. Fife, No. 119, suffers from want of strength, but is an excellent picture otherwise. "Parasols," by Miss Florence Akins, is very decorative, lacking finish perhaps, but promising very well for the future. Among the special exhibits is a handworked book by Miss Hilda Wiseman. The decoration shows very good and artistic workmanship nicely handled. There is a fairly representative collection of hand-painted china, showing originality of design. Mr F. O. Waymouth has on view a pair of brass candlesticks, cast and hand finished. There are several good exhibit* of pewter panel and enamel work bv Mrs Winifred Benham. The School of Art is represented by a number of examples of metal work, including a fine standard lamp and shade. Entries in the students' competition are, with the exception of one or two groups, most disappointing. Christchurch is not even represented in the poster competition —the only two exhibits are from Dunedin —and there is only one entry for the painting from life. The painting in a landscape or seascape competition is more satisfactory. There are five entries, and the water colour work of the winner, Miss Enga Washbourn, of Nelson, is very creditable. In the still life, too, there is very good competition, and the work is, for students, good. Prizes have been awarded as follows:—Still life: Ivan W. Athfield 1, Lecie Mac Arthur 2. Landscape: Enga M. Washbourn 1. Poster: Rodney Kennedy 1. Head from life: Ruth Turner 1. „ . The plastic crafts are well represented and the whole exhibition is most interesting. It continues for a fortnight.