A NEW ZEALAND ARTIST.

Press, Volume LXV, Issue 19812, 27 December 1929, Page 8

A NEW ZEALAND ARTIST.

♦ MISS MYRTLE LEE. (»bom ou» own coeeespondint.) LONDON, November 21. There is a small exhibition of paintings and art work being held this week in an apartment in the West End of London which has an interest for New Zealanders. A good many years ago Miss Myrtle Lee, daughter of the late Mr Robert Lee (Inspector of Schools), and granddaughter of Mr John Gully, came to Europe to study painting. She went back to the Dominion, but returned to the more profitable field in this country. For the past ten years Miss Lee and two partners have been developing a business called, the Blue Bird Studio, at Babbaeombe. for the New Zealand artist realised that if she wanted to paint what- she liked she would have to devote part of her time to "bread and butter" work. The Blue Bird Studio has flourished fairly well and the partners now have an established place with publishers for illuminated Christmas cards and Christmas verses. In addition, they have specialised in silhouette figures of saints cut from satin walnut. The cheaper ones are printed and finished off bv hand; the larger ones are entirely hand painted.

Most striking of the articles on exhibition, however, nre several sacred books printed and illuminntpd after the style of the ancient Scriptures. The Book of Revelation is done in thi« way, the Litany, and the "Passing of Mary.'' The last-mentioned conies from the bands of Mrs Wehh and Mi«s Green. The two others nre the sole work of Miss Green. Each capital letter at the beginning of a paragraph is a beautiful miniature of some sacred subinrt. the decorations round the margin* are uniform in design but different for each pa sc. and the letterin? is exquisitely done.

Miss Lee intends to make a trip to New Zealand next year tr> visit her mother. and while in Wellington she will hold an exhibition of her water rolours. These are mainly landscapes showing an exr>an=ive treatment of pnen spaces and skies. For fnme time she has been specialising in Dartmoor =r-enos. Mis® Lee will also take ont sonic of the illuminated volumes which are worth going a long way to see.